Theories of Learning for the Workplace - Example

Human Resource Management Executive summary This paper discusses the different learning styles and training needs of various workers in an organization. This section has an account of the learning curve, which explains the learning process of an individual in the entire life time. The section also includes a description of how learning styles and theories enable organizations in planning trainings for their workers. The next part of the paper focuses on training with specific discussion of training needs of staff in an organization, methods of training, and how to plan a training event. The third section of the discussion conducts an evaluation of a sample training event while determining the success of the techniques used in the evaluation process. The final part of the essay focuses on the role of the government in training, lifelong learning, and development. Introduction The human resource management function plays various roles such as recruiting, promoting, and training workers. Training is a critical function of this department because it helps to increase the productivity of workers in an organization. Human resource managers study the learning process before planning a training program so that they may be able to determine the outcomes to expect after training. The managers then plan training events by determining their objectives and expected outcomes. The training plan also highlights the techniques that the department will use to evaluate the event and determine if it achieved its objectives. Some of the methods include interviews, observation, and questionnaires. An analysis of the process of learning and training is essential in understanding how the human resource department carries out the training function. 1.1 Comparison of different learning styles Learning is a process in which individuals discover new things and understand them. However, different individuals understand things in different ways; the common learning styles include visual, kinaesthetic, and auditory. In visual learning style, individuals understand things by looking at them (Dochy, 2011). The brains of learning who understand things by visualization record them in long term memory enabling them to remember the visualizations in future. Kinaesthetic learning style, on the other hand, is the one where individuals understand things through touch and movement (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010). Learners who use this style prefer doing things practically instead of sitting and listening for long periods. Practise enables the learners to remember things because they have experience of how they work. Learners who use this style have difficulties sitting for long periods and listening to a teacher because they are easily distracted (Dochy, 2011). Auditory learning style involves listening to a commentator and understanding things. Learners who use this style may sit for prolonged periods so that they may listen to a facilitator. Auditory learners remember the things they learn by memorizing the words that educators use when addressing them. These novices also learn best with is music in the background because it enhances their memory (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010) Logical learning approach involves understanding new things using mathematical formulas and statements. Learners who understand things using this approach prefer formulas instead of long notes when studying a new topic. This is not a major learning style, but it is essential because it helps organizations to formulate trainings that fit the needs of these learners. 1.2 The role of the learning curve and the importance of transferring learning to the workplace The learning curve is an arc that explains how individuals gain knowledge of various things through experience. The curve demonstrates how learning is easy and fast in the initial stages of the life of a person and then becomes hard in later stages of life (Dochy, 2011). The curve varies depending on how fast a person learns; a steep arc indicates that an individual is very sharp, but a flat curve indicates that an individual is a slow learner. The learning curve, therefore, helps in understanding a person’s ability to learn and become proficient at new things. This helps in determining the techniques and the resources to use to teach that person. Learning is essential at the workplace because it helps in increasing the productivity of workers (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). Through learning, employees acquire new skills and competencies; the skills then enable the employees to progress in their careers. It is also essential to introduce learning at the workplace because it enables workers to understand how to use new technologies. This is because technology is fast changing in the twenty first century, and any organization that fails to acquire new improvements risks shutting down in future. The introduction of learning also enables human resource managers to determine the workers to promote based on their ability to learn and implement new things fast. Figure 1: S-shaped Learning curve. Source (http://www.intropsych.com/ch07_cognition/learning_curve.html) The above figure shows an s-shaped learning curve that indicates that students learn things at a slow rate in the early years of learning. The learner’s ability to learn new things fastens as the student acquires more knowledge in the field. The learning process then becomes steady in later years of learning because of old age. Although this learning curve is s-shaped, the curve is not constant among all learners because it may become steep, flat, or take an all new shape depending on the nature of the student. 