Training and Development

Concepts and objective of training? Explain five training methods

Concept of training: Summary of a training course or program that highlights its key features such as type of training, presentation environment, teaching techniques, and the benchmarks by which the learning performance will be measured.

A training objective is the specific knowledge, skills, or attitudes that the trainees are to gain as a result of the training activity. An objective is usually measurable.

Tip:

By defining objectives in a measurable way, you describe a desired behavior and will later be able to offer better feedback. You have to be aware, though, that attitudinal goals are often not very measurable.

Discussion

 To adequately equip trainees for a certain task, they need the knowledge required to do the task. Knowledge alone, however, is insufficient. Trainees must also learn the appropriate skills and attitudes needed to perform the task well.

Non-examples: Objectives

  Here are some non-examples of poorly written objectives:

 

The trainees will learn to be good teachers.

Reason: This objective is hard to measure. The trainees will learn a lot about the Multi-strategy method.

Reason: This objective is too general.

Examples: Objectives

  Here are some examples of well-written objectives:

  By the end of the teacher training course, the trainees will do the following:

o Examine four characteristics of adult learning (knowledge objective)

o Show in practice sessions (behavioral objective) that they respect adults (attitudinal objective) by using various methods (skills objective) which allow adults to actively participate

o Learn to do classroom storying

By the end of the writers workshop the trainees will

o write and edit two traditional stories in their mother tongue, and

o publish their stories with a silk-screen printer.

Training is a process of learning a sequence of programmed behavior. It is the application of knowledge & gives people an awareness of rules & procedures to guide their behavior. It helps in bringing about positive change in the knowledge, skills & attitudes of employees.

Thus, training is a process that tries to improve skills or add to the existing level of knowledge so that the employee is better equipped to do his present job or to mould him to be fit for a higher job involving higher responsibilities. It bridges the gap between what the employee has & what the job demands.

Since training involves time, effort & money by an organization, so an organization should to be very careful while designing a training program. The objectives & need for training should be clearly identified & the method or type of training should be chosen according to the needs & objectives established. Once this is done accurately, an organization should take a feedback on the training program from the trainees in the form of a structured questionnaire so as to know whether the amount & time invested on training has turned into an investment or it was a total expenditure for an organization.

Training is a continuous or never ending process. Even the existing employees need to be trained to refresh them & enable them to keep up with the new methods & techniques of work. This type of training is known as Refresher Training & the training given to new employees is known as Induction Training. This is basically given to new employees to help them get acquainted with the work environment & fellow colleagues. It is a very short informative training just after recruitment to introduce or orient the employee with the organization's rules, procedures & policies.

Training plays a significant role in human resource development. Human resources are the lifeblood of any organization. Only through trained & efficient employees, can an organization achieve its objectives.

* To impart to the new entrants the basic knowledge & skills they need for an intelligent performance of definite tasks.* To prepare employees for more responsible positions.* To bring about change in attitudes of employees in all directions.* To reduce supervision time, reduce wastage & produce quality products.* To reduce defects & minimize accident rate.* To absorb new skills & technology.* Helpful for the growth & improvement of employee's skills & knowledge.

METHODS OF TRAINING: -

The most widely used methods of training used by organizations are classified into two categories: On-the-Job Training & Off-the-Job Training.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING is given at the work place by superior in relatively short period of time. This type of training is cheaper & less time-consuming. This training can be imparted by basically four methods: -

Coaching is learning by doing. In this, the superior guides his sub-ordinates & gives him/her job instructions. The superior points out the mistakes & gives suggestions for improvement.

Job Rotation: - In this method, the trainees move from one job to another, so that he/she should be able to perform all types of jobs. E.g. In banking industry, employees are trained for both back-end & front-end jobs. In case of emergency, (absenteeism or resignation), any employee would be able to perform any type of job.

OFF THE JOB TRAINING: - is given outside the actual work place.

Lectures/Conferences:- This approach is well adapted to convey specific information, rules, procedures or methods. This method is useful, where the information is to be shared among a large number of trainees. The cost per trainee is low in this method.

Films: - can provide information & explicitly demonstrate skills that are not easily presented by other techniques. Motion pictures are often used in conjunction with Conference, discussions to clarify & amplify those points that the film emphasized.

Simulation Exercise: - Any training activity that explicitly places the trainee in an artificial environment that closely mirrors actual working conditions can be considered a Simulation. Simulation activities include case experiences, experiential exercises, vestibule training, management games & role-play.

