Strategic Human Resource Development
-
Upload
iram-imran -
Category
Documents
-
view
320 -
download
7
description
Transcript of Strategic Human Resource Development
SEMINARS ON STRATEGIC HUMAN
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Level: MSMS
Discussion 1
06-09-2012
Dr. Sajid Hussain Awan, Program Manager MSMS
Outline
HRD, SHRM, SHRD Defined
SHRD aims
HRD Philosophy
Elements of HRD
What not is HRD?
HRD in Transition
Gaps in the Literature
Past approaches
The Duet, Trio, Quartet & Orchestra
Leadership dimension
Summary
2
HRD Defined
Human resource development is a series of organized activities, conducted within a specialized time and designed to produce behavioral changes (Nadler, 1969; 1986).
HRD is a set of systematic and planned activities designed by an organization to impart its members necessary skills to meet current and future job demands. HRD activities begin when an employee joins an organization and continue throughout his/her career, regardless of the employee‟s status (Desimone, Werner, & Harris, 2002).
3
HRD…
HRD interventions are aimed at employee development.
Employee development through skills training and
development programs initiated by organizations
recognize the need to keep employees abreast of
technological and social changes to sustain a competent
and productive workforce (Jinabhai, 2005).
HRD plans and measures for training employees from
disadvantaged groups (Horwitz, 1999).
4
Why HRD?
An organization is only as good as its people. An
important and effective part of its organizational
strategy is to compete with the challenges presented by
a fast-paced, highly dynamic and increasingly global
economy.
To achieve this end, organizations of all types and sizes
must employ competent and motivated workers. Their
organizational strategy must include training and
development (T&D) and employee education (Desimone
et al., 2002).
5
Strategic HRM defined
Strategic HRM is concerned with „seeing the people of the organization as a strategic resource for the achievement of competitive advantage‟ (Hendry & Pettigrew, 1986).
SHRM is a process that involves the use of holistic approachesto the development of HR strategies, which are integrated vertically with the business strategy and horizontally with one another.
These strategies define intentions and plans related to overall organizational considerations, such as organizational effectiveness, and to more specific aspects of people management, such as resourcing, learning and development, reward and employee relations.
6
SHRM…
Strategic HRM defines the organization‟s intentions and
plans on how its business goals should be achieved
through people. It is based on three propositions:
First, that human capital is a major source of
competitive advantage;
Second, that it is people who implement the strategic
plan; and,
Third, that a systematic approach should be adopted
to defining where the organization wants to go and
how it should get there.
7
Strategic HRD defined
Walton (1999) defines SHRD as follows:
“Strategic human resource development involves
introducing, eliminating, modifying, directing, and
guiding processes in such a way that all individuals and
teams are equipped with the skills, knowledge and
competences they require to undertake current and
future tasks required by the organization.”
SHRD provides the capacity to enhance individual
abilities and competencies as a necessary requirement
for effective performance.
8
SHRD…
Strategic HRD is „development that arises from a clear vision
about people‟s abilities and potential and operates within
the overall strategic framework of the business (Harrison,
2000).‟
SHRD takes a broad and long-term view about how HRD
policies and practices can support the achievement of
business strategies.
9
SHRD…10
SHRD is business led, and the learning and development
strategies that are established as part of the overall SHRD
approach flow from business strategies, although they have
a positive role in helping to ensure that the business attains
its goals.
Bergenhenegouwen, Mooijman and Tilleman (1992)
describe SHRD as “training members of an organization in
such a way that they have the knowledge and skills needed
within the context of the (changing) objectives of an
organization.”
SHRD aims
SHRD aims to produce a coherent and comprehensive
framework for developing people through the creation of a
learning culture and the formulation of organizational and
individual learning strategies.
Its objective is to enhance resource capability in accordance
with the belief that a firm‟s human resources are a major
source of competitive advantage.
It is therefore about developing the intellectual capital
required by the organization as well as ensuring that the right
quality of people are available to meet present and future
needs.
11
SHRD aims…
12
The main thrust is to provide an environment in which
people are encouraged to learn and develop.
Although SHRD is business led, its specific strategies
have to take into account individual aspirations and
needs.
SHRD envisages the importance of increasing
employability outside as well as within the organization
SHRD & SHRM
Strategic HRD policies are closely associated with that aspect of
strategic HRM that is concerned with investing in people and
developing the organization‟s human capital.
SHRM is aligning people with the strategy of the organization. As
Keep (1989) says:
“One of the primary objectives of HRM is the creation of conditions
whereby the latent potential of employees will be realized and their
commitment to the causes of the organization secured.”
This latent potential is taken to include, not merely the capacity to
acquire and utilize new skills and knowledge, but also a hitherto
untapped wealth of ideas about how the organization‟s operations
might be better ordered.
13
HRD philosophy
The philosophy underpinning HRD is as follows:
HRD makes a major contribution to the successful attainment
of the organization‟s objectives, and investment in it benefits
all the stakeholders of the organization.
HRD plans and programs should be integrated with and
support the achievement of business and human resource
strategies.
HRD should always be performance related – designed to
achieve specified improvements in corporate, functional, team
and individual performance and make a major contribution
to bottom-line results.
14
HRD philosophy…
15
Everyone in the organization should be encouraged and given
the opportunity to learn – to develop their skills and
knowledge to the maximum of their capacity.
The framework for individual learning is provided by personal
development plans that focus on self-managed learning and
are supported by coaching, mentoring and formal training.
The organization needs to invest in learning and development
by providing appropriate learning opportunities and facilities,
but the prime responsibility for learning and development rests
with individuals, who will be given the guidance and support
of their managers and, as necessary, members of the HR
department.
HRD philosophy…16
Everyone in the organization should be encouraged and given the opportunity to learn – to develop their skills and knowledge to the maximum of their capacity.
The framework for individual learning is provided by personal development plans that focus on self-managed learning and are supported by coaching, mentoring and formal training.
The organization needs to invest in learning and development by providing appropriate learning opportunities and facilities, but the prime responsibility for learning and development rests with individuals, who will be given the guidance and support of their managers and, as necessary, members of the HR department.
Elements of HRD
The key elements of HRD are:
Learning – defined by Bass and Vaughan (1966) as „a
relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a
result of practice or experience‟.
As Kolb (1984) describes it, “Learning is the major process of
human adaptation.”
Training – the planned and systematic modification of
behavior through learning events, programs and instruction
that enable individuals to achieve the levels of knowledge,
skills and competence needed to carry out their work
effectively.
17
Elements of HRD…18
Development – the growth or realization of a
person‟s ability and potential through the
provision of learning and educational
experiences.
Education – the development of the knowledge,
values and understanding required in all aspects
of life rather than the knowledge and skills
relating to particular areas of activity.
Learning & training
Learning should be distinguished from training.
„Learning is the process by which a person
constructs new knowledge, skills and capabilities,
whereas training is one of several responses an
organization can undertake to promote learning‟
(Reynolds et al., 2002).
19
SHRD redefined
SHRD is a method in terms of which learning or
the performing of knowledge processes ( creation,
sharing and use of knowledge) relating to the
emergent strategic orientation of companies is
made possible.
It focuses on the development of the skills that
executives, managers and employees may require/need
in future and is proactive in nature.
20
What not is HRD?
HRD is often defined as being merely the training and development aspect of human resource management and this form of definition is commonly associated with “hard” forms of HRD which focus on the practical and strategic or “structured” elements of organizational functioning.
Horwitz, Bowmaker-Falconer & Searll (1996) maintain that a difficulty with HRD lies not only with the lack of equality of opportunity for acquiring technical and managerial skills but also with the individual need for obtaining life skills and increased self-confidence.
However, it is change, and especially the rate at which change occurs, that largely influences the HRD hybrid that any organization adopts.
21
HRD in Transition
Some researchers have traced HRD through four key phases: the “Duet”, the “Trio”, the “Quartet”, and concluding with the “Orchestra” and a holistic definition of HRD.
HRD is a combination of structured and unstructured learning and performance-based activities which develop individual and organizational competency, capability and capacity to cope with and successfully manage change.
The future of HRD now lies squarely in the need for the profession to consider and embrace the inextricably interrelated paradigms of movement (where people have developed from); change (and especially the rate of change); dynamism (provided from leadership); harmony and unity (resulting from cohesive partnerships) – the “Orchestra”.
22
Gaps in the Literature
There has been limited critical review and development of Human Resource Development (HRD) theory in the past two decades.
We need to see in it sequentially to find chronological development.
However contemporary HRD involves a holistic approach involving both hard and soft elements – an “Orchestra”.
There has been limited critical review and development of HRD theory in the past two decades. In particular, since the inception of the term HRD, there has been a dichotomous approach developed to HRD.
23
Gaps …
The British have pursued a learning and development paradigm which
focused on enhanced training and development genre‟s (Garavan et al.,
1999).
While the Americans pursued a performance outcomes paradigm which
focused on developing individuals to enhance organizational performance
outcomes (Swanson & Holton, 2001).
Much of the American approach emerged through organizational
development theory and there has been an emphasis on coaching, mentoring
and leadership development (Desimone et al., 2002).
The dichotomous approach to HRD was further obscured by the evolution of
Strategic HRM and Strategic HRD (Walton, 1999) and attempts to clarify the
space that HRD occupies in the overall riddle of “what is HRM?” (Stewart and
McGoldrick, 1996; Sofo, 1999).
24
Gaps…
It is change, and especially the rate at which change occurs, that largely influences the HRD hybrid that any organization adopts.
We need to see that “HRD is a combination of structured and unstructured learning and performance based activities which develop individual and organizational competency, capability and capacity to cope with and successfully manage change.”
HRD now lies squarely in the need for the profession to embrace fully the inextricably interrelated paradigms of movement, change, dynamism, harmony and unity.
