The Current Human Resource Development at Leithauser Books - Case Study Example

RD&KМ САSЕ STUDY LЕITHАUSЕR BООKS by Student’s name Code+ course name Professor’s name University name City, State Date PART 1 The current human resource development at Leithauser: Employee training There is insufficient employee training in the company. A robust business relationship is grounded on trust and thoughtfulness. The absence of adequate staff training has resulted in unskilled communications that has been ruining these relationships. In addition to this, the Leithauser Company is suffering losses of revenue since some of its projects are inadequately designed as a result of inadequate staff training. For example, the staff working in the sales of music products are not well informed in regard to their products. This has made, to some extent, customers to lose confidence in the information offered by the staff regarding the music DVDs. The customers always fear buying goods from a company whose staff lack adequate information in regard to the goods they are selling. The employees who felt that they lacked proper training are unmotivated due to the fact that they lack the knowledge that is required in serving the clients. This has contributed, to some extent, to low productivity and inaccuracy work, which eventually struck the company’s bottom line. Performance management and development It has been evident that leaders in the company have not been sufficiently inspiring employees and building performance management systems that would be driving the entire organization towards the set goals and targets. This is evident when there arose a main complain during the course of the survey that the more experienced employees were usually required to be ‘running the shopfloor’ and ensuring that new staff were in capacity of attending to their duties. However, this monumental responsibility was not recognised by the leaders. Knowledge management It is evident that the company is implementing knowledge management approaches; so as to significantly get an edge while competing with the rivals. The company is seeking the best approach of auditing and capturing knowledge in regard to the explicit and tacit knowledge in the workplace. The organization is also striving in improving their ability to acquiring and creating new knowledge swiftly.  The company is embarking on the reality that it takes a long time for the staff to gain the level of experience of the organization's main practices to be capable of translating them into treasured explicit and tacit gen. The leaders have also noted that their staff are no longer having the luxury of time to attain the understanding.  The current HRD&KM challenges Though majority of the staff are highly ambitious in regard to the future of their career in the organization, some of them are demotivated. It is pointed out that some leaders are not appreciating the input exerted by the employees in the organization. Some of the leaders are not actively appraising their workers based on their performance. This, has led to poor performance and results in the company. It is also evident that the more experienced employees were usually required to be ‘running the shopfloor’ and ensuring that new staff were in capacity of attending to their duties while the management of the company paid no tribute to these workers. By not acknowledging the input of the staff, the organization has been subjected into decreased book sales. The employees are also complaining about the inadequate training which eventually demotivated their efforts in the company. Some of the new staff were expected to learn while working. They argue that the lacks of knowledge that is required in serving the clients is contributing, to some extent, to low productivity and inaccuracy work, which eventually struck the company’s bottom line. The basic training needs There is inadequate training for the employees The new employees, who might not be much experienced in the tasks that would be assigned to them, lack enough trainings prior to their start of duty. The management argue that they hire employees who are quick learners and not slow learners. As a result of this, some of the employees end up exposing their colleagues to hazards. The workers should also be trained adequately on how to use the current technological platform in their daily routines. Since information technology is the backbone of the organization, it is important to train the employees on how to work with the platform and boost the performance of the workforce. Lack of guidance and counselling It is irrational to have an assumption that the employees are ideal people. Majority of them face difficult situations within and without the workplace. Some workers have stresses from their homes which, if not handled on time, result to poor performance of the concerned parties. Some end up developing stomach ulcers as a result of this. Guidance and counseling training should be done to some of the workers so as to have offer guidance on private matters amongst their colleagues in a professional manner. PART TWO The outline L&D strategy and commensurate plans for Leithauser Books The outline of the L&D Strategy is based on the L&D Framework for the Civil Service 2011-2014. The graphical alignment of the outline is shown below Based on the Kolb’s model, Leithauser Books learning process will entail the application of all the following four phases in response to the situational demands. (PER 2011). Section 1 – Introduction The first part is introducing the L&D Strategy for the Leithauser Books. It is providing vital information in regard to the way in which the L&D Strategy is in accordance to other strategies and the manner in which it is putting into consideration the environment within which the Leithauser Books operates (ActionAid 2000). To a greater extent, the information needed for this section will be gathered using the documentary research as well as various secondary sources. Pestle analysis is used while addressing the external factors. The common internal factor entail Statement of Strategy and Human Resource Strategies (PER 2011, Carden and Smutylo 2001). The L&D Strategy has the Leithauser Books audience such as High-ranking Management Personnel Officer/Human Resource Director The Strategic Planning Units Line Managers Human Resource Units The L & D Units (Leader 2000). Section 2 – Identification of Learning and Development Needs: This part is setting out the manner in which the L&D needs of the Leithauser Books are known. It is well noted that for the completion of this part, a TNA (Training Needs Analysis) will be needed to have been carried out and a Training Needs Analysis report produced that will be containing the findings (Carden and Smutylo 2001). Since this work has not yet been previous undertaken, it will be carried out immediately. The work will call for both secondary and primary researching. The TNA is also identifying the gap that evident between the needed and the existing findings (PER 2011). Section 3 – Addressing of the Learning and Development Needs: This section is setting out the means through which the L&D needs are going to be addressed, as well as evaluation. The Leithauser Books will be required to put into consideration the strategies that will be suitable in addressing the specific needs that are highlighted in the TNA (Carden and Smutylo 2001). Section 4 - Implementation: This part is addressing the implementation arrangements. The responsibilities of those who will drive, support and implement the Strategy are assigned in this section (Leader 2000). Means of evaluating learning success Five levels will be used in evaluating the learning process. 