Cases: - present an in depth description of a particular problem an employee might encounter on the job. The employee attempts to find and analyze the problem, evaluate alternative courses of action & decide what course of action would be most satisfactory.

Experiential Exercises: - are usually short, structured learning experiences where individuals learn by doing. For instance, rather than talking about inter-personal conflicts & how to deal with them, an experiential exercise could be used to create a conflict situation where employees have to experience a conflict personally & work out its solutions.

Vestibule Training: - Employees learn their jobs on the equipment they will be using, but the training is conducted away from the actual work floor. While expensive, Vestibule training allows employees to get a full feel for doing task without real world pressures. Additionally, it minimizes the problem of transferring learning to the job.

Role Play: - Its just like acting out a given role as in a stage play. In this method of training, the trainees are required to enact defined roles on the basis of oral or written description of a particular situation.

Management Games: - The game is devised on a model of a business situation. The trainees are divided into groups who represent the management of competing companies. They make decisions just like these are made in real-life situations. Decisions made by the groups are evaluated & the likely implications of the decisions are fed back to the groups. The game goes on in several rounds to take the time dimension into account.

In-Basket Exercise: - Also known as In-tray method of training. The trainee is presented with a pack of papers & files in a tray containing administrative problems & is asked to take decisions on these problems & are asked to take decisions on these within a stipulated time. The decisions taken by the trainees are compared with one another. The trainees are provided feedback on their performance.

RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION: -

No doubt Training is a very powerful tool for the smooth functioning of the organization, but it needs to be used with care in order to derive all the benefits. Here are seven

recommendations for getting the best out of this tool: -

1. Learn about the needs and proficiency of each and every employee before an organization invests its effort, time & money on training. Its better to identify the needs & shortcomings in an employee before actually imparting training to him/her.

2. Experienced & skilled trainer, who possesses good amount of knowledge & understanding about the organization's objectives, individual abilities & the present environment, should give training.

3. Active participation from the trainees should be encouraged. There should be a two-way communication between the trainer & trainee.

4. Feedback should be taken from the trainees after the training is over, so that the organization comes to know about the deficiencies in the training program & also suggestions to improve upon the same.

5. Focus of training should be on priority development needs and to produce strong motivation to bring change in employees.

6. The cost incurred on the training program should not exceed its benefits.

7. The method or type of training should be very cautiously selected by the organization depending upon the organizations' resources & an employee's individual need for training.

Thus, training is a vital tool to cope up with the changing needs & technologies, & ever-changing environment. It benefits both the organization as well as the employees.

Training Methods

There are various methods of training, which can be divided in to cognitive and behavioral methods. Trainers need to understand the pros and cons of each method, also its impact on trainees keeping their background and skills in mind before giving training.

Cognitive methods are more of giving theoretical training to the trainees. The various methods under Cognitive approach provide the rules for how to do something, written or verbal information, demonstrate relationships among concepts, etc. These methods are associated with changes in knowledge and attitude by stimulating learning.

The various methods that come under Cognitive approach are:

LECTURES

DEMONSTRATIONS

DISCUSSIONS

COMPUTER BASED TRAINING (CBT)

o INTELLEGENT TUTORIAL SYSTEM(ITS)

o PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION (PI)

o VIRTUAL REALITY

Behavioral methods are more of giving practical training to the trainees. The various methods under Behavioral approach allow the trainee to behavior in a real fashion. These methods are best used for skill development.

The various methods that come under Behavioral approach are:

GAMES AND SIMULATIONS

o BEHAVIOR-MODELING

o BUSINESS GAMES

o CASE STUDIES

o EQUIPMENT STIMULATORS

o IN-BASKET TECHNIQUE

o ROLE PLAYS

Both the methods can be used effectively to change attitudes, but through different means

Another Method is MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT METHOD –

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT –

The more future oriented method and more concerned with education of the employees. To become a better performer by education implies that management development activities attempt to instill sound reasoning processes.

Management development method is further divided into two parts:

ON THE JOB TRAINING –

The development of a manager's abilities can take place on the job. The four techniques for on the job development are:

COACHING

MENTORING

JOB ROTATION

JOB INSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE (JIT)

OFF THE JOB TRAINING –

There are many management development techniques that an employee can take in off the job. The few popular methods are:

SENSITIVITY TRAINING

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

STRAIGHT LECTURES/ LECTURES

SIMULATION EXERCISES

Cognitive methods -

It is one of the oldest methods of training. This method is used to create understanding of a topic or to influence behavior, attitudes through lecture. A lecture can be in printed or oral form. Lecture is telling someone about something. Lecture is given to enhance the knowledge of listener or to give him the theoretical aspect of a topic. Training is basically incomplete

without lecture. When the trainer begins the training session by telling the aim, goal, agenda, processes, or methods that will be used in training that means the trainer is using the lecture method. It is difficult to imagine training without lecture format. There are some variations in Lecture method. The variation here means that some forms of lectures are interactive while some are not.