1.3 The contribution of learning styles and theories when planning and designing a learning event Learning styles are critical in planning events because they determine the resources and styles that may be used in the training (Gerhart, Hollenbeck, Noe, & Wright, 2015). For example, when an organization recognizes that its workers are visual learners, it may organize a learning event that uses visual materials such as power point presentations and black boards for drawing images. A company that recognizes that workers are diverse may decide to use the three learning styles in an event (Dochy, 2011). The organization gathers resources that help employees to learn using audio, visual, and practical techniques. Resources for such an event would include presentations, speeches, demonstrations, and practical activities. Learning theories, on the other hand, help in designing a training event by enabling an organization to formulate objectives, outcomes, monitoring and evaluation techniques, and the time that the training will consume (Gerhart, Hollenbeck, Noe, & Wright, 2015). The learning theories include behaviour, cognitive, human relations, and social learning. For example, an organization that uses cognitive theory may formulate an objective that at the end of the event, workers should be able to think in a better way than they used to do before the training. The company may then decide to use questionnaires to evaluate the training. The questionnaires may be assigned to workers before and after the event, and then a comparison is made to determine whether there is an improvement in how employees think. 2.1 The training needs for staff at different levels in an organisation Different employees in an organization have differing training needs because they perform varying functions. For example, directors, senior managers, and departmental heads require to be trained on various things such as how to motivate workers, how to monitor and evaluate outcomes, how to communicate efficiently, and how to solve problems (Noe, 2012). Communication enables managers to pass information to workers at lower levels; while monitoring and evaluation enables leaders to ensure that lower level employees work towards achieving the goals of the organization. Operational workers who work at the lowest level of an organization require to be trained on how to use machines efficiently to produce high quantities of output, how to listen and communicate to customers, how to solve minor problems, and how to perform various tasks (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010). These workers are trained on how to perform basic tasks in an organization because they are the ones who perform them every day. Operational workers are also trained on how to solve minor problems to save the time that they would spend in reporting the case to managers and wait for a solution (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). This ensures that their productivity does not decrease. Supervisors, conversely require to be trained on how to deal with employees directly, how to solve average problems, how to lead others, and how to perform low level tasks (Kozowski, & Salas, 2010). This means that supervisors are critical in an organization because their training needs are in the middle of managers and operational workers. These individuals are trained to perform all tasks in an organization because they may stand for operational employees and managers at the same time. Companies, therefore, need to plan trainings for supervisors carefully to ensure that they are equipped with all the skills and knowledge that fit their role. Supporting staff members, on the other hand, do not have numerous training needs like the other workers. These workers include cleaners, cateresses, and chauffeurs. Organizations employ these workers depending on their need meaning that not all companies have supporting staff members. These members are trained different from the others because their functions are easy. Some organizations cooperate and train this group of workers together to save the high cost of conducting training for a single organization (Noe, 2012). 2.2 The advantages and disadvantages of training methods used in an organisation Organizations use various techniques to train their employees during events depending on the affordability, time, and accessibility of the methods. The common methods of training that organizations adopt include on-the-job training, discussions, seminars, and role-playing. Each of these methods has its own advantages and limitations; these attributes of the various methods are indicated in the table below. Table 1: Training methods, their benefits, and limitations Method Advantages Disadvantages Role-playing Equips workers with interpersonal skills Enables employees to perform management functions Makes employees who are shy to feel ashamed of performing tasks that they do not know well in front of a group (Noe, 2012) Group discussions Helps workers to share ideas. Those who are knowledgeable pass their knowledge to the others. Helps employees and managers to interact warmly and for efficient work relationships (Noe, 2012) It may instil fear among operational workers who fear their managers. On-the-job training Helps employees to understand their roles efficiently. Increases productivity on a day to day basis. Enables workers to work in a team with supervisors and managers. May put pressure on workers to perform their tasks in a certain way while they can still do it in their own way. Requires very close supervision of every worker yet organizations do not employ a supervisor for every worker (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010). Seminars/ workshops Uses demonstrations and other resources that help workers to understand the topic. Gives employees a chance to take notes for future reference. Helps workers to interact and share ideas with others from different organizations (Dochy, 2011). Does not give employees a chance to participate in the training actively. May be hard for kinaesthetic learners because they get bored by sitting down and listening. 