25
Past approaches
In the past, HRD was often polarized by authors as being
focused primarily on either performance or learning.
For example, whilst investigating an innovative scheme of
tandem management (know-how transfer) to develop Czech
managers by their German counterparts, Gutmann (1995)
identified a joint learning process in what she termed the steps
towards integration.
In tandem management, key positions are filled by an
expatriate German manager and a local Czech manager for
a limited period of time, usually three years.
26
Past approaches…27
During this period, the German manager‟s task is to
develop the professional and managerial skills of their
local partner and thus enable them to manage their
department independently.
They act, therefore, as a coach and a knowledge
mediator (Gutmann, 1995).
Tandem management28
Past approaches…
Outside of Europe, Yang (1994) analyzed the relationship
between production systems in the US and Japan and the
corresponding HRM system and practices and asserted that
HRM practices are functions of the prevailing production
system.
In the US case, for instance, the widespread scientific
management principles, together with Taylorist production
systems, tend to create a highly functional and job-oriented
HRM system.
Yang (1994) claims that a job-focused personnel system
prevents US firms from achieving success in improving product
quality at source.
29
Past approaches…
By comparison, the flexible production model in large
Japanese plants tends to be highly integrated with team-
based HRM principles.
Yang (1994) concludes by illustrating how Japanese-owned
plants operating in the USA have integrated the process-
based quality programs with team-oriented HRM policies and
practice.
These flexible HRM systems, based on “kaizen” principles,
contribute to the Japanese success in assuring product quality
throughout the production process. Team-oriented HRM
practices are a precondition for success of a process-based
total quality management approach.
30
Past approaches…
Yang (1994) quotes one HR manager as saying:
We‟re looking for someone who can do that but somebody who
also has potential. Somebody who learns well. If somebody comes
in here and has some basic skills but they are constantly learning,
constantly growing and developing, they become more valuable.
Once they learn our product they learn how to do other parts of
our product without as much training.
We don‟t want someone who comes in and operates just one
machine and that‟s all they can do.
We are not looking for that type of person. We are looking for
someone who‟s got some flexibility because of the product we
produce.
31
Past approaches…
Dodds and Verest (2002) provide a practical case
illustration of the development and implementation of Web-
based induction training in an international financial
services company founded in The Netherlands.
In the context of continuing growth and change, helping new
employees to swiftly integrate into the company is seen as
being critically important. They show how the power and
capabilities of the company intranet are applied to support
the induction process.
The design of the induction training is examined from the
perspective of the Lancaster learning model.
32
Past approaches…
Dodds and Verest (2002) comment: “Reg Revans, in his Action Learning gospel, stated that „the rate of learning should be equal to or greater than the rate of change in an organization‟”.
If technology is influencing and increasing the rate of change in organizations, then it may need to become an essential component of training and development, to ensure that the rate of learning keeps pace with change and that the organizations flourish and compete effectively.
33
Past approaches…
Providing a further European perspective, Buyens
et al. (2001) stress the learning-related aspects of
HRD:
The new role of an HRD practitioner will be that of a
strategic learning facilitator, performance consultant or
even change agent . . . The way in which management
supports staff in learning could also become an issue in
performance appraisals and management career
planning.
34
Past approaches…
Buyens et al. (2001) adopt the earlier approach of
Sambrook and Stewart (2000) to depict the way in
which the development towards a learning
organization has an impact on the relationship
between work and learning.
Whereas learning used to be synonymous with
training, it has now become associated with learning
from experience and self-directed learning. This is
necessary in order to cope with changing demands in
the organizational environment.
35
Past approaches…
Similarly, learning is no longer regarded solely as a classroom activity. This changing view of learning has far-reaching consequences for line managers, who are expected to manage the workplace as a place fit for learning.
In addition, this move has an impact upon employees who are now expected to take greater responsibility for their own learning.
Finally, it greatly affects the role and tasks of HRD professionals, who are involved in planning and designing learning activities for the whole organization.
36
Past approaches…
Coulson-Thomas (2000) surveyed the corporate learning
plans and priorities of 69 organizations in Belgium,
Britain, Germany and Greece.
He found that many courses were excessively general in
nature, and that they failed to address specific
requirements. He discovered that opportunities for
collaboration were being missed. In many companies,
training and development was seen as a cost, although
they could provide the basis for generating new income
streams, and become a significant profit centre in their
own right.
37
Past approaches…
Coulson-Thomas (2003) later asserted that successful and unsuccessful companies adopt very different ways of managing change.
He considered that learning, T&D activities should address the root causes of unsuccessful methods and focus upon more profitable approaches.
He claims that accomplishment in training and learning is directly related to the number of critical success factors that are put in place.
38
Past approaches…
Garavan (2002) and his colleagues in Ireland identified a paradigm shift from formalized, intermittent and discontinuous learning to increasingly informal, experiential, asynchronous and real-time situated learning.
They highlighted three contemporary themes in both the workplace learning and HRD literatures, namely:
knowledge, expertise, competence and capability; organizational learning; and employability and career issues.
39
Past approaches…
Smith (2004b) concludes by showing that the contribution of HRD to achieving effective organizational change falls into three broad areas:
1. creating an organizational environment that is supportive of learning and development;
2. developing and sustaining in employees an individual orientation towards learning and skills growth; and
3. providing staff with the direct skills and knowledge required for working in the changed environment.
It can be seen that the dichotomous pairs of learning/ performance and structured/unstructured are ineffective in their extreme forms but will work well together as a combination, the formula of this combination varying from organization to organization.
40
The “Duet”
41
The “Trio”
42
The “Trio”
The relationship between HRD and change is
developed further, once the integral nature of work to
both performance and learning is recognized.
As Clyde (2003) points out, recruiting new talent
would not result in lasting and significant change.
She asserts that it is effective continuing professional
development that is most likely to be an agent for
change.
43
The “Trio”…
At the micro level, the integration of work, learning and performance is highlighted by King (2003) who illustrates the point by looking at the outcomes of secondment as a learning strategy.
At the macro level, Tosey and Robinson (2002) offer a useful typology of change and organizational transformation.
Significantly, they point to the importance of spiritual development as being central to both the process and product of workplace change at both the individual and organizational levels.
44
The “Quartet”
45
The “Quartet”
A significant addition to the exploration of learning at work came when authors tackled the apex of quality.
Large-scale programs such as total quality management, business process re-engineering, six sigma, and others seem characterized by a need to be more competitive or more efficient; a focus on changing behavior; and a highly programmed, usually expert-led, method leading towards transformation as a “product” (Tosey and Robinson, 2002).
An innovative “tandem training” approach between Volkswagen and Skoda, illustrated by Gutmann (1995), was embedded in an integrated management qualification program.
46
From program to process
This importance of quality management to the whole scheme
47
The efficient manager48
Quality concerns
Meanwhile in the UK, quality function deployment aims to represent the voice of the customer during design and production of products and services, while customer satisfaction surveys provide measures of conformity to performance standards in service delivery, which should be set by the customers themselves (Varey, 1995).
In Japan, Yang (1994) argues that the process-based total quality mechanism is inseparable from its team-based human resource management practices, whereas in the US, the absence of modifying the highly specialized and job-focused employment system means it is difficult to carry out successfully a process-based quality control program at the plant level.
49
Interdisciplinary linkages
Varey (1995) highlights a number of writers who
have anticipated a convergence of HRM,
organizational development, marketing and quality
management in describing internal marketing in
terms traditionally associated with the domain of
the human resources specialist, including training,
recruitment, motivation, and reward.
50
The “Orchestra”
As the following analogy with an orchestra demonstrates, so too with learning:
As members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (London, 2002) arrive for rehearsal, you would not think anything out of the ordinary. The usual numbers of musicians are gathering, and there is the usual banter as they take their places and start to tune up. It is only when the practice begins that you notice what is missing – there is no conductor. Instead, representatives from each section of the group are selected who collectively decide upon interpretation, phrasing, and all the other minute musical aspects that make a symphony more than just a bunch of notes on a manuscript.
Every member contributes to ideas during rehearsals and any unresolved matters are put to the vote . . . While the rehearsal gets going, you may be wondering what has this got to do with management? Quite a lot, according to numerous corporations (including MBA classes) who regularly attend rehearsals and workshops in order to observe this process. Why? Self-managed teams are no longer a novelty, however successful self-managed teams are much harder to find.
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra seems to have overcome the obstacles normally associated with such an entity. It has won four Grammy awards and has been performing for over 30 years. What is more, in a profession notorious for low morale and discontent, members appear to be happy – the average tenure is a staggering 20 years.
51
Critique of teaming
Robbins and Finley (1995) think the main problem is lack of vision rather than a clash of personalities.
Senior managers have got where they are today through the very opposite means of team working and are not practiced in sharing their thoughts and aims.
Finley (2002) believes that CEOs generally do not have the time for teams because they are not instantly good at them.
Teaming is a skill that must be learned, yet few CEOs have the time (or the inclination) to do this. But senior management must know what being in a team really means, not just what it is like to promote the value of teamwork to other employees.
52
Leadership dimension
Manning and Robertson (2002) describe the background behind
the development of a new leadership self-assessment tool, the
dynamic leader inventory, and how the authors were able to
confirm much current thinking on visionary leadership.
They found leadership situations were enormously variable - what
was appropriate behavior in terms of visionary leadership varied
from one situation to another, particularly with respect to the
leader‟s influence over others, and their influence over change.
This led to the development of a new model of leadership, the
dynamic leader, which builds on, but goes beyond, the visionary
model.
53
Leadership dimension…
Manning and Robertson (2002) also suggest there are five facets
of “visionary” leadership:
1. Communicating a compelling vision;
2. Kaleidoscope thinking, based upon being tuned into the wider
environment, the source of the vision;
3. Macro issues: networking, team-working and promoting a
culture of excellence;
4. Interpersonal issues: two-way communication, people
orientation, participative style and high visibility; and
5. Personal traits, including positive self-regard, persistence,
perseverance and consistency.