Straight Lecture: Straight lecture method consists of presenting information, which the trainee attempts to absorb. In this method, the trainer speaks to a group about a topic. However, it does not involve any kind of interaction between the trainer and the trainees. A lecture may also take the form of printed text, such as books, notes, etc. The difference between the straight lecture and the printed material is the trainer’s intonation, control of speed, body language, and visual image of the trainer. The trainer in case of straight lecture can decide to vary from the training script, based on the signals from the trainees, whereas same material in print is restricted to what is printed.

A good lecture consists of introduction of the topic, purpose of the lecture, and priorities and preferences of the order in which the topic will be covered.

Main Features of Lecture Method

Some of the main features of lecture method are:

Inability to identify and correct misunderstandings

Less expensive

Can be reached large number of people at once

Knowledge building exercise

Less effective because lectures require long periods of trainee inactivity This method is a visual display of how something works or how to do something. As an example, trainer shows the trainees how to perform or how to do the tasks of the job. In order to be more effective, demonstration method should be should be accompanied by the discussion or lecture method.

To carry out an effective demonstration, a trainer first prepares the lesson plan by breaking the task to be performed into smaller modules, easily learned parts. Then, the trainer sequentially organizes those modules and prepares an explanation for why that part is required. While performing the demonstration, trainer:

Demonstrates the task by describing how to do, while doing

Helps the focusing their attention on critical aspects of the task

Tells the trainees what you will be doing so they understand what you will be showing them

Explains why it should be carried out in that way

The difference between the lecture method and the demonstration method is the level of involvement of the trainee. In the lecture method, the more the trainee is involved, the more learning will occur.

Discussion Training Method

 This method uses a lecturer to provide the learners with context that is supported, elaborated, explains, or expanded on through

interactions both among the trainees and between the trainer and the trainees. The interaction and the communication between these two make it much more effective and powerful than the lecture method. If the Discussion method is used with proper sequence i.e. lectures, followed by discussion and questioning, can achieve higher level knowledge objectives, such as problem solving and principle learning.

The Discussion method consists a two-way flow of communication i.e. knowledge in the form of lecture is communicated to trainees, and then understanding is conveyed back by trainees to trainer.

Understanding is conveyed in the form of verbal and non-verbal feedback that enables the trainer to determine whether the material is understood. If yes, then definitely it would help out the trainees to implement it at their workplaces and if not, the trainer may need to spend more time on that particular area by presenting the information again in a different manner.

Questioning can be done by both ways i.e. the trainees and the trainer. When the trainees ask questions, they explain their thinking about the content of the lecture. A trainer who asks questions stimulates thinking about the content of the lecture. Asking and responding questions are beneficial to trainees because it enhance understanding and keep the trainees focused on the content. Besides that, discussions, and interactions allow the trainee to be actively engaged in the material of the trainer. This activity helps in improving recall.

With the worldwide expansion of companies and changing technologies, the demands for knowledge and skilled employees have increased more than ever, which in turn, is putting pressure on HR department to provide training at lower costs. Many organizations are now implementing CBT as an alternative to classroom based training to accomplish those goals.Some of the benefits of Computer Based Training are

              

Reference: naukrihub.com

2. explain the difference between training and development

Training is focused on individual tasks, all nuts and bolts ... how to turn a wrench. Also, training has a beginning and an end.

Development is the whole person concept. Not only teaching them how to turn the wrench, but also why we turn the wrench and challenging them to figure out a better way to turn that wrench. It is focused more on cultivating the individual to give them the tools to work upward through greater job and relationship complexities. The job of development has no end.

In the modern organization, staff development energizes an organization's culture by grooming it's future leaders.

Importance of training and development:

Optimum Utilization of Human Resources – Training and Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals.

Development of Human Resources – Training and Development helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources’ technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

Development of skills of employees – Training and Development helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of

human intellect and an overall personality of the employees.

Productivity – Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit – Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees.

Organization Culture – Training and Development helps to develop and improve the organizational health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization.

Organization Climate – Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling about the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers.

Quality – Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and work-life.

Healthy work environment – Training and Development helps in creating the healthy working environment. It helps to build good employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with organizational goal.

