LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Learning and Development

 

Learning

Kim (1993) has defined this as a process of ‘increasing one’s capacity to take action’. According to the Reynolds et al (2002), learning is the process to gain new knowledge, skills and capabilities.

The two most familiar classifications of learning styles are produced by Kolb and Honey and Mumford (Armstrong,2006).

 

Figure 1.0: The Experiential Learning Cycle

 

Source: Kolb,2015

According to Kolb there are 4 steps to identify the process (Armstrong,2006).

Concrete experience – can be immediately or well planned

Reflective observation –actively thinking about the experience and its significance

Abstract conceptualization –experience in order to develop ideas which can be applied when similar situations are encountered

Active experimentation – testing the concepts or ideas in new situations.

This gives rise to a new concrete experience and the cycle begins again.

According to Watkins and Marsick (1993), leaning segregate by informal to formal. Formal learning is planned and systematic and involves the use of structured training programs consisting of instruction and practice. Informal and formal learning comparison is shown below(Armstrong,2006)

 

Table 1.0: Characteristics of formal and informal learning.

Informal	Formal
Highly relevant to individual needs	Relevant to some, not so relevant to others
Learners learn according to need	All learners learn the same thing
May be small gap between current and target knowledge	May be variable gaps between current and target knowledge
Learner decides how learning will occur	Trainer decides how learning will occur
Learning readily transferable	Problems may occur in transferring learning to the workplace
Occurs in work setting	Often occurs in non-work setting

 

Source: Armstrong (2006)

Development

Development means the growth or realization of a person’s ability and potential through the provision of learning and educational experiences (Armstrong and Taylor ,2014).

According to Stone (2007) Organization needs to develop the Employee’s carrier development. There are some tools to do that. Further he explained the tools are coaching, counseling, and mentoring. Because it means better bottom-line results, organizations look for managers with these abilities. On a personal level, being a good coach, counselor, and mentor could be the key to advancement (Stone,2007)

Coaching

It is a personal (usually one-to-one) approach individually to helping people develop their skills and knowledge and improve their performance and opportunities for coaching will emerge during everyday activities (Armstrong and Taylor ,2014). Further he stated that Coaching is a workplace learning and executive coaching is used frequently as part of a blended learning approach.

Mentoring

mentoring is most effective methods to help particularly high potential young employees adapt to the environment and culture of the workplace, to identify their skills, and to uncover their potential. Mentoring is also employed to develop new employees’ existing skills and abilities in line with the organizational goals, and used to prepare them for upper-level positions in the future(Alayoglu,2012).

In this context, mentors usually assume the following four roles (Gibb, 1994).

• To help improve performance,

• To help career development,

• To be a trusted counselor,

• To share knowledge, experience, and opinions.

Counseling

Employee counseling at the organization is discussion of an employee’s problem that usually has an emotional content to it in order to help the employee cope with the situation better (Ajila & Adetayo, 2013). 

According to Visagie Unre (2005), he has clearly elaborate the career development methods as follows.

 

Figure 2.0: Mentoring, Coaching, Counseling: Common  Areas and Differences

Source: Visagie Unre (2005)

 

Alayoglu (2012), clearly mentioned the differences between three factors as above. Further he mentioned that mentoring considers both organizational and individual aspects. Coaching is more about performance/questioning barriers to learning and counseling is about interaction/ questioning increase in awareness.

In my organization some methods are using for increase employees career development activities. Those are, organizing some out bond campaign, Debates interact clubs, Interactive sessions of public speakers and new innovation to develop the bank products and services. This will help to boost the employees’ personal skills and knowledge.

 

References

·       Ajila, C. O., & Adetayo, H. O. (2013, Nov 1). Workplace Counselling: Implications for Enhanced Productivity. IFE Psychologia, 21(3), 197-210.

·       Armstrong, M. (2006). A hand book of Human Resource Management Practice ,10^th edition. London: Kogan Page.

·       Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 13^th Edition, London: Kogan Page Ltd. 

·       Florence M. Stone (2007) Coaching, Counseling & Mentoring How to Choose & Use the Right Technique to Boost Employee Performance Second Edition

·       Gibb, Stephen (1994), “Inside Corporate Mentoring Schemes: The Development of a Conceptual Framework” Personnel Review, Vol. 23, No: 3, p.47-60.

·       Kolb, DA 2015, Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, New Jersey.

·       Kim, D H (1993) The link between individual and organizational learning, Sloane Management Review, Fall, pp 37–50

·       Nihat Alayoglu (2012) Mentoring: An Ancient Method of Training and Career Development

·       Reynolds, J (2002) Method and modems: the real value of e-learning, People Management, April, pp 42–43

·       Watkins, K and Marsick, V (1993) Sculpting the Learning Organization, Falmer Press, London