54
Leadership dimension…55
Leadership dimension…
Meanwhile, in America, Noel and Dennehy (1991) contend that many companies are making significant strategic and organizational changes designed to make them more competitive in an increasingly global economy.
They see this as an exciting time, in which HRD can make a significant contribution.
HRD has been seen having a partnership role with senior management in change. HRD professionals must work with top management, focusing on the organization‟s strategic initiatives and to seek ways to leverage the development of employees to achieve these objectives in creative and impactful approaches.
56
Summary
HRD hybrid (that is, a “duet”, a “trio” or a “quartet”) that any organization adopts.
It is apparent, after considering these discussions, that “HRD is a combination of structured and unstructured learning and performance based activities which develop individual and organizational competency, capability and capacity to cope with and successfully manage change.”
The future of HRD now lies squarely in the need for the profession to consider and embrace the inextricably interrelated paradigms of movement (where people have developed from); change (and especially the rate of change); dynamism (provided from leadership); harmony and unity (resulting from cohesive partnerships) – the “orchestra”.
57
References
Avery, C. (1999). Challenges for management development in the
German-speaking nations for the twenty-first century. Journal of
Management Development, 18 (1), pp. 18-31.
Binsted, D. (1989). Learning to cope with change in the 80s.
Management Decision, 27(4).
Coulson-Thomas, C. (2000). Individuals and enterprise, winning
business in the new millennium. Industrial and Commercial Training.
32(1), pp. 4-8.
Desimone, R. L., Werner, J. M., & Harris, D. M. (2002). Human resource
development (3rd ed.). USA: Harcourt College.
58
References…
Garavan, T.N., Gunnigle, P. & Morley, M. (2000). Contemporary HRD research: a
triarchy of theoretical perspectives and their prescriptions for HRD. Journal of
European Industrial Training. 24(2-4), pp. 65-93.
Jinabhai, D. C. (2005). New challenges for South African development and training –
linkages to empirical research. Public Personnel Management, 34 (1), 85.
McGoldrick, J. & Stewart, J. (1996). The HRM-HRD nexus in McGoldrick, J. and
Stewart, J. (Eds), Human Resource Development: Perspectives, Strategies and
Practice, Pitman Publishing, London, pp. 9-27.
Simmonds, D. & Pedersen, C. (2006). HRD: the shapes and things to come. Journal of
Workplace Learning, 18(2 ), pp. 122-135.
Storey, J. (1992). New Perspectives in Human Resource Management of Human
Resources. Blackwell, Oxford.
To do list
Selection of a topic on SHRD for Literature review, 3000 words (Individual)
Forming of groups (2-3 members) for class assignment (10 Marks) and its presentation
Take a Research Paper on SHRD and critically analyze, submit draft (soft copy) and present
Mid-term Exam (30 Marks)
Presentation of Literature Review by student : Marks 15
Sit-in Exam: Marks 15
Book Chapter - group presentation (10 marks)
Final Exam (45 Marks)
Group (2-3 members)
Study of at least 3 organization for identifying SHRD needs
Organizing the literature review already done and revisiting the literature
Developing a framework (independent & dependent variables) for studying the identified problem (s)
Developing a design/methodology for data collection (interviews and questionnaires)
Analyzing the data, main findings, discussion of the results, conclusion and recommendations (25 marks)
Sit-in exams (20 marks)
Class participation 5 marks
60
SEMINARS ON STRATEGIC HUMAN
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Level: MSMS
Discussion 2+3
20-09-2012
Dr. Sajid Hussain Awan, Program Manager MSMS
Overview of SHRD: The roots
The argument for SHRD
Organization Development (OD)
Early 20th Century management and social science
approaches
Scientific management, Fordism and the elimination of
certainty
The problem of control and compliance
Organizational analysis as critique
SHRD as a critical theory
Why SHRD?
The human resources of companies must be
developed in terms of the current and the emergent
strategic orientation of the company.
The argument for SHRD
The method according to which executives, managers and employees are equipped in terms of the current strategic orientation is known as traditional HRD.
Whilst SHRD equips executives, managers and employees in terms of the emergent strategic orientation of the company.
Naturally, the nature and purpose of these two methods of HRD differ from one another, as do the processes used to give effect to these methods.
The argument…
Therefore SHRD is a future-oriented method, is
proactive in nature, and employs strategic training
process to equip executives, managers and employees
to deal with the changing nature of performance
arising from the emergent strategic orientation of the
company.
The strategic orientation of the company
The strategic orientation of companies arises from the
grand strategy of the company.
The grand strategy of the company contains a
statement of the activities in which the company is
currently involved in and will in future possibly become
involved in to ensure its continued competitiveness.
The strategic orientation of the company contains an
indication of the manner in which the company‟s grand
strategy is to be accomplished.
Defining strategy
The word strategy originates from the Greek word strategia meaning generalship and is related to the science and art of warfare.
Today‟s organizational competition somehow qualifies to be called as warfare.
Strategy according to Johnson & Scholes (1993) is concerned with a number of dimensions:
The range of an organization‟s activities;
The matching of organization‟s activities to the environment;
The matching of organization‟s activities to available resources.
Defining strategy…
Johnson & Scholes (1993) state that:
Strategy is the direction and scope of an
organization over the long term: ideally which
matches its resources to the changing environment,
and in particular its markets, customers or clients so as
to meet stakeholder expectations.
Strategy…
Some more definitions of the concept “strategy” are:
“Strategy refers to the long-term plans developed by top management, usually for periods of two to ten years or even longer. These plans are used to evaluate and seize opportunities as well as to relocate resources.
Strategy includes “plans to create new products, to purchase other organizations, to sell unprofitable sections of the business, to make shares available, and to enter international markets”
(Nel et al., 2001:556).
Strategy…
“Strategy in commercial terms is often associated
with deployment of resources, outflanking the
competition, establishing beachheads in the global
marketplace, and creating strategic alliances”
(Walton, 1999:14).
Strategy…
“It is a declaration of intent that defines means to
achieve ends, and is concerned with the long-term
allocation of significant company resources and with
matching those resources and capabilities to the
external environment” (Armstrong, 2000:30).
Strategy…
Armstrong (2000:112) is of the opinion that the strategy of the company gives an indication of three aspects, namely domain, structures and systems as well as performance standards.
– Domain, structures & systems
In the definition by Armstrong (2000:112) the domain, structures and systems as well as performance standards have the following context:
– Domain…
Domain refers to the “type of industry, market,
competitors, suppliers and, more generally, the
limitations and constraints facing their organization.”
– Domain…
Structures and systems refer to the “choices made
about how centralized, standardized and specialized
an organization‟s activities will be.”
– Domain…
Performance standards which “partly determine the
extent of flexibility an organization has within its
economic environment.”
Strategy…
Thus, the strategy of a company and also the action plans to achieve the strategy, known as the strategic orientation of a company, should focus on the factors which are present in the strategic environment of companies currently as well as in the future.
Furthermore, the Cynefin framework for organizational sense- making indicates that these factors are divided amongst the known, knowable, complex and chaos domains in the strategic environment of companies.
Strategy…
Each of the sense-making domains differs in terms of its characteristics and nature and thus influence the current and emergent strategic orientation of the company in a unique manner.
The manner in which the factors in each of the four domains influence the current and emergent strategic orientation of the company give rise to a variety of training needs by employees but more specifically executives and managers involved in strategic processes.
SHRD Enables
The organization to respond to challenges and opportunities through the identification and delivery of HRD interventions.
Individuals, supervisors, line managers and top managers to be more informed of their roles and participate in HRD delivery.
Management to have operational guidelines which explain the reason for investment in HRD.
Information to be disseminated which explains the training, education and development and learning opportunities for employees.
A policy statement to explicitly describe the relationship between the objectives of the organization and the HRD functions.
SHRD Enables…
A positive public relations awareness for new potential employees to know that skills deficiencies will be provided for.
The continuous assessment of L&D opportunities for its employees and thereby enabling them to advance their careers and support organizational growth.
Clearly specified objectives and targets that enable the HRD function to be evaluated against strategic requirements.
Policies which relate the HRD function to the other operating functions
Training, education, development and learning opportunities to have a coordinated role within a systematic process.
SHRD applications
Although SHRD applies to all employees in the company, it is a process that is of fundamental importance to executives and managers involved in formulating and implementingthe strategic orientation of the company.
As expected, the executives and managers must ensure that the current, but especially the future strategic orientation of the company is translated in terms of skills which employees will need to ensure their effective performance in future.
The strategic training of employees commences with executives and managers communicating the emergent strategic orientation of the company to employees.
SHRD roots
SHRD has emerged as the logical development of the OD tradition.
SHRD promotes a more enlightened, ethical and skills focused change management that puts HR back where they belong – at the forefront of the change agenda.
SHRD combines three things:
An awareness of the complexities of change management
A desire to rescue the concept of HRD from a mundane existence in the depths of training programs.
A new perspective which provides direction for the 21st
century.
SHRD roots…
The objective is to develop pragmatic and proactive approach of the managers and the organization‟s members and to help them manage change, and contribute to the continual transformation of the organizations products and services.
The 21st century management needs to place learning at the forefront.
21st century paradigm shift
Human resources are the strategic assets rather than the
cost.
Organization development (OD)
Birth of the discipline dates back in the late 1950s.
OD technology in the1960s.
Theory of practice in the 70s (Harrison, 1970) through intervention strategies and team development.
Proliferation of training approaches to personal growth
and empowerment‟ through self-directed learning
(Harrison, 1972).
Visioning emerged in the1980s along with organizational
culture, systems thinking and quality management.