Health and Safety – Training and Development helps in improving the health and safety of the organization thus preventing obsolescence.

Morale – Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force.

Image – Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image.

Profitability – Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit

orientation.

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e. Organization gets more effective decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out organisational policies

Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display.

Importance of training objective:

Training objective is one of the most important parts of training program. While some people think of training objective as a waste of valuable time. The counterargument here is that resources are always limited and the training objectives actually lead the design of training. It provides the clear guidelines and develops the training program in less time because objectives focus specifically on needs. It helps in adhering to a plan. Training objectives tell the trainee that what is expected out of him at the end of the training program. Training objectives are of great significance from a number of stakeholder perspectives,

1. Trainer 2. Trainee 3. Designer 4. Evaluator

Trainer – The training objective is also beneficial to trainer because it helps the trainer to measure the progress of trainees and make the required adjustments. Also, trainer comes in a position to establish a relationship between objectives and particular segments of training.

Trainee – The training objective is beneficial to the trainee because it helps in reducing the anxiety of the trainee up to some extent. Not knowing anything or going to a place which is unknown creates anxiety that can negatively affect learning. Therefore, it is important to keep the participants aware of the happenings, rather than keeping it surprise.Secondly, it helps in increase in concentration, which is the crucial factor to make the training successful. The objectives create an image of the training program in trainee’s mind that actually helps in gaining attention. Thirdly, if the goal is set to be challenging and motivating, then the likelihood of achieving those goals is much higher than the situation in which no goal is set. Therefore, training objectives helps in increasing the probability that the participants will be successful in training

Designer – The training objective is beneficial to the training designer because if the designer is aware what is to be achieved in the end then he’ll buy the training package according to that only. The training designer would then look for the training methods, training equipments, and training content accordingly to achieve those objectives. Furthermore, planning always helps in dealing effectively in an unexpected situation. Consider an example; the objective of one training program is to deal effectively with customers to increase the sales. Since the objective is known, the designer will design a training program that will include ways to improve the interpersonal skills, such as verbal and non verbal language, dealing in unexpected situation i.e. when there is a defect in a product or when a customer is angry. Therefore, without any guidance, the training may not be designed appropriately.

Evaluator – It becomes easy for the training evaluator to measure the progress of the trainees because the objectives define the expected performance of trainees. Training objective is an important to tool to judge the performance of participants.

3. Strategic issues to avert futile training programs

4. limitations of traditional instructional approaches

Instructional Methods Information

Updated September 4, 2009

Instructional methods and teaching methods mean the same thing. They are primarily descriptions of the learning objective oriented activities and flow of information between teachers and students. Although some may argue otherwise, to split hairs over whether such methods are meaningfully different adds nothing to the process of learning to be a teacher. Direct and indirect instruction are two main categories that many educators find useful for classifying teaching methods, but it is, as you will see, a bit more complicated than placing all instruction into two categories. Any instructional method a teacher uses has advantages, disadvantages, and requires some preliminary preparation. Often times, a particular teaching method will naturally flow into another, all within the same lesson, and excellent teachers have developed the skills to make the process seamless to the students. Which instructional method is "right" for a particular lesson depends on many things, and among them are the age and developmental level of the students, what the students already know, and what they need to know to succeed with the lesson, the subject-matter content, the objective of the lesson, the available people, time, space and material resources, and the physical setting. Another, more difficult problem is to select an instructional method that best fits one's particular teaching style and the lesson-situation. There is no one "right" method for teaching a particular lesson, but there are some criteria that pertain to each that can help a teacher make the best decision possible. The following teaching or instructional methods relate to the instruction part of the ADPRIMA Instruction System. The methods are not listed in a preferred sequence, no hierarchy of putative superiority of method is intended, and obviously, not all are appropriate for all grades and subject matter content areas.

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DIRECT TEACHING

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationVery specific learning targets.Students are told reasons why content is important - helps to clarify lesson objective.Relatively easy to measure student gains.Is a widely accepted instructional method.Good for teaching specific facts and basic skills.

Can stifle teacher creativity.Requires well-organized content preparation and good oral communication skills.Steps must be followed in prescribed order.May not be effective for higher-order

Content must be organized in advance.Teacher should have information about student prerequisites for the lesson.

thinking skills, depending on the knowledge base and skill of the teacher.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Helps foster mutual responsibility.Supported by research as an effective technique.Students learn to be patient, less critical and more compassionate.

Some students don't work well this way.Loners find it hard to share answers.Aggressive students try to take over.Bright students tend to act superior.

