Companies and business organizations all over the world are affected by a wide range of factors including customer service, safety, employee retention, productivity and growth. All these are factors which influence training and learning practises in an organization. Companies both current, past and learning experience great change on a daily basis due to rapid development, new technologies, development of e-commerce, and globalization of business. Therefore, organizations have to ensure that they take the necessary steps to attract clients and workers, at the same time motivate and retain their work forces (Hines & Sligo, 1978). In this paper, I will discuss the importance of learning to an organization and show how a past or current organization can emulate a learning organization.
A learning organization refers to a company or enterprise where people continue to expand their ability and capacity to obtain standard results of their true desire. In this case, updated and expansive patterns of creativity and thinking are constantly nurtured, and collective aspiration set free in order for people to constantly learn to see better results (Messas, 1997). Other companies and organizations can emulate learning organizations in many ways. First of all, learning of an organization is by current or past organizations should be initiated and developed by the senior management. This involves a top to down imposed vision of the manager. They are the pioneers of these organizations and therefore play a major role in influencing and emulating learning organization.
Current or past organizations may emulate learning organization by providing continuous learning and training opportunities. Training of employees is a very crucial factor in any organization (Messas, 1997). It equips an organization with the required tools to participate in the electronic and global markets places. It enables an organization to offer high quality services and products. Therefore, training prepares employees to meet and use new updated technologies cooperate and communicate with customers or peers from different cultural backgrounds and, function in new work systems like virtual teams.
Another way of emulating learning organization is by using learning to reach their goals. Current organizations are supposed to set their specific objectives and goals and identify specific learning activities that would direct them to their specific goals (Messas, 1997). This is a good method because it enables an organization to plan for its financial needs as well as its future. Goals are easily met with the correct knowledge of employees. Organizations can also link individual performance of employees directly with organizational performance.
Another effective method is by an organization fostering dialogue and inquiry, and making it safe for employees to take risks and share openly (Messas, 1997). Through dialogue and inquiries employees of a given organization meet a lot of people and from these, a lot of information and knowledge is obtained which can be brought back into the organization and improve it. Dialogues with learning organizations enable other organizations to get new skills and correct their mistakes accordingly in order for them to meet their specific targets. Learning is a process that involves coming out of a central place and obtaining information from several sources in order for one to meet their target goals.
Embracing creativity tension as a source of renewal and energy is a factor that all organizations should consider in emulating learning organization. There are a lot of challenges that come along these learning activities and an organization needs to have strategic plans to help absorb such pressures. Finally, an organization needs to be aware and interact compatibly with their learning environment (Hines & Sligo, 1978). All employees need to respond to these trainings that keep them updated of the current technological developments positively. All these activities will make the process of learning easy for a given organization and hence goals will be met.
Human resource management of an organization refers to the practises, policies and systems that directly affect employees’ attitudes, performance and behaviour. As a human resource manager, I would ensure that I effectively attract, motivate, reward and retain my employees in order for them to gain confidence in me at the same time be free with me. I would ensure that I perform a perfect recruitment of employees in my organization and be fair when it comes to compensating them (Hines & Sligo, 1978). To provide an effective training environment to employees, I would first asses the financial and physical resources of the organization. In order for a company to run the training system well, it needs to have enough physical and financial resources for it to survive. This will ensure that all the employees train under comfortable conditions financially and physically in order for them to access the required skills with ease (Hines & Sligo, 1978). I would also assess the factors which influence working and learning in order for me to come up with a constructive plan that can ease the training process of employees.
In order to achieve the learning program, companies and organizations across the world need to establish a systematic design training process which is flexible enough to adapt to their respective business needs. All these steps will eventually increase the benefits to be realized by the organizations of interest.
References
Hines, A.B., & Sligo, F.X. (1978). Training and development. Palmerstone North N.Z.: Dept. of Business Studies, Faculty of Business, Massey University.
Messas, K.G. (1997). Staff training & development. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries, Office of Management Services.
Training & development. (2006). Hobart, Tas.: Government Printer.