1. Reaction level: The reaction of the reactants to the whole programme, through questionnaires, will be assessed in this level. The audience will be required to answer some questions regarding their initial thoughts and perceptions in regard to the effectiveness and quality of the training, the presenters and the venue. Should any feature of the training fall below par, a review and amendment will be carried out as appropriate (PER 2011, Carlo 2008). 2. Learning level In this level, there will be a measurement of the learning – the consequential growth in knowledge or ability. A considerable number of training topics will be evaluated as a way of measuring the level to which the participants increased their know-how and improved their skills as per the set learning objectives. In case a programme has not been met, a remedial or review action will be taken as required (Roper and Pettit 2002). 3. Behavioural change level: The level to which the behavior of the participants changed after they returned to their workplace will be measured. Various programmes will be evaluated annually. The results will be reviewed and amendments made where necessary (Carlo 2008). 4. The results level This level examines the effects of the results on the business or environment as a result of the performance of the trainees in the workplace. The data will be gathered within six to nine months following the programme. The data for the evaluation will be gathered in a similar manner as that of level 3 (PER 2011, Carlo 2008). 5. Return on the investment level In this level, the output of the training programme is translated into the monetary value. A cost benefit analysis will be conducted so as to find out the returns of the training to the company. This level is expensive and time consuming, thus, pragmatic method will be taken in regard to the number and types of programmes to target. (PER 2011, Roper and Pettit 2002). PART THREE There are various approaches to the collection of the data that will be used in analyzing the Leithauser Company. These include, though not limited to: interviewing, questionnaires, observations, literature (any accessible organizational record or published literature), group discussions, or use of the panels of professionals and participation. The Interviews will be carried out with the individuals who are most conversant with the company, job, or tasks that are under analysis. The individuals who will be interviewed comprise of the: managers, job incumbents, staff, external specialists, customers, supervisors, or any other subject matter specialist (Roberts 2006). The unstructured questionnaires simply ask the staff whatever they might be knowing, have experienced, or actually done. Such questionnaires are easily put together, but cumbersome in analyzing and summarizing them. The structured questionnaires are usually be developed only after particular other approaches have been applied (for example, background researches, observations, interviews). Any structured questionnaire, inventory, or checklist, that is used normally, requests information on whether a particular aspect is evident and the significance they attach to it. The Leithauser Company requires the structured questionnaires, that have limited open-ended questions, are amongst the majority of the frequently used (Roberts 2006). It will be of significant importance to bear in mind where the training program will be suitable in the workplace and who will be accountable for it to be approved, developed, implemented, evaluated, and supervised. The following activities and steps will be a fundamental analysis for the audience in the determination on whether training will be required and what will be done: Activity 1: Analyzing the demographics and any evident special requirement Step 1: Verifying the audience by use of the job task information Step 2: Confirmation of the number of participants who are aimed at and their over-all training and background Step 3: Analyzing the information on the participant’s language, tone and the usage of humor. Step 4: Noting any all the physical, ergonomic and environmental requirements. Activity 2: Determining the attitude towards content. Step 1: Determining any misconception or misinformation that could be existing. Step 2: Determining the negative and positive attitude. Step 3: Determining the unique terminologies or vocabularies Activity 3: Analyzing the required language skills for the audience Activity 4: Documenting of the results (Roberts 2006). Some practical examples of priorities and importance matters that will be put into consideration while carrying out the analysis comprise of Cost-effectiveness (cost benefit analysis), Legal mandates, Executive pressure and the number of key individuals who will be involved. Various models that will offer assistance in the Human Resource Development professional in the estimation of the value of benefits and calculation of the ROI (Return of investment) of the project will offer assistance in the process (Roberts 2006). Reference List ActionAid, 2000, Accountability Learning and Planning System, London: ActionAid. Carden, F., and Smutylo, T 2001, Outcome Mapping: A Guide to Building Learning and Reflection into Development Programmes, Ottawa: IDRC Carlo, S 2008, The Existential Necessity of Midlife Change. Harvard Business Review. PER (2011). Guide to Preparing a Learning & Development Strategy, available at http://hr.per.gov.ie/files/2011/04/Guide-to-Preparing-a-Learning-and-Development-Strategy.pdf Roberts, P 2006, Advances in developing human resources, Analysis: The Defining Phase of Systematic Training, DOI: 10.1177/1523422306293014 Roper, L., and Pettit, J 2002, Development and the Learning Organisation, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Read More