OD…
It was through the articulation of the change agent‟s
values designed to facilitate visioning, organizational
learning and problem-solving in the interests of a
collaborative management of the organization‟s culture.
The greening of organizations with an idea of value-driven approaches and organization learning (Senge, 1990; Pedler et al., 1991).
Downsizing and BPR in the 1990s.
OD…
Over the years, only psychological/behavioral and health perspective on OD has emerged.
Beckhard (1969: 9-10) defines OD as a:
„planned change effort‟ involving „systematic diagnosis‟ of the „total organization‟ that is „managed from the top‟ to increase the „organizational effectiveness and health‟ of the overall „system.‟
The definition reflects the functionalist thinking of the time.
OD has gone away from the social engineering approaches,
practiced largely by psychologists to enhance the techno-
managerial imperative of the Fordist period to managing
and developing organizations through empowerment (French
& Bell, 1995: 28).
OD…
The second world war and the consequent production processes are believed to have caused a marked shift from positivist thinking to more of humanistic approach that uses action research as a mode of inquiry. The approach assumes an altruistic concern for people in organizations.
This gave birth to human relations approach with a focus on man‟s social needs and ways of meeting them to increase motivation and organization productivity.
OD…
Teamwork originated from downsizing and restructuring.
Employees were to develop skills like decision-making, problem-solving, personal skills like listening, conflict resolution, negotiation and leadership.
The role of HRD professional was required to develop critical facilitation skills.
Merging relationship focused more on cross functionality aided with new technologies in the pursuit of new knowledge.
This new development has transformed HRD by minimizing the role of training department and refocusing on learning-thus personal development and management development.
OD…
Another trend was learning and knowledge management to manage the growing complexity of performance and its standards, customers and clients at the center-stage, whereby employees need to be acquainted with the concepts of quality, benchmarking and continuous improvement.
Therefore HRD professional will be increasingly challenged by the need to develop skills of facilitation, action-learning, analysis and critical thinking.
OD…
It is therefore the changing nature of work and the political, economic and social pressures upon organizations that are forcing them to: Develop and communicate new corporate strategies;
Upwardly develop new HR strategies and policies;
Involve employees at all levels in the change process;
Determine the most effective and efficient work processes;
Build teams with the capacity to learn and become self-managed; and
Develop individuals and encourage management development.
Point to ponder!!
There still is a need to encourage and develop
ethical organizations in the pursuit of a better
future.
Roots of SHRD - Organism, machine & economic
man
Behaviorism
Man as
machine
Methodological
Assumptions
Positivistic/
functional analysis
of man
Functionalism
Organism
Methodological
Assumptions
Positivistic study
of organizations
Scientific
management
Homo
economicus
Methodological
Assumptions
Pseudo science of
effort and control
Functionalistic sociology
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
View of an organization as an organism in which
the analogy with biological systems provided a
useful vehicle for assessing the needs of the
organization.
Functionalism was developed to explain social and
organizational behavior.
Cultural lag between the technological system and
the behavioral system.
Functionalistic paradigm
Assumptions:
The organization has a life of its own, above and beyond the sum of its members
The organization is best analyzed as a system of functionally inter-related parts
All organizations have needs which must be met
The act of organizing is based on a consensus about values and goals
That consensus itself emerges as a result of common interests
Morgan (1986)
Salaries and wages
Safe and pleasant working environment
Pensions and health care plans
Job tenure
Carrier paths in organizations
Organization of work that permits interaction with colleagues
Social and sports facilities
Office or factory parties or outings
Creation of jobs with sense of achievement and autonomy
Work-related sense of identity
Feedback and recognition for good performance
Encouragement of complete commitment
The job becomes a major expressive dimension of life
Self actualization
Ego needs
Social needs
Security needs
Psychological
needs
Maslow’s (1965) hierarchy more sophisticatedly translated into an organizational context
Fordism & Taylorism (1911)
A new way of organizing the world through a new type of control over supervision
Standardized products which were machined to a “T”
Every product or service was produced under the same philosophy
Both Ford and Taylor were followers of Greek rationalism reinvigorated by Descartes.
Rationalists believed that the human mind could discover the laws that governed the universe.
It was believed that discovery of such laws could lead to limitless material progress
Fordism & Taylorism (1911)
Taylor assumed that once a law had been discovered, it was possible to write a rule for it.
This task eliminated uncertainty.
To him management should be a science with fixed principles.
The interests of the employer and the employees were inseparable
Workers feared greater output-fewer jobs.
Bad management resulted in workers going slow to protect themselves
Traditional ways of doing jobs were inefficient.
Taylor‟s 4 principles of SM (1911)
1. The development of a true science of work
2. Scientific selection and training
3. Bringing together a science of work and the
trained man
4. The constant and intimate cooperation of
management and men
Consequences
The incorporation of SM within the Fordist work
processes resulted into:
The separation of brainwork from manual work
The system controlled the man
Modernism
The central guiding principle was rationality
(Max Weber, 1864-1920)
Modernity- a machine culture
The increasingly complex organizations under the monopoly capitalism of the 20th century required sophisticated administrative controls.
Military thinking and concepts added (planning, coordinating and controlling) infused with appropriate language (chain of command, lines of communication, leadership, strategic management and strategic planning, authority, delegation, management by objectives, operations management, and mission statement).
Modernism…
The managers were officers corps and the workers were troops.
Modernity was characterized by bureaucratic structures, supervisory controls, the separation of ownership and management, national state regulation, a predominant manufacturing base, and hierarchical knowledge communicated by a downward flow of information.
Mass production for mass market of undifferentiated consumers
The emergence of organizational behavior and development as a discipline has its roots firmly in the soil of modernity as a logical explanations of rationalism.
Key characteristics of the modern and post modern periods
The modern Post modern
1900-1935 1935-1970 1970-2000
Monopoly capitalism Socio-psychological concerns
with alienation and anomie
• Quality management
• BPR
• Empowerment
• Learning organization
• Corporate governance
Technological determination Hawthorne experiments
Application of scientific method
to management
Discovery of group behaviors
Emergence of Fordism Research into leadership,
motivation and job design
Scientific management and the
classical school of management
Key characteristics …
Characterizing features Characterizing features
Bureaucratic structure Organic structure
Control is external Control internalized
Separation of ownership and management Downsizing and teamwork- the global economy
National state regulation Post-industrial service economy
Manufacturing base Information technology
Hierarchical knowledge Recognition of limits to progress creates focus
on quality
Constant linear industrial progress through
well-defined strategies
Undifferentiated consumers Differentiated consumers
Industrial relations as trench warfare Industrial relations based on inner compliance
Control Empowerment
A model for redesigning and repositioning
HRD as a key driver of corporate strategy
=+
Seven keys to successful organizational
change:
1 Provide strong, highly visible and personal
leadership.
2 Institute employee involvement, early and at
all levels.
3 Build a clearly articulated and shared
vision.
4 Provide frequent, consistent and open
communication.
5 Leverage talented and trusted employees as
co-change agents.
6 Set measureable, operational and behavioral
goals.
7 Celebrate success and redress shortcomings.
Successful
HRD transformation
The What The How The Goal
Org.
ChangeOrg.
Learning
Org.
Performance
The core domains of strategic HRD
Summary
SHRD looks after the promotion of humanistic values
However there is a growing tension between humanistic objectives and organizational needs resulting in value dilemmas and value conflicts.
SHRD deals with the resistance to change and recognizes that resistance is natural and legitimate human process and needs to be understood and worked with in order to develop ongoing learning experiences with in organizations.
The above is a challenge and an opportunity.
Academy of human resource development
www.ahrd.org
American society of training & development
www.astd.org
Garavan, T.N. (1991) „Strategic human resource
development‟, Journal of European Industrial
Training, 15(1): 17–30.
Walton, J. (1999) Strategic Human Resource
Development, London: Financial Times/ Prentice Hall
Garavan, T.N., Costine, P. and Heraty, N. (1995)
„The emergence of strategic human resource
development‟, Journal of European Industrial
Training, 19(10): 4–10.
SEMINARS ON STRATEGIC HUMAN
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Level: MSMS
Discussion 4
08-10-2012
Dr. Sajid Hussain Awan, Program Manager MSMS
Organizational culture
Strategy is an incremental process, is iterative and
strongly influenced by an organization‟s culture,
history structure and stage of life cycle.
Culture is the glue that holds everyone together.
Remember!110
Outline: SHRD & organizational culture
Approaches to analyzing culture
Functional analysis
The interpretive approach: culture as negotiated meaning
The analysis of cultural codes
Analyzing discourse: speech acts, metaphors and organizational culture
Developing organizational cultures
Conclusion
111
Background
Our understanding of the management of change in
the 21st century relies heavily on the 20th century
intervention strategies that also contained ideologies
for managing change in the organization, such as:
Organizational design, innovation and enterprise,
empowerment, strategic downsizing, TQM and BPR, and
teamwork.
112
Background…
Each type of intervention strategy was essentially
prescriptive for two reasons.
First, it sought to change the structure of an
organization in some way in order to make it more
effective.
Second, each requires an expert, sometimes with guru
status, to design the plans, recipes and formulas for the
organization to follow.
113
Background…
However, out of these, certain change strategies
were more political than others and offered a
formula for success, each contained internal
contradictions that limited the success of the change.
All change contains its own contradictions and that
the wise thinker or skilful change agent must strive
for the goal of enlightenment.
114
Background…
All the above mentioned change strategies involve
the manipulation of an organization‟s culture in
some way.
Most strategies sought to radically transform an
organization with a new formula for change.
Most, therefore, required the organization to
reinvent itself with a new ideology of meaning
and purpose reinforced by tools and techniques.
115
Background…
But a new approach, such as the adoption of a new
technology, requires a careful diagnosis of
the organization‟s culture.
The failure to recognize an organization‟s culture
places the change agents in a precarious position
because they land in a difficult situation for
managing change.
116
Background…
Playing tactics rarely transform the hearts and
minds of employees. So, the change agent needs to
answer the following questions:
How does one engage the willing cooperation of
employees?
How does the vision get successfully transformed into
the mission and critical success factors in such a way
that it becomes a valued activity for all?
117
Background…
The change agent must engage with a process of
continual learning and discovery: The analysis of
organization‟s capability through its culture.
118
Approaches to analyzing culture
Organizational diagnosis: An examination of the organization‟s culture is the key to this diagnostic process.
The change agent assesses how well the culture of the organization fits its purpose.
For example, in the private sector, the purpose will be defined by market trends and the ability to exploit opportunities in the face of competition.
In the public sector, the purpose will be defined by political policies that demand effectiveness, efficiency and accountability for the public good.
119
Approaches to…
Organizational culture is said to be the expression
of rituals, stories, sagas and myths.
Such expressions of culture provided a way forward
for organizational improvement and Western
salvation by inviting a cultural analysis of
organizational life (Hickman & Silva, 1987).
120
Approaches to…
The popular discovery of ritual accomplishments and stories of success promoted culture management as the vehicle for enhanced performance (Peters & Waterman, 1986; Deal & Kennedy, 1988).
Consequently, „the concerns of the organization studies avant-garde became redefined from systems and structures to culture and symbolism‟ (Jeffcutt, 1994).
121
Approaches to…
People used to ask provocative questions:
The legitimacy of culture management; and
The effectiveness of culture on bottom-line performance
(Lim, 1995).
122
Approaches to…
Management rhetoric has placed more focus on
organizational restructuring and post-bureaucratic
transformations from the perspective of managing
chaos, disorganization, disaggregation, delayering
etc.
Much of the rhetoric adopted a democratized, top-
down concern with culture change and culture
management: defined by the employer rather than
the employee.
123
Approaches to…
Organizational culture, as a conceptual tool for
managers, gained popularity following the
Excellence Movement by Peters and Waterman
(1982).
They influenced the thinking of managers by
suggesting that corporate success required a strong
culture.
As a result, organizational culture became the route
to competitive advantage.
124
Approaches to…
Writers on Japanese methods of work, such as
Ouchi and Jaeger (1978) influenced the
„Japanization‟ of Western organizations by arguing
that Japan‟s economic success and brilliant economic
development resulted from their strong corporate
cultures.
Stability in the midst of mobility.
125
Approaches to…
The reasons for the development of the concept of
organizational culture appear to be twofold.
First, there was a shift from the classical quantitative
and „scientific‟ approaches that were thought to be no
longer as appropriate as they had been thought to be
earlier in the century.
Second, is the realization that the world‟s first industrial
nation, Britain, and the world‟s most successful and
prolific nation during the twentieth century, the USA,
were being overtaken by Japan.
126
Approaches to…
Therefore, Hickman and Silva (1987) saw this as the
replacement of Fordism, with its emphasis on
systems and control to „complexity management‟
which emphasizes:
(a) shared perspectives between different stakeholders;
(b) creativity; and
(c) social relationships.
127
Approaches to…
The culture concept became infused with sound-bite
clichés such as „strong‟, „empowered‟, „power‟, „task‟,
„role‟, „the way we do business around here‟ that
promised more than they could deliver.
128
Approaches to…
These similes of gross oversimplification are
intended to portray the layers of complexity that
characterize the corporate culture.
For example, one is almost tempted to say that the
recipe becomes: if you want to manage the
corporate culture think of it ‘like an onion’.
The study of organizational culture provides this
penetrating analysis.
129
Approaches to…
The earliest and most concise is the anthropological
definition of culture by Edward Tylor in 1891:
„That complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society.‟
130
Approaches to…
Organizational culture may be defined, therefore,
as the sum total of the learned behavior
traits, beliefs and characteristics of the members of
a particular organization.
The key word „learned‟ distinguishes culture from
behavior that result from biological inheritance.
131
Approaches to…
Consequently, learned behavior is the one factor
that distinguishes humans from other animals.
This requires the ability to communicate at a highly
sophisticated level.
The human faculty for symbolic communication
facilitates the acquisition of culture and makes it
possible for humans to transmit culture between
generations.
132
Communication
Communication is what makes culture. Humans communicate with symbols in four basic ways:
1. Spoken language, patterns of sounds with meanings attached to each. Spoken language facilitates learning and communication.
2. Written language, the graphic recording of spoken language which facilitates the preservation of learning and the legacy of culture.
3. Body language which denotes the exchange of meanings through gestures and body postures.
4. Humans communicate through artefacts. The study of this is known as semiotic communication.
133
Organizational culture
Part - B
SHRD & culture
SHRD aims to produce a coherent and comprehensive
framework for developing people through the creation
of a learning culture and the formulation of
organizational and individual learning strategies.
The main thrust of SHRD is to provide an environment in
which people are encouraged to learn and develop.
135
Strategies for creating a learning culture
Learning and development strategies are concerned with
Developing a learning culture,
Promoting organizational learning,
Establishing a learning organization, and
Providing for individual learning.
136
Strategies for … Developing a learning culture
A learning culture is one in which learning is
recognized by top management, line managers and
employees generally as an essential organizational
process to which they are committed and in which
they engage continuously.
137
The steps required to create a learning culture as proposed by Reynolds (2004) are:
Develop and share the vision.
Empower employees.
Provide employees with a supportive learning environment e.g. peer networks, supportive policies and systems, and protected time for learning.
Use coaching techniques to draw out the talents of others by encouraging employees to identify options and seek their own solutions to problems.
Guide employees through their work challenges and provide them with time, resources and, crucially, the feedback.
Recognize the importance of managers acting as role models.
Encourage networks – communities of practice.
Align systems to vision – get rid of bureaucratic systems that produce problems rather than facilitate work.
Strategies for … Developing a learning culture…
138
Strategies for… Promoting organizational learning
Organizations can be described as continuous learning
systems, and organizational learning has been defined
by Marsick (1994) as a process of „Coordinated systems
change, with mechanisms built in for individuals and
groups to access, build and use organizational memory,
structure and culture to develop long-term organizational
capacity‟.
139
Strategies for… Promoting organizational learning…
Harrison (1997) defines five principles of organizational
learning as:
1. The need for a powerful and cohering vision of the
organization to be communicated and maintained across the
workforce in order to promote awareness of the need for
strategic thinking at all levels.
2. The need to develop strategy in the context of a vision that is
not only powerful but also open-ended and unambiguous.
This will encourage a search for a wide rather than a narrow
range of strategic options, will promote lateral thinking and
will orient the knowledge-creating activities of employees.
140
Strategies for… Promoting organizational learning…
3. Within the framework of vision and goals, frequent dialogue,
communication and conversations are major facilitators of
organizational learning.
4. It is essential continuously to challenge people to re-examine
what they take for granted.
5. It is essential to develop a conducive learning and innovation
climate.
141
…Single - and Double-loop Learning
Argyris (1992) suggests that organizational learning occurs under
two conditions: first, when an organization achieves what is
intended and, second, when a mismatch between intentions and
outcomes is identified and corrected.
Argyris distinguishes between single-loop and double-loop
learning.
Single-loop learning organizations define the „governing
variables‟, i.e. what they expect to achieve in terms of targets
and standards. They then monitor and review achievements, and
take corrective action as necessary, thus completing the loop.
142
…Double-loop Learning
Double-loop learning occurs when the monitoring process
initiates action to redefine the „governing variables‟ to meet the
new situation, which may be imposed by the external
environment. The organization has learnt something new about
what has to be achieved in the light of changed circumstances
and can then decide how this should be achieved.
143
Strategies for…Establishing a learning organization
The process of organizational learning is related to the
concept of a learning organization, which Senge (1990)
describes as an „organization that is continually expanding
to create its future‟.
144
Strategies for…Establishing a learning organization…
Garvin (1993) suggests that learning organizations are good at
doing five things:
1. Systematic problem solving – which rests heavily on the philosophy and
methods of the quality movement.
2. Experimentation – this activity involves the systematic search for and
testing of new knowledge. Continuous improvement programs (kaizen)
are an important feature in a learning organization.
3. Learning from past experience – learning organizations review their
successes and failures, assess them systematically and record the
lessons learnt in a way that employees find open and accessible. This
process has been called the „Santayana principle‟, quoting the
philosopher George Santayana (1863 –1952), who coined the phrase
„Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.‟
145
Strategies for…Establishing a learning organization…
4. Learning from others – sometimes the most powerful insights
come from looking outside one‟s immediate environment to
gain a new perspective. This process has been called SIS for
„steal ideas shamelessly‟.
5. Transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout
the organization by seconding people with new expertise, or
by education and training programs, as long as the latter
are linked explicitly with implementation.
146
Strategies for… Providing for individual learning
The individual learning strategies of an organization are driven by its
human resource requirements, the latter being expressed in terms of
the sort of skills and behaviors that will be required to achieve
business goals.
The learning strategy should cover:
How learning needs will be identified?
The role of personal development planning and self-managed
learning;
The support for individual learning: guidance, coaching, learning
resource centers, mentoring, external courses designed to meet the
particular needs of individuals, internal or external training
programs and courses designed to meet the needs of groups of
employees.
147
Rothwell and Kazanas (1994) are of the opinion that strategic
organizational development results in the prevailing norms of groups
in the company and the organizational culture being such that they
make provision for changes that may take place in future.
They are of the opinion that the process of strategic organizational
development enables existing group norms and organizational culture
to adapt to changes that might occur in future.
Albert (cited in Rothwell & Kazanas, 1994) captures the uncertain
nature of strategic organizational development as follows:
“It is hard to identify present norms and culture, it is even harder to
envision what they should be in the future.”
148
Strategic organizational development
Learning culture as described by Reynolds (2004) is a
„growth medium‟ that will „encourage employees to
commit to a range of positive discretionary behaviors,
including learning‟ and that has the following
characteristics:
empowerment not supervision,
self-managed learning not instruction, and
long-term capacity building not short-term fixes.
Strategies for creating a learning culture…
149
Discretionary learning happens when individuals
actively seek to acquire the knowledge and skills that
promote the organization‟s objectives (Sloman,2003).
To create a learning culture that acts as a growth
medium it is necessary to develop organizational
practices that raise commitment amongst employees
and „give employees a sense of purpose in the
workplace, grant employees opportunities to act upon
their commitment, and offer practical support to
learning‟ (Reynolds, 2004).
Strategies for creating a learning culture…
150
Hofstede‟s value dimensions
Culture affects training topics and methods.
Power distance (extent to which less powerful members of
organizations accept that power is distributed unequally)
Uncertainty avoidance (extent to which people cope with
anxiety by minimizing uncertainty)
Individualism/collectivism (extent to which people stand up for
themselves and choose their affiliations)
Masculinity/femininity (value placed on traditional male or
female roles in Western cultures)
Long-term/short-term view (extent to which society embraces
long-term commitments and tradition)
151
Low- and high-context cultures
Low-Context Culture High-Context Culture
Communication is direct,
structured, and specific. Shared
background is not assumed.
Communication is less clear
because of common
understandings and a shared
culture.
A higher value is placed on the
words spoken than on the
nonverbal communication.
Meanings are derived from
nonverbal communication.
Behavior and beliefs are
spelled out explicitly.
Face-saving and tact are
balanced with the need to
communicate fully and frankly.
152
Organizational culture
Shared values and perceptions that:
Give members an organizational
identity
Facilitate commitment
Promote system stability
Shape behaviorImpact an
organization‟s success or failure
153
Organization culture
A firm‟s organizational culture is shown by:
The way it does business;
How it treats customers and employees;
The autonomy or freedom that exists in the departments or
offices; and
The degree of loyalty expressed by employees.
154
Organization culture
Organization culture represents the perceptions held
by the employees:
There is no one „best‟ culture for the development of human
resources.
Culture can:
Impact behavior, productivity, expectations; and
Provide a benchmark for standards of performance
155
HRD and Diversity: Diversity training and beyond
Organization culture.
Labor-market changes and discrimination.
Adapting to demographic changes.
Cross-Cultural training programs.
Human resource development programs.
Other human resource management programs.
156
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Managing or valuing diversity encompasses a range of
activities aimed at:
Making managers more aware that women and members
of other cultures or subgroups, may espouse different
values and assumptions which can affect the way they co-
operate, compete, communicate, plan, organize and are
motivated (Langer, 1989).
157
Managing diversity and strategic HRD
Cross-national diversity refers to managing the interface between
people of two countries.
International diversity refers to managing an increasingly diverse
workforce in a given country.
South African, Malaysian and American societies, for example, are
diverse, and the workforce is multi-cultural.
Managing such diversity requires skilful, informed and extensive training
in interpersonal skills, appropriate systems and an understanding of both
ethnic and corporate cultures.
Valuing diversity extends beyond understanding and co-operation and
should, as an end goal, seek to improve managerial and organizational
effectiveness.
It should aim to build capacity.
158
Cross-national and international diversity
These can be differentiated from traditional approaches. Key
features of SHRD practices include:
Integration into a human resource strategy, which in turn is aligned with an
organizational or corporate strategy;
Competency based HRD derived from structural, systemic, technological and work
re-organization needs;
This in contrast to menu offerings by centralized training departments in large
organizations;
Line management responsibility for developing people is a key performance
area in the appraisal and reward of a manage;
Partnership between HRD specialists and line managers in developing employee
competencies required to achieve organizational performance goals; and
Creating an organizational culture of continuous learning and transfer of learning
between units.
Strategic approaches to HRD
159
The continued competitiveness of the company.
It should also influence the culture of the company and
enable knowledge processes to be performed in terms
of the emergent strategic orientation of the company.
Cost-effectiveness of the training process.
It does not take place in isolation from the culture of the
company and influences its culture.
160
The effect of SHRD on the company
Researcher on culture
Garavan (1991) explains “Culture must be viewed as a
central factor in the overall process of SHRD.”
McCracken and Wallace (2000b) explain “Culture is
seen as an important variable in deciding how SHRD
should be delivered and evaluated.”
A process of SHRD is characterized by taking into
consideration the culture of the company, but at the
same time also influencing the manner in which it
manifests in SHRD is therefore characterized by the fact
that it does not take place in isolation from the culture
of the company.
161
Leadership and culture
The leader has to create a cohesive, excited organization, and so he has a tremendous opportunity to be very successful.
A leader really has to define a compelling business strategy and drill down and understand all of the components of the business and understand the capacity of the organization and to create a culture where there is real commitment and enthusiasm for the future of the company.
162
To be continued
163
SEMINARS ON SHRD
Employee Learning & Development
Discussion 05
11-10-2012
Dr. Sajid Hussain Awan, Program Manager
Outline 165
Strategy, Tactics & Operational Effectiveness
SHRD need grows further
Strategy & tactics
Strategic intent (SI)
The strategically focused organization
Strategic positioning and HRD
L&D for everyone
SHRD focus166
The focus of HRD practice has persistently evolved from class room
training to performance improvement.
SHRD is the extension and sophisticated from of HRD.
The development of HRD theory grew parallel to management
theory and HRM theory.
The growing interest in the strategic management led to SHRD.
This shift in focus was due to increased belief that people with their
blend of knowledge and abilities are themselves a resource of
strategic importance.
Learning is generally involved at three levels of strategy, tactics &
operational execution for organizational performance.
SHRD focus…
Strategic Human Resource Development
The identification of needed skills and active management of employees‟ learning in relation to corporate strategies.
Benchmarking
Comparing one‟s own standards against those of industry leaders
Employee Development
The process of enhancing an employee‟s future value through careful career planning
167
SHRD focus…
SHRD seeks to envisage activities and conditions
necessary for the promotion of HRD and the possible
benefits to an organization pursuing such activities.
HRD policy formulation and planning processes to
develop capabilities of organizational members that
can be a source of distinct competitive advantage not
easily duplicated by competitors.
Critical issues which must be focused upon by
organizations wishing to develop a strategic focus in
their HRD activities.
168
The process
Organization learning itself constitutes an important element of
corporate strategy.
Hence the focus of SHRD primarily remains the learning
programs that impact and improve performance.
SHRD is thus strategic repositioning of HRD within organizations,
and becomes an integral part of the strategic and tactical
activities of the business and their successful implementation.
The effectiveness and ultimate success of HRD in an organization
depends on making a pervasive case for linkages between L&D
in the particular organizational context.
169
The process…
It then requires aligning HRD efforts with the strategic intent of the organization.
Effective HRD efforts are also to be linked with the other HRM-driven changes like staffing, compensation, and performance management.
Together, these promote learning skillfully within the political economy of an organization's internal power structure and external strategic niche.
Confidence, mutual trust, leadership linked with the facilitating initiatives produce conducive environment to let this all happen.
Such a shift in focus becomes a potential force for leveraging individual and organizational performance.
170
Critical Issues: Organizational Learning (OL)
Organizational Learning (OL), as the underpinning process for
SHRD has not yet reached a sufficient degree of maturity.
This is partly due to an OL literature base that is generally
rich in rhetoric but is empirically doubtful.
Associated with this is the predominance of research that has
tended to underplay the importance of social context,
preferring instead to address issues of personal cognition.
Studies that do offer empirical findings tend to limit
investigation to learning difficulties related to personal
characteristics such as learning styles and techniques of
facilitation and training interventions.
171
Critical Issues…
Managers should be capable of diagnosing organizational context not simply for learning capability but for organizational constraints that limit the actions of individuals and groups to learn effectively.
In order to redress this problem, greater attention needs to be paid to the structural, cognitive and social barriers to OL.
The research proves that enhanced performance can only occur when participants clearly diagnose the nature of the problems and resolve them through Action Research.
172
Strategic HRM: A key to success
Strategic HRM planning leads to:
Growth,
Profits, and
Survival
Planning also:
Expands awareness of possibilities,
Identifies strengths and weaknesses,
Reveals opportunities, and
Points to the need to evaluate the impact of internal and external forces
173
HRD & Learning debate: performance
improvement
Learning is central to SHRD, whether explicitly mentioned, or
implicitly assumed.
Learning remains in line with the strategic orientation in the
relevant context.
Whether one focuses on training, or system-level interventions, on
individual , team, or organizational level activities, on strategic
or job level performance, (S)HRD is centered on fostering
learning.
The guiding principle of HRM remains “positioning of the right
people to achieve the highest possible performance in order to
meet strategic goals” and HRD helps in facilitating such decisions.
174
Performance improvement
The guiding principle of HRD remains “preparing and continually developing people and learning systems to achieve the highest possible performance in order to meet strategic goals.”
Long term strategic performance improvement requires an educative focus on developing executive talent, fostering spiritual critical debate about an organization‟s direction and the opportunities that may be presenting themselves, and connecting to strategy- nascent trends in society as well working on system improvements.
However, we do not forget immediate performance improvement through ensuring that organizational members have access to resources for developing their capabilities for performance and for making meaning of their experience in the context of the organization‟s strategic needs and the requirements of their jobs.
175
HRD in transition
Class room training- performance improvement-
building strategic capability
It is aligning behavioral and social sciences with the
management perspectives.
176
Learning & the HRD pyramid
Tactical Level(Learning from experience)
Operational level(Operational improvement methods)
(Management development)
(basic skill and competency training))
Strategic level(identifying the strategic
pattern)
(developing strategy)
(Developing strategic leaders)
177
Learning & the HRD pyramid…
Learning at the strategic level involves identifying the strategic pattern of events, including trends in the external environment, the consequences of the existing strategic initiatives and the emergent strategy of the organization.
Developing strategic thinkers at various levels within the organizations
Learning at the tactical Level involves experience, drawing lessons especially from initiatives –
after-action reviews
Learning at the operational level requires:
Trainings in sales, process improvement methods (TQM, six sigma), basic management development and job skills training throughout the organization.
178
Six Sigma
Data-driven methodology for eliminating defects.
A process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per
million opportunities.
Six Sigma employees (Green Belts) and project leaders
(Black Belts) are overseen by quality leaders (Master
Black Belts).
Widely used by GE and Motorola.
179
Strategic thinking180
Strategic thinking assumes:
A set of needs or objectives that are considered important and are potentially contested by others;
These others can be conceptualized as opponents who are either competitors for scarce resources or wish to achieve objectives different from and contrary to one‟s own objectives; and
These opponents typically have their own strategy and are also going to react to the perceived strategy and tactics that one puts into play to achieve one‟s objectives.
OD Intervention Process
1.
Diagnose
the environment.
2.
Develop
an action plan.
3.
Evaluate
the results.HR roles:
• Change agent
• Evaluator
3-181
OD Interventions
• Span of control
• Reporting
relationships
• Process analysis
• Job design
• Specialization
• Work flow analysis
• Work relationships
between employees
Examples: Team building, diversity, flexible work and
staffing, and quality initiatives
Interpersonal Technological Structural
3-182
Systems Theory
Applied in organizational development
interventions.
Essential to the quality movement and leads to
process improvement.
Based on understanding the relationship between
three key components:
ProcessInputs Outputs
3-183
Adult learning principles
Adults want training that:
Focuses on “real world” issues,
Applies to their jobs,
Meets their goals and expectations,
Allows for debate and challenge of ideas,
Encourages an exchange of ideas and opinions,
Allows them to be resources to each other, and
Meets a current need.
3-184
Bloom‟s taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Highest level of
learning
Lowest level of
learning
3-185
McClelland‟s theory
High achievers:
• Set moderately difficult but potentially achievable goals.
• Prefer to work on a problem rather than leave the
outcome to chance.
• Seem to be more concerned with personal achievement
than with the rewards of success.
• Seek situations in which they get concrete feedback on
how well they are doing with regard to their work.
186
The ADDIE Model
Assessment Design Development
ImplementationEvaluation
Systematic development process used to create
employee learning that aligns with strategic goals.
187
Need assessment
Form basis
for evaluation
Identify
programs
and target
audience
Find
performance
gaps
Identify
needs
Purpose of
Assessment
3-188
Needs assessment levels
Examines KSAs needed as
organizations and jobs change.
Compares job requirements with
employee knowledge and skills.
Focuses on individual employees
and how they perform.
Organizational
Task
Individual
3-189
Needs assessment process
1. Gather data
2. Determine
training needs
3. Propose solutions4. Calculate cost
5. Implement
190
Learning design
Decisions are made
regarding:
Goals and objectives.
Target audience
(aptitude, prior
knowledge, and
attitudes).
Selection of an
instructional designer.
Training objectives use
the SMART format:
S Specific
M Measurable
A Action-oriented
R Realistic
T Timely
191
Content development
Involves the creation of training materials.
Development trends include:
Use of learning objects (LOs) or reusable learning
objects (RLOs).
Saves development time by reusing content in a variety of
contexts in the organization.
Object may be a graphic, an animation, or an entire
learning module.
A dedicated learning management system (LMS) to
hold course content and track employee activities.
3-192
Development types
Orientation and on-
boarding
Initial exposure to the
organization
Expansion of
orientation and
assimilation into the
organization
Skills development
Remedial
Sales and quality
Technology
Other types
Executive
Wellness
Harassment prevention
193
Talent management
Development and integration of HR processes that
attract, develop, engage, and retain the knowledge,
skills, and abilities that will meet current and future
needs
Strategic approach to human capital management
Increases workplace productivity and ability to compete
Should be aligned with organizational goals and
executed as an ongoing process
194
Staffing
challenges
• Reliance on contingent workers
• Retirement of baby boomers and likely
labor shortage
• Shortage of knowledge workers
• Diversity of workforce
Economy/
job market
• Economic conditions
• Global and domestic competition
Forces impacting talent management
3-195
Fostering a high-performance workplace
Executive support
Challenging work
environment
Employee engagement
activities
Resources and tools.
Performance management
training
Continual feedback
Consistent management
practices.
Organizations must provide:
196
Conclusion
Hence the L&D strategy of an organization
must focus on the need to anticipate learning
requirements in the present environment to
cater to what is needed now and in the
future.
L&D is action and not reaction.
197
SEMINARS ON SHRD
Discussion 6
18-10-2012
Dr. Sajid Hussain Awan, Program Manager
Strategy making as learning
Outline
Foundational strategic concepts, tools and learning: The analytical strategic positioning approach
Strategic core competencies: Recognizing the strategic value of collective tacit know-how
Emergent strategy: The focal point of strategic learning
Strategic learning
Strategy making as learning conversations
Working at the top of the HRD pyramid – Designing and facilitating strategic conversations
Facilitating strategic conversations
Situation analysis
The core responsibility of the “Chief Learning Officer”
199
200
The role of strategy for HRD practice is increasingly emphasized in the HRD literature.
Same is the case with the concept of learning that became more explicit with the development of “experience curve” originally called the “learning curve” coined by the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s.
Experience curve is an influential concept compatible with a more formal and analytical view of strategic learning.
Foundational strategic concepts, tools and learning:
The analytical strategic positioning approach
BCG introduced learning as a core strategy.
Bruce Henderson (1970s) in BCG developed a model based on researchthat demonstrated a predictable and exponential inverse relationshipbetween cost and company‟s experience of producing a particular product.
Economy of experience provides significant competitive advantage to anycompany with a new product line that can establish itself as early marketleader because of the superior ability to control pricing and margins basedon experience.
Analytical view of strategic learning underlies the BCG “growth sharematrix,” with its emphasis on success being linked to the highest marketshare.
This matrix also popularized the portfolio-analysis approach to corporatestrategy, treating the various businesses of a diversified company as aportfolio of business units.
201
Based on an assessment of each in the organization‟ portfolio,businesses are placed in one of four cells:
Stars: Market leaders that are at the peak of their product life cycleand are able to generate sufficient cash to sustain their position. Whentheir market growth rate slows, starts turn into cash cows.
Cash cows: Businesses that bring in more money then they need tomaintain their share of the market. Cash cows generate resources forthe question marks.
Question marks: New products with potential for turning into stars.Their future is still a risk that must be funded with money from moremature products, typically cash cows.
Dogs: Cash cows that are in declining market, or business with lowmarket share. Either these businesses should be divested, or their cashflow carefully managed.
202
The BCG growth share matrix
22 -
20 -
18 -
16 -
14 -
12 -
10 -
8 -
6 -
4 -
2 -
0 -
10
X –
4X
–
2x –
1.5
x –
1x –
0.5
x –
0.4
x
0.3
x-
0.1
x-
Stars
Dogs
Question mark
Cash cows
Busi
ness
gro
wth
ra
te (
Perc
en
t)/
indu
stry
attra
ctiv
eness
Relative competitive position/competitive
advantage
203
Hig
hLo
w
LowHigh
Criticism on BCG growth model
Too simple
Focuses only on comparison with one competitor -
the market share leader
Uses a simple dichotomy of high and low
204
Porter‟s five forces model
The most influential analytical tool for strategic
thinking is Porter‟s five forces model of strategic
positioning:
Industry competitors,
Suppliers,
Buyers,
Potential new competitive entrants, and
Substitute product.
205
Porter‟s five forces model
POTENTIAL
ENTRANTS
BUYERSSUPPLIERS
SUBSTITUTES
INDUSTRY
COMPETITORS
Rivalry among
existing firms
Threat of new entrants
Bargaining power of
buyers
Threat of substitute
products or services
Bargaining power of
suppliers
Forces driving industry competitions
206
Strategic core competencies: Recognizing the strategic
value of collective tacit know-how
207
The source of competitiveness lies in an organizations
core competencies (Prahalad & Hamel, 1993).
Core competencies are the collective learning
embedded in the organization‟s culture, knowing how
to coordinate diverse sets of skills, blend technologies
into new streams for product innovation, and organize
work.
For example, Casio‟s putting a radio on a computer
chip and the art and science of miniaturization
… collective know-how…208
To develop and practice core competencies, marketing, engineering and technical specialists must forge a deep understanding of technological possibilities and that how they fit together with potential customers needs and wants.
Such competence cannot be easily imitated; rather it must be developed over time.
Core competencies are tacit organizational knowledge, the kind of organizational learning that is only visible in its execution; however, this cannot be stored in the organizational database.
The concept of alignment in SHRD
The meanings and understandings attached to alignment and the
extent to which they are affected by contextual factors such as
organizational size and sector or the professional location of the
employee.
Research indicates that experiences of HRD alignment are complex,
ambiguous and contextually orientated.
Alignment is depicted as an iterative process involving dialogue and
bartering; involvement in different organizational and business
planning processes, and the use of benchmarks and other
organizational metrics.
There is a range of tensions and challenges associated with the pursuit
of alignment highlight approaches to organizing HRD that suggest
passive rather than actively aligned practices.
209
… alignment in SHRD…
The link between HRD and the long-term priorities of the
organization is a key feature of the strategic HRD literature
(Clardy, 2008; Francis & Keegan, 2006; McCracken &
Wallace, 2000).