2.3 use a systematic approach to plan training and development for a training event This is a plan for training workers on how to handle different types of customers. The needs assessment will be conducted to determine if employees know how to deal with customers efficiently without being trained. Table 2: Customer handling training map Activity Resources Time (days) Needs assessment (Conduct an review to determine if workers need to be trained) Questionnaires, pens, labour, 7 days Objectives Teach workers how to handle all types of customers to avoid conflicts - Expected outcomes Improved customer service in form of communication, solving problems, and feedback Training Methods Role playing Seminar - Actual training Power point presentations, facilitators, books, pens, snacks, 3 days Evaluation Questionnaires, experts to observe how workers handle customers, 30 days The training will start by introducing facilitators and employees to the event. The facilitators will then highlight the objectives of the training after explaining the reason for conducting the training. The trainers will then proceed with the three day training; on the last day, workers will be given a chance to ask questions that are related to the theme of the event. A follow up evaluation will be conducted to assess whether workers practise what they learn in the event. The assessment will be conducted on both employees and customers to determine if they are satisfied with the services they receive. 3.1 Prepare an evaluation using suitable techniques Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation Model I will conduct a training using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model that consists of four levels. The four levels of the model include behaviour, reactions, learning, and outcomes. The first level of the model measures the thoughts attitudes, and reactions of workers towards a training event (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). This level asks workers about the efficiency of training skills of the trainer who was in charge of the event. This helps to determine if the training was conducted efficiently enough to yield the desired outcomes of the event. This evaluation may be conducted using questionnaires that ask workers various questions about the trainers and the training. The second stage of the model tests whether the training had an impact on workers, for example, if they acquired new knowledge or gained new skills (Noe, 2012). This level compares the knowledge of workers before and after the training to determine the difference. This level of evaluation may be conducted using questionnaires, interviews, and observation (Dochy, 2011). The third level of Kirkpatrick’s model assesses the behaviour of workers after the training event (Gerhart, Hollenbeck, Noe, & Wright, 2015). This stage assesses the behaviour of employees to determine if they applied the knowledge and skills that they acquired in the training. This level also aims at determining whether the new behaviour of employees is beneficial or harmful. The evaluation of behaviour of workers may be carried out using observation and interviews. The last level of the model evaluates trainings by measuring their outcomes (Noe, 2012). The outcomes measured include the overall productivity of the organization after the training, and the productivity of individual workers. This level of evaluation may use total output, sales, or units per worker (Dochy, 2011). Table 3: Kirkpatrick’s Model of Evaluating Training Programs Level of Evaluation Methods Level 1: Reaction Questionnaires Level 2: Learning Questionnaires, interviews, observation Level 3: Behaviour Observation, interviews Level 4: Outcomes Sales level, output levels 3.2 Carry out an evaluation of a training event The training that was conducted about how workers handle different customer needs was evaluated using observation and questionnaires. Workers were observed closely before the training to determine how they treat customers and handle their issues. The employees were also assigned questionnaires where they described their process of interacting with customers in the form of answers to various questions. After the training event, the workers were given another questionnaire containing similar set of questions with the first, and they were observed closely for two weeks. The evaluation indicated that the workers improved their customer service. Employees were able to communicate with customers better than they used to do before; for example, the workers became kind and warm towards customers. Workers were also able to solve customer complains without engaging in conflicts like they used to do before the event; employees also had positive attitude towards serving customers. Sales of the organization increased and responses from customer surveys were also positive. These results indicated that the training was useful and beneficial to workers, customers, and the organization as a whole. 3.3 Review the success of the evaluation methods used The evaluation techniques used in the process were successful. The questionnaires helped to determine the behaviour, attitude, and performance of employees before and after the training (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010). The questionnaires limited the responses that the workers gave; this may have caused the workers to leave out some of their responses from the document; however, interviews helped to solve this problem because they did not limit the responses of respondents. Questionnaires were also economical and less time consuming compared to interviews and observation (Noe, 2012). The observation technique was successful in uncovering the behaviour of employees that would not be possible to identify using questionnaires (Dochy, 2011). This technique also helped to verify the validity of the worker’s responses on the questionnaires; for example, if a worker said that he was able to communicate with customers on the questionnaire, the observation helped to verify the truth of this response. Therefore, the combination of the three evaluation methods was successful because they complementary. 