Decide what skills or knowledge are to be learned.Requires some time to prepare students. to learn how to work in groups.

LECTURE

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationFactual material is presented in a direct, logical manner.May provide experiences that inspire- useful for large groups.

Proficient oral skills are necessary.Audience is often passive.Learning is difficult to gauge.Communication is one-way.Not appropriate for children below grade 4.

There should be a clear introduction and summary.Effectiveness related to time and scope of content.Is always audience specific; often includes examples, anecdotes.

LECTURE WITH DISCUSSION

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationInvolves students, at least after the lecture.Students can question, clarify and challenge.Lecture can be interspersed with discussion.

Time constraints may affect discussion opportunities.Effectiveness is connected to appropriate

Teacher should be prepared to allow questions during lecture, as appropriate.Teacher should also anticipate difficult questions and prepare appropriate responses in advance.

questions and discussion; often requires teacher to "shift gears" quickly.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Experts present different opinions.Can provoke better discussion than a one person discussion.Frequent change of speaker keeps attention from lagging.

Personalities may overshadow content.Experts are often not effective speakers.Subject may not be in logical order.Not appropriate for elementary age students.Logistics can be troublesome.

Teacher coordinates focus of panel, introduces and summarizes.Teacher briefs panel.

BRAINSTORMING

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationListening exercise that allows creative thinking for new ideas.Encourages full participation because all ideas are equally recorded.Draws on group's knowledge and experience.Spirit of cooperation is created.One idea can spark off other ideas.

Can be unfocused.Needs to be limited to 5 - 7 minutes.Students may have difficulty getting away from known reality.If not managed well, criticism and negative evaluation may occur.Value to students depends in part on their maturity level.

Teacher selects issue.Teacher must be ready to intervene when the process is hopelessly bogged down.

VIDEOTAPES/SLIDES

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Entertaining way of introducing content and raising issuesUsually keeps group's attentionLooks professionalStimulates discussion

Can raise too many issues to have a focused discussionDiscussion may not have full participationMost effective when following discussion

Need to obtain and set up equipmentEffective only if teacher prepares for discussion after the presentation

DISCUSSION

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationPools ideas and experiences from groupEffective after a presentation, film or experience that needs to be analyzedAllows everyone to participate in an active process

Not practical with more that 20 studentsA few students can dominateSome students may not participateIs time consumingCan get off the track

Requires careful planning by teacher to guide discussionRequires question outline

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Allows for participation of everyoneStudents often more comfortable in small groupsGroups can reach consensus

Needs careful thought as to purpose of groupGroups may get side tracked<<p>

Need to prepare specific tasks or questions for group to answer

CASE STUDIES

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationDevelops analytic and problem solving skillsAllows for exploration of solutions for complex issuesAllows student to apply new knowledge and skills

Students may not see relevance to own situationInsufficient information can lead to inappropriate

Case must be clearly definedCase study must be prepared

resultsNot appropriate for elementary level

ROLE PLAYING

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Introduces problem situation dramaticallyProvides opportunity for students to assume roles of others and thus appreciate another point of viewAllows for exploration of solutionsProvides opportunity to practice skills

Some students may be too self-consciousNot appropriate for large groupsSome students may feel threatened

Teacher has to define problem situation and roles clearlyTeacher must give very clear instructions

WORKSHEET/SURVEYS

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationAllows students to think for themselves without being influenced by othersIndividual thoughts can then be shared in large group

Can be used only for short period of time

Teacher has to prepare handouts

GUEST SPEAKERS

Advantages Disadvantages PreparationPersonalizes topicBreaks down audience's stereotypes

May not be a good speaker

Contact speakers and coordinateIntroduce speaker appropriately

VALUES CLARIFICATION

Advantages Disadvantages Preparation

Opportunity to explore values and beliefsAllows students to discuss values in a safe environmentGives structure to discussion

Students may not be honest about their values.Students may be too self-conscious.Students may not be able to articulate their values in an effective way.

Teacher must carefully prepare exerciseTeacher must give clear instructionsTeacher must prepare discussion questions

 

5. Short notes

1. Vestibule training

A procedure used in operator training in which the training location is separate from the main productive areas of the plant; includes student carrels, lecture rooms, and in many instances the same type of equipment that the trainee will use in the work station.

2. challenges for HRM

Introduction

The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources.

With the increase in competition, locally or globally, organizations must become more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organization. In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven function with a thorough understanding of the organization’s big picture and be able to influence key decisions and policies. In general, the focus of today’s HR Manager is on strategic personnel retention and talents development. HR professionals will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organization’s members and their loyalty. The HR manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations, especially in the management of workplace diversity.