Indeed Garavan (2007, 25) defines strategic HRD as a
„coherent, vertically aligned and horizontally integrated set
of learning and development activities which contribute to
the achievement of strategic goals.‟
210
… alignment in SHRD…
HRD professionals who aspire to a strategic contribution are
expected:
To work with senior managers to devise and implement
workplace learning policies and practices that fit with
other organizational systems and contribute value
through the development of the human capital assets of
the organization (Zula & Chermack, 2007).
Although alignment is a key feature of the strategic HRD
literature, there is little empirical evidence of its achievement in
practice.
211
… alignment in SHRD…
HRD is a broad and continuously evolving area of interest embracing a range of traditions and a multi-disciplinary knowledge base (Walton 1999; Weinberger,1998)
At the same time, it lacks clear consensus about its „status, identity and territory‟ (Garavan, McGuire, & O‟Donnell, 2004; Gold, Rogers, & Smith, 2003, 437).
McGoldrick, Stewart, and Watson (2001, 351) use the metaphor of a hologram to communicate the complex and changing conceptual, empirical and theoretical features of HRD, highlighting the importance of human social action and perception as a basis for understanding HRD as simultaneously „multi-dimensional, multi-causal, mutually-dependant and constantly changing.‟
212
… alignment in SHRD…
The performative aspirations of strategic HRD have been contested
(Fenwick, 2005; Callahan, 2007).
But the proponents seeks SHRD to:
Enhance the core capabilities of the organization (Clardy 2008; Garavan,
McGuire, & O‟Donnell, 2004; Weinberger 1998; Walton 1999) and
Effectively managing performance (Garavan, 2007; Purcell et al., 2003; Semler
,1997).
For this to happen, they focus attention on the relationship between:
Learning and Resource Maximization, and
Productivity enhancement and the leveraging of learning and development.
213
… alignment in SHRD…
Thus alignment is seen as a way by which the HRD
function can interact „vertically‟ with other
stakeholders to:
inform strategic processes and identify, describe and
protect core „people‟ competencies,
achieving a „return on investment‟ and
contributing to the achievement of competitive advantage
(Clardy, 2008; Zula & Chermack, 2007; Ulrich &
Brockbank, 2005).
214
… alignment in SHRD…
Alignment, therefore, is portrayed as providing the
opportunity for senior managers and HRD
executives to share strategic knowledge and
information, and for HRD activities and processes to
be integrated „horizontally‟ to encourage, support
and direct appropriate action (Kim and Cervero
2007; Garavan 2007; Burrow and Berardinelli
2003; Gubbins et al. 2006; Wognum 2001).
215
… alignment in SHRD…
Although the strategic HRD literature presents alignment as a key
issue, it offers scant discussion of it conceptually or empirically
(Wognum, 2001).
Over more than a decade, in the general strategic management
literature alignment has been variously referred to as:
Integration,
Fit,
Linkage,
Bridge, and
Congruence (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Weill & Broadbent, 1998;
Ciborra 1997; Porter 1996; Henderson & Venkatraman, 1992).
216
… alignment in SHRD…217
In the above context, two aspects are highlighted:
Firstly, the need to achieve a dynamic „fit‟ between the
external competitive environment and the choices and
decisions made about the strategic direction of
organizations (vertical integration).
Secondly, the imperative of achieving internal alignment
of different functional parts of the organization
(horizontal alignment) is indicated.
… alignment in SHRD…
Alignment is problematic, however, both conceptually and practically.
Theoretically, alignment should be achieved at both strategic and operational levels
(Wognum, 2001), and this involves reconciling tensions between long-term strategic
aspirations of the organization and shorter-term imperatives.
Internal or horizontal alignment is also predicated on the existence of a clearly
communicated strategy with which HRD processes can be linked; something which can
be problematic (Francis & Keegan, 2006; Boselie, Dietz, & Boon, 2005, Wognum &
Lam, 2000).
Equally, it is possible that alignment might be too „tight‟ and so reduces future
strategic capability (Avison et al., 2004).
Beer et al. (2005) advocate that organizations should develop both „fit‟ (as initial
strategic alignment) and also „fitness‟ (as dynamic organizational design) to provide
the capacity for organizational members to learn and change in order to adapt to
new circumstances.
218
… alignment in SHRD…
A review of the literature also suggests that alignment is something of a
„dual‟ concept, viewed as both an outcome and a process.
Alignment can be treated as an outcome or as a measurable „result‟
(Smaczny, 2001; Weill & Broadbent ,1998).
This approach focuses attention on strategic planning methods, structures and
measures.
Wognum (2001) highlights the importance of ensuring the alignment of initial
HRD investment processes suggesting that alignment involves three-stages:
1. The identification of organizational strategies, problems and developments;
2. The examination of the HRD implications of these; and
3. The strategic choices about HRD investment to meet the identified priorities.
219
… alignment in SHRD…
Alignment can also be characterized as a dynamic
process (see, for example, Avison et al., 2004;
Wognum & Lam, 2000; Edwards, 2000) involving
interactions between organizational actors,
networks and values, as well as communication and
understanding processes.
Here the importance of monitoring and managing
ongoing alignment processes is stressed.
220
Empirical evidence
Although there is an implicit assumption in the
strategic HRD literature about the importance of
alignment, academic and practitioner research
spanning more than 10 years and incorporating a
range of methodologies casts doubt on the extent to
which the strategic alignment of HRD is or has been
achieved in organizations in Europe and North
America.
221
Empirical evidence…
Academic enquiry into perceptions about HRD in Ireland, for
example, have indicated a lack of consensus between different
groups of organizational „actors‟ about the „meaning, values and
purposes of HRD (Garavan, Heraty & Morley, 1998).
Survey-based research amongst Dutch companies found only limited
evidence of a broad alignment process, particularly at the strategic
level (Wognum 2001; Wognum & Lam, 2000).
Case study research by Kuchinke also highlighted that in US
organizations „an inclusive, strategic and comprehensive form of HRD‟
seemed to be the exception rather than the rule (Kuchinke, 2003,
306).
222
Empirical evidence…
In addition, the practitioner-orientated literature is unclear about the extent to
which alignment is achieved.
Practitioner-orientated survey data from the US (Accenture, 2004) has indicated
that less than 20% of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are very satisfied with the
level of alignment of learning, training and development with business goals.
Interview-based research with senior HRD executives and CEOs in the US also
found „significant opportunities for the HRD function to align more closely with
executive-level expectations and aspirations, to make learning more strategic
and central to the ongoing success of the enterprise‟ (O‟Driscoll, Sugrue, & Vona
2005, 70).
Data from the IBM 2008 Global Human Capital Study (IBM Global Business
Services, 2007) found that, whilst HRM/D contributes to business strategy in some
organizations, it does not provide input to strategic issues in many others.
223
Empirical evidence…
Survey data from the UK also suggest that the alignment of HRD to
organizational strategy remains problematic.
Firstly, UK survey data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD, 2007) indicate that only one-third of UK learning and
training managers feel that learning and development implications are taken
into account when overall organizational strategy is formulated
The survey also indicates that the HRD function is not a key stakeholder for
organizational strategy in almost one half of organizations (CIPD, 2007).
Other HR practitioner survey data from 2007 (Wolff, 2007) also suggest that
UK HRD managers see their greatest challenge as achieving greater support
from their organizations‟ leaders and the necessity of aligning learning,
training and development (LTD) with forthcoming or current organizational
change.
224
Empirical evidence…
The strategic HRD literature, therefore, asserts the importance of alignment.
It presents alignment as both:
an outcome focusing on HRD investment decision-making and evaluation, and
a process involving the management of the „ongoing‟ interaction between the HRD function and
other organizational stakeholders.
The „quest‟ or „doctrine‟ of alignment as depicted in the strategic HRD literature,
therefore, involves interactions at executive level to ensure information sharing,
formalization and strategic HRD decision-making as part of a „strategic
partnership‟ between HRD and other stakeholders (Wognum & Lam, 2000).
However, the literature indicates a range of conceptual and practical difficulties
associated with this level of integration are apparent, and the extent to which
non-HRD executives accept and enact HRD theories of what alignment „should‟ or
„might‟ be is also unclear.
225
Alignment in practice
226
Important questions
It‟s a review process, a review strategy – is it still right for us?
We always ask that question whenever we go back and look at the strategy:
Are we doing the right thing?
Is it having the right effect?
Should we carry on with this?
Should we drop that one?
Do we do more of this and less of that one?
Which has the most effect?
It‟s not always easy to determine that because time is involved and you have to give
these things more time.
It‟s in the review process and the results, of course, if you can tie some of the results
back to some of these softer issues then it gives us some indication of whether we are
doing the right thing and doing it well.
227
Alignment: fact or fiction?
The research indicates that some of the senior manager
participants were not sure how the HRD function ensured its
alignment to organizational priorities.
Many of the interviewees reflected on the effects of the
devolution of responsibility for learning, training and
development to line managers in making alignment a
somewhat ambiguous issue (Whittaker & Marchington, 2003;
Gibb, 2002; McGovern et al., 1997).
228
The core responsibility of CLO229
The chief learning officer ensures that the learning
needs of the organization are identified and met.
He defines the link between a particular
organization‟s strategy and its performance
requirements.
Conclusion
Learning‟s role is emphasized in strategy-making process.
The core competencies of an organization are embedded through learning.
Whether or not the devolution of responsibility of learning and development to line managers represents evidence of alignment or a lack of alignment, it might be expected that performance management processes would be described as an „avenue of alignment‟, as it is an established process within the experience and remit of both HRD executives and senior managers in many organizations (Garavan, 2007; Semler, 1997).
Strategy leads to learning and together these lead to performance.
However learning is dependent to economic realities that confront the organization
230
231
To be continued