Organisational Learning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisational Learning and Development - Essay Example These new practices rely upon the idea that performance depends not only on hard and attenuating work of the personnel, but also on such essential characteristics as competence and ability to learn and develop. Despite seeming simplicity, the problem of effective learning and development of employees is exceptionally complex, and if a company fails to properly, effectively and continuously train and educate its human resources in the right areas of the business, at the right time and at the right cost, serious inefficiencies are likely to arise. This will inevitably result in considerable operational difficulties and sometimes may even lead to failure of the organisation (Buckle & Caple, 2004). Information, knowledge, and skills have already become the key aspects of new economic environment (Guest, 1987). As a result, modern organizational studies place increasingly distinct emphasis on issues associated with learning and development of personnel. An effective HRD programme should be built around three basic theoretical concepts: organizational development change, leadership development, and individual, group and organizational learning (Reid, Barrington & Brown, 2004). ... In the past, learning focused primarily on individuals: people worked in large bureaucracies or assembly lines and, consequently, the goal of learning under such circumstances was training of the skills required for their functioning. However, since approximately three decades ago the focus of learning in organisations started to shift from individuals to groups and, what was even more important, the meaning underlying the concepts of 'learning', 'training' and 'development' transformed dramatically. Scholars began to perceive these constructs as continuous rather than occasional while the purpose and the process of learning were also reformulated and recognised as vital for effective organizational performance (Harrison, 2005). The existing research in organizational learning available up to date demonstrates that there are at least three major things adult learners need to know: - What will be learned; - How the learning will be conducted; - Why the new knowledge will be of any value (Knowles, 1984). The need to know about these three aspects strongly affects employees' motivation to learn, outcomes of learning, and motivation to use new knowledge. Normally, five phases of organizational learning are identified in the literature: 1. Analysis The first phase involves full analysis of the organizational needs, identification of the goals which, when reached, will equip employees with knowledge and skills to meet the organization's needs (Buckley & Caple, 2004). The first questions to be asked in the analysis phase are "Is there a need for training" and "If something is wrong, is it caused by a performance problem that training will fix" In the analysis phase the responsibilities/duties required at a certain position are identified and

Defining Public Relations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defining Public Relations Paper - Essay Example i. It is a managerial function that focuses on researching, communicating, interacting and establishing close relations with varied stakeholders of an organization in an ethical manner (Corbett). Mainly, this entails establishing an ample environment where all the stakeholders will benefit mutually through relations that they have constituted and achieve specific results. 2. It is a management function whose mandate encompasses evaluating public attitