HRM325
Week Nine Lecture
Learning and Development
Explain the differences between L&D and other
terms that are used to describe these activities in
organisations
Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of
L&D for individuals and teams, organisations and
society and assess different approaches to the
development of L&D strategies
Explain how individuals can learn in organisations
and how individual styles and references vary
By the end
of this session
you should
be able to
Evaluate the issues involved in identifying and
responding to L&D needs
Understand the key issues to be considered
when designing L&D interventions
Outline the key steps to be considered when
evaluating L&D and measuring return on
investment
An Overview
Learning and Development activities are considered an
important component of organisational effectiveness
In the knowledge economy the capacity of employees to
absorb and process new information, acquire new skills
and adapt effectively to new realities are important,
indeed some would say critical, to the continued success
of an organisation
L&D activities in organisations must be strategic to
enhance effectiveness
Focus on the important issues that face an organisation in
order to maximise the investment in L&D and demonstrate
added value
An Overview cont’d
Explain the scope of L&D in organisations and outline
how it differs from traditional training, and to outline the
key decisions that organisations need to make to
ensure that L&D activities generate strategic value
Outline the key differences in terminology that
characterise L&D as a subject area and then examine
the benefits of those activities
Consider how people learn and explain different
learning styles
Approaches to the development of L&D strategies, the
key issues to be considered when designing L&D events
and how organisations can demonstrate that L&D
activities generate value for an organisation.
L&D as an Organisational Process
Organisations use a variety of terms to describe
L&D activities including
Training and development
Employee development
Strategic human resource development
The organisational process of developing people
involves the integration of L&D processes,
operations and relationships and is a critical
business process (CIPD, 2005:81)
Benefits of L&D for Individuals and Teams
Investment in L&D activities by individuals should result in the
acquisition of new skills, the enhancement of knowledge
and the development of confidence to perform a task or role
to experienced worker standard
L&D may lead to:
– Greater innovation
– The confidence to handle a changed job situation
– Development of tacit skills
– Employees working more effectively in a different
culture
– Individuals may develop a range of interpersonal and
generic skills that will be of value to career opportunities
– Enhanced skill of the manager or leader
Benefits of L&D for Organisations and Society
For the organisation, L&D activities can be used to retain
employees, customer and employee engagement levels,
organisational social capital and relationship building with
suppliers and customers
L&D activities can enhance the quality of the labour force
and the amount of human capital available within an
economy
L&D activities can be used to ensure social inclusion,
enhance community effectiveness, regional development
and societal prosperity
L&D activities can be used to get the involvement of
stakeholders such as trade unions, professional bodies,
community groups and employer groups in enhancing the
society as a whole
Model of L&D in Organisations
Systematic L & D Cycle
Models of L&D in Organisations cont’d
A Strategic HRD Model
– The strategic HRD model focuses on articulating
the characteristics of L&D activities that are
necessary in order for it to be strategic
– A strategic HRD model (Garavan, 1991; 2007)
emphasises a number of important features
Strategic Integration
Multi-Stakeholder Perspective
Create a Learning Culture
Models of L&D in Organisations cont’d
The Learning Organisation Model
Characteristic Features of the Learning Organisation:
Learning is derived from a multiplicity of experiences:
planned/unplanned, deliberate/accidental,
successes/failures, and is used to shape future behaviour
Learning has significance of itself and learning how to learn
is a critical aspect of the learning organisation
Organisations learn from both the external and internal
environment and this occurs at all times within the
organisation
Learning is continuous, habitual and internalised
Learning is utilised by an organisation to enable
organisational transformation
Learning occurs because it is facilitated by managers and
employees and it occurs naturally within an organisation
How do people learn
Experiential Learning Cycle
Learning Styles
Honey and Mumford (1992) and Kolb (1984) suggest that
there are four learning styles that link with the four stages
of the learning cycle:
Activists like to get fully involved in the action
Reflectors like to stand back and observe experiences
from different perspectives
Theorists continually focus on analysis and the
development of theories based on multiple
observations
Pragmatists continually focus on trying out new ideas,
theories and techniques to see how they will work in
practice
Formulating an L&D Strategy
An effective L&D strate
gy will include a
number of important components:
Articulate a set of beliefs and values about learning in the organisation;
Propose a set of coherent L&D practices that reflect values and philosophy;
Select learning strategies that support short-term operational goals as well as
medium to long-term objectives.