This paper will highlight on how a HR manager can meet the challenges of workplace diversity, how to motivate employees through gain-sharing and executive information system through proper planning, organizing, leading and controlling their human resources.

Workplace Diversity

According to Thomas (1992), dimensions of workplace diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience.

The Challenges of Workplace Diversity

The future success of any organizations relies on the ability to manage a diverse body of talent that can bring innovative ideas, perspectives and views to their work. The challenge and problems faced of workplace diversity can be turned into a strategic organizational asset if an organization is able to capitalize on this melting pot of diverse talents. With the mixture of talents of diverse cultural backgrounds, genders, ages and lifestyles, an organization can respond to business opportunities more rapidly and creatively, especially in the global arena (Cox, 1993), which must be one of the important organisational goals to be attained. More importantly, if the organizational environment does not support diversity broadly, one risks losing talent to competitors.

This is especially true for multinational companies (MNCs) who have operations on a global scale and employ people of different countries, ethical and cultural backgrounds. Thus, a HR manager needs to be mindful and may employ a ‘Think Global, Act Local’ approach in most circumstances. The challenge of workplace diversity is also prevalent amongst Singapore’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With a population of only four million people and the nation’s strive towards high technology and knowledge-based economy; foreign talents are lured to share their expertise in these areas. Thus, many local HR managers have to undergo cultural-based Human Resource Management training to further their abilities to motivate a group of professional that are highly qualified but culturally diverse. Furthermore, the HR professional must assure the local professionals that these foreign talents are not a threat to their career advancement (Toh, 1993). In many ways, the effectiveness of workplace diversity management is dependent on the skilful balancing act of the HR manager.

One of the main reasons for ineffective workplace diversity management is the predisposition to pigeonhole employees, placing them in a different silo based on their diversity profile (Thomas, 1992). In the real world, diversity cannot be easily categorized and those organizations that respond to human complexity by leveraging the talents of a broad workforce will be the most effective in growing their businesses and their customer base.

The Management of Workplace Diversity

In order to effectively manage workplace diversity, Cox (1993) suggests that a HR Manager needs to change from an ethnocentric view ("our way is the best way") to a culturally relative perspective ("let's take the best of a variety of ways"). This shift in philosophy has to be ingrained in the managerial framework of the HR Manager in his/her planning, organizing, leading and controlling of organizational resources.

As suggested by Thomas (1992) and Cox (1993), there are several best practices that a HR manager can adopt in ensuring effective management of workplace diversity in order to attain organizational goals. They are:

Planning a Mentoring Program-

One of the best ways to handle workplace diversity issues is through initiating a Diversity Mentoring Program. This could entail involving different departmental managers in a mentoring program to coach and provide feedback to employees who are different from them. In order for the program to run successfully, it is wise to provide practical training for these managers or seek help from consultants and experts in this field. Usually, such a program will encourage organization’s members to air their opinions and learn how to resolve conflicts due to their diversity. More importantly, the purpose of a Diversity Mentoring Program seeks to encourage members to move beyond their own cultural frame of reference to recognize and take full advantage of the productivity potential inherent in a diverse population.

Organizing Talents Strategically-

Many companies are now realizing the advantages of a diverse workplace. As more and more companies are going global in their market expansions either physically or virtually (for example, E-commerce-related companies), there is a necessity to employ diverse talents to understand the various niches of the market. For example, when China was opening up its markets and exporting their products globally in the late 1980s, the Chinese companies (such as China’s electronic giants such as Haier) were seeking the marketing expertise of Singaporeans. This is because Singapore’s marketing talents were able to understand the local China markets relatively well (almost 75% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent) and as well as being attuned to the markets in the West due to Singapore’s open economic policies and English language abilities. (Toh, R, 1993)

With this trend in place, a HR Manager must be able to organize the pool of diverse talents strategically for the organization. He/She must consider how a diverse workforce can enable the company to attain new markets and other organizational goals in order to harness the full potential of workplace diversity.

An organization that sees the existence of a diverse workforce as an organizational asset rather than a liability would indirectly help the organization to positively take in its stride some of the less positive aspects of workforce diversity.

Leading the Talk-

A HR Manager needs to advocate a diverse workforce by making diversity evident at all organizational levels. Otherwise, some employees will quickly conclude that there is no future for them in the company. As the HR Manager, it is pertinent to show respect for diversity issues and promote clear and positive responses to them. He/She must also show a high level of commitment and be able to resolve issues of workplace diversity in an ethical and responsible manner.

Control and Measure Results-

A HR Manager must conduct regular organizational assessments on issues like pay, benefits, work environment, management and promotional opportunities to assess the progress over the long term. There is also a need to develop appropriate measuring tools to measure the impact of

diversity initiatives at the organization through organization-wide feedback surveys and other methods. Without proper control and evaluation, some of these diversity initiatives may just fizzle out, without resolving any real problems that may surface due to workplace diversity.

Motivational Approaches

Workplace motivation can be defined as the influence that makes us do things to achieve organizational goals: this is a result of our individual needs being satisfied (or met) so that we are motivated to complete organizational tasks effectively. As these needs vary from person to person, an organization must be able to utilize different motivational tools to encourage their employees to put in the required effort and increase productivity for the company.

Why do we need motivated employees? The answer is survival (Smith, 1994). In our changing workplace and competitive market environments, motivated employees and their contributions are the necessary currency for an organization’s survival and success. Motivational factors in an organizational context include working environment, job characteristics, appropriate organizational reward system and so on.

The development of an appropriate organizational reward system is probably one of the strongest motivational factors. This can influence both job satisfaction and employee motivation. The reward system affects job satisfaction by making the employee more comfortable and contented as a result of the rewards received. The reward system influences motivation primarily through the perceived value of the rewards and their contingency on performance (Hickins, 1998).

To be effective, an organizational reward system should be based on sound understanding of the motivation of people at work. In this paper, I will be touching on the one of the more popular methods of reward systems, gain-sharing.

Gain-sharing:

Gain-sharing programs generally refer to incentive plans that involve employees in a common effort to improve organizational performance, and are based on the concept that the resulting incremental economic gains are shared among employees and the company.

In most cases, workers voluntarily participate in management to accept responsibility for major reforms. This type of pay is based on factors directly under a worker’s control (i.e., productivity or costs). Gains are measured and distributions are made frequently through a predetermined formula. Because this pay is only implemented when gains are achieved, gain-sharing plans do not adversely affect company costs (Paulsen, 1991).

Managing Gain-sharing

In order for a gain-sharing program that meets the minimum requirements for success to be in place, Paulsen (1991) and Boyett (1988) have suggested a few pointers in the effective management of a gain-sharing program. They are as follows:

A HR manager must ensure that the people who will be participating in the plan are influencing the performance measured by the gain-sharing formula in a significant way by changes in their day-to-day behavior. The main idea of the gain sharing is to motivate members to increase productivity through their behavioral changes and working attitudes. If the increase in the performance measurement was due to external factors, then it would have defeated the purpose of having a gain-sharing program.

An effective manager must ensure that the gain-sharing targets are challenging but legitimate and attainable. In addition, the targets should be specific and challenging but reasonable and justifiable given the historical performance, the business strategy and the competitive environment. If the gain-sharing participants perceive the target as an impossibility and are not motivated at all, the whole program will be a disaster.

A manager must provide useful feedback as a guidance to the gain-sharing participants concerning how they need to change their behavior(s) to realize gain-sharing payouts The feedback should be frequent, objective and clearly based on the members’ performance in relation to the gain-sharing target.

A manager must have an effective mechanism in place to allow gain-sharing participants to initiate changes in work procedures and methods and/or requesting new or additional resources such as new technology to improve performance and realize gains. Though a manager must have a tight control of company’s resources, reasonable and justifiable requests for additional resources and/or changes in work methods from gain-sharing participants should be considered.

Executive Information Systems

Executive Information System (EIS) is the most common term used for the unified collections of computer hardware and software that track the essential data of a business' daily performance and present it to managers as an aid to their planning and decision-making (Choo, 1991). With an EIS in place, a company can track inventory, sales, and receivables, compare today's data with historical patterns. In addition, an EIS will aid in spotting significant variations from "normal" trends almost as soon as it develops, giving the company the maximum amount of time to make decisions and implement required changes to put your business back on the right track. This would enable EIS to be a useful tool in an organization’s strategic planning, as well as day-to-day management (Laudon, K and Laudon, J, 2003).

Managing EIS

As information is the basis of decision-making in an organization, there lies a great need for effective managerial control. A good control system would ensure the communication of the right information at the right time and relayed to the right people to take prompt actions.

When managing an Executive Information System, a HR manager must first find out exactly what information decision-makers would like to have available in the field of human resource management, and then to include it in the EIS. This is because having people simply use an EIS that lacks critical information is of no value-add to the organization. In addition, the manager

must ensure that the use of information technology has to be brought into alignment with strategic business goals (Laudon, K and Laudon, J, 2003).