4.1 The role of the government in training, development and lifelong learning The government plays the role of ensuring that workers receive training and development regularly to ensure that they are up to date. The government does this by conducting training events for workers in various regions of the country. The state pays for the trainings and welcomes workers from all over the country to participate in the event (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). The state is also responsible in ensuring lifelong learning by formulating laws that motivate employees to acquire new skills and knowledge. For example, the government has created a rule that gives workers who work in organizations (both public and private) with over two hundred and fifty employees to ask for study leave. The state has also created a rule that states that an employee who has worked for an organization continuously for half a year and above have the right to ask for study leave (Noe, 2012). This means that workers who are not covered by the rule of organizations with over 250 employees may take advantage of the other regulation. The government also has to ensure that there is lifelong learning, training, and development by allowing organizations to acquire and use new technologies (Dochy, 2011). Organizations then conduct trainings to teach workers about new technologies after acquiring them through permission from the state. 4.2 How the development of the competency movement has impacted on the public and private sectors The competency movement has had a positive impact on both the public and private sectors. The private sector that most individuals believe is efficient more than the public sector aims at employing the best employees that there can be in the market. Organizations in this sector choose the most competent workers in the market; these are the workers who have the highest educational qualifications and experience (Gerhart, Hollenbeck, Noe, & Wright, 2015). The private sector does this to ensure that its productivity increases at an increasing rate. The pressure of the competency movement has also forced companies in the private sector to conduct regular trainings for their employees. These firms train employees on how to use the latest technology that they acquire from the market. The private sector organizations also ensure that workers have the most modern skills in the market to the extent that some sponsor their employees to study and acquire higher education (Dochy, 2011). Companies in the private sector adopt diverse training methods when teaching their employees to ensure that every worker understands the topics being taught. These organizations take on steep learning curves to ensure that they have a competitive advantage in the market (Noe, 2012). The public sector has also acted on the competency movement by developing their performance. Organizations in this sector advance their performance by training workers and motivating them using promotions, bonuses, and training programs (Kozlowski, & Salas, 2010). The public sector has also found the need for formulating clear objectives, monitoring, and evaluation programs. The monitoring and evaluations help the companies to work towards achieving their main objectives (Noe, 2012). 4.3 How contemporary training initiatives introduced by the UK government contribute to human resources development for an organisation Contemporary training programs formulated by the United Kingdom government augment human resource development in companies in all sectors. The trainings enable human resource managers to identify the latest skills in the market because they are conducted regularly (Gerhart, Hollenbeck, Noe, & Wright, 2015). The human resource managers then formulate efficient recruitment plans for their organizations. For example, the managers set the minimum qualification and skill requirements for new employees. Contemporary trainings also globalize the human resource functions such that it is the same from one organization to the other in UK (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). This standardization of the function enables potential employees and existing workers to know what is required of them at the workplace. Conclusion Training of employees is an essential role of the human resource division in an organization. The division plans trainings by first determining the learning styles of its employees. This is because different workers learn best using various techniques; for example, visual learners grasp things by looking at them and recording the images in their long term memory. Audio learners, on the other hand, understand new things by listening to speakers or music. The department then determines the training needs of its workers because different levels of employees have varying education needs. The government takes part in training and development by ensuring that the process continues. The state formulates laws and organizes trainings that equip workers across the country with new skills. The UK government has standardized and modernized the human resource function by organizing contemporary training programs in the country. References Dochy, F. J. R. C., 2011. Theories of learning for the workplace: Building blocks for training and professional development programmes. London: Routledge. Gerhart, B. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Noe, R. A., & Wright, P. M., 2015. Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Salas, E., 2010. Learning, training, and development in organizations. London: Routledge. Noe, R. A., 2012. Employee training and development. London: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Truss, C., Mankin, D., & Kelliher, C., 2012. Strategic human resource management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More