Formulating an L&D Strategy cont’d
Anderson (2007) proposes five important actions
necessary to formulate an L&D strategy:
Participation by L&D practitioners in business planning
processes;
Dialogue with organisational stakeholders so that they
take account of organisational L&D priorities;
Develop and communicate a strong business case for
investment in learning activities that fall outside the
formal business plan;
Ensure the cost effective use of L&D resources and
continually focus on organisational priorities;
Evaluate the strategic level contribution that L&D
processes make to the organisation.
Identifying and Responding to L&D Needs
The identification of L&D needs represents a
key step in ensuring the effective alignment
of L&D with organisational goals
Harrison (2009) suggested that the needs
identification process consists of three key
stages:
Data collection
Identification of the capability / performance gap
Recommendations and prioritisation of learning needs
Designing and Delivering L&D Interventions
The outputs of the learning needs analysis
process will inform the design of L&D
interventions. A number of important
decisions need to be made by the L&D
specialist including:
The formulation of learning objectives or outcomes;
The selection of appropriate L&D strategies;
Selecting L&D methods;
The delivery of the learning intervention within the time frame agreed and to
the target audience.
Learning Objectives or Outcomes
The formulation of learning objectives or outcomes
requires that learning needs are translated into
specific objectives or outcomes
Learning objectives or outcomes should be
measurable and consist of statements of specific
outcomes that will form the basis for the design of
the learning intervention
Learning outcomes will focus on knowledge, skill
and/or attitudes
Once learning objectives or outcomes have been
defined it is appropriate to consider the selection of
L&D strategies
Selecting L&D Strategies
L&D Method Trainer or
Learner Centred
Suitability
Lecture Trainer-centred Ideal for large training groups and when
large amounts of information need to be
communicated. Does not allow for a
high degree of participation by learners.
Group
discussion
Learner-centred Appropriate when the learning
objective is to share viewpoints or to
analyse complex organisational issues.
Requires the trainer to manage the
process and keep the discussion
focused.
Role play Learner-centred Learners have an opportunity to act as if
they were in real life situations. Learners
can practise their responses and receive
feedback from a trainer on key
learnings. Can provide learners with
enhanced self-awareness, self-
confidence and ability to learn from
mistakes.
Selecting L&D Methods
L&D Method Trainer or
Learner Centred
Suitability
Case study Learner-centred Provides learners with the opportunity to
examine a situation in detail and generate
solutions. Allows a group of learners to
exchange ideas and discuss complex
organisational issues. Key challenge is to
select a case study that matches the skills of
participants but also stretches their
knowledge and skill.
In-tray
exercise
Learner-centred Learners are exposed to a simulation of real
life. Provides learners with an opportunity to
experience the kind of issues that will arise in
their work.
Video or film Trainer-centred Very suitable to deliver information to large
groups of learners and demonstrate examples
of effective and less effective behaviours.
They demand little in the way of participation
by an audience but can be used as a
springboard for discussion and questions.
Selecting L&D Methods cont’d
Delivering L&D
The effective delivery of L&D activities requires that trainers
take account of a number of factors:
Take account of different ways in which people learn;
Understand the needs of adult learners and provide them
with significant control over how and when they learn;
Take into account the learning motivations of learners and
address those motivations;
Provide opportunities for learners to learn by utilising
practice, trial and error;
Provide feedback to learners during the learning process;
Provide learners with the opportunity to make sense of
what they have learned;
Be aware of the environment in which the learning will
take place.
Evaluating L&D Activities
Evaluation is a key feature of the systematic model and it
is also considered an important part of SHRD
The evaluation of L&D activities seeks to answer the
following questions:
How effectively did the organisation undertake the learning needs
analysis
Were the L&D strategies and methods effective in addressing the
identified learning needs
How well did learners enjoy the learning intervention and did they
perceive it as relevant to their current or future roles
What did participants learn as a result of participation in the learning
intervention
What changes in work performance can be attributed to the
learning intervention
To what extent has the learning intervention contributed to the
achievement of organisational objectives