Conclusion

The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of the changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change directions, and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional must learn how to manage effectively through planning, organizing, leading and controlling the human resource and be knowledgeable of emerging trends in training and employee development.

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3. Benefits of Need Assessment: Advantages

Method Organiztional DocumentsProvide relevant, quantifiabledataFastInexpensiveMay built managementInvolvement

Questionnaires&SurveysReach many people in shorttimeBuild involvementRelatively inexpensiveYield relevant, quantifiabledata that are easy tosummarizeAnonymity may encourageHonesty

GroupInterviews(Focusgroups)Build involvement andsupportProvide relevant dataProvide visibilityMay elicit key topics notexpected

On-the-spot sharing &synthesis of different views

IndividualInterviewsBuild involvement andsupportAllow for clarificationProvide relevant dataEasier to conduct than groupinterviewsMay uncover information thatwouldn't be brought up in agroup

AdvisoryCommitteesBuild managementinvolvement and sponsorshipProvide visibilityInexpensiveAllows synthesis of opinionsof key decision-makersCan help identify resources

Observationof WorkSituationsBuilds employee involvementProvides excellent informationwhen coaching an individualBuilds your credibilityGenerates relevant,quantifiable dataMay provide excellent stories

Benchmarking&IndependentResearchLearn from industry leadersand competitorsCan build your credibility

Availability of free data oninternetAvoid rediscovering what isKnown

4. E- learning

E-learning (or electronic learning or eLearning) encompasses forms of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) or very specific types of TEL such as online or Web-based learning. Nevertheless, the term does not have a universally accepted definition[1] and there are divides in the e-learning industry about whether a technology-enhanced system can be called e-learning if there is no set pedagogy as some argue e-learning is: "pedagogy empowered by digital technology" [2].

The term e-learning is ambiguous to those outside the e-learning industry, and even within its diverse disciplines it has different meanings to different people [1]. For instance in companies, it often refers to the strategies that use the company network to deliver training courses to employees and lately in most Universities, e-learning is used to define a specific mode to attend a course or programmes of study where the students rarely or never meet face-to-face, nor access on-campus educational facilities, because they study online.

[edit] Goals and benefits of e-learning

E-Learning can provide for major benefits for the organizations and individuals involved.

1. Improved performance: A 12-year meta-analysis of research by the U.S. Department of Education found that higher education students in online learning generally performed better than those in face-to-face courses.[3]

2. Increased access: Instructors of the highest calibre can share their knowledge across borders, allowing students to attend courses across physical, political, and economic boundaries. Recognized experts have the opportunity of making information available internationally, to anyone interested at minimum costs. For example, the MIT OpenCourseWare program has made substantial portions of that university's curriculum and lectures available for free online.

3. Convenience and flexibility to learners: in many contexts, eLearning is self-paced and the learning sessions are available 24x7. Learners are not bound to a specific day/time to physically attend classes. They can also pause learning sessions at their convenience. High-end technology is not necessary for all online courses. Basic internet access, audio, and video capabilities are common requirements. [4]

4. To develop the skills and competencies needed in the 21st century, and in particular to ensure that learners have the digital literacy skills required in their discipline, profession or career Bates (2009)[5] states that a major argument for e-learning is that it enables learners to develop essential skills for knowledge-based workers by embedding the use of information and communications technologies within the curriculum. He also argues that using e-learning in this way has major implications for course design and the assessment of learners.

Competency development

Competency development means to describe the capabilities of a person that are required to perform a particular role effectively in a management team or a particular job. These capabilities describes everything about a person like what kind of task he can perform, how much time he would take on average to complete that task, and how many resources he would utilize to complete that task. Keeping in mind these tasks, the company decides various factors like opting for a new staff members, development of staff members(both physically and intellectually), boost the staff's present performance to meets the company standards, and deciding their pay depending upon the quality of services they provide.

Competency developments lays down some principles that must be followed for the better working of the human resource development project and to extract better quality of services from the employees. This provides every firm with a universal language to understand the competency models in better terms. In other words, it becomes easier for all the companies to understand the competency model in a better way. It also helps to boost every individual's performance in a firm and in turn helps in the growth of the company itself. Individuals at different levels of the firm possess different kinds of competencies. For example leaders are associated with planned thinking and are meant for revolutionizing the management. Similarly, managers are regarded as good trainers and are associated with argument resolution. So different people are associated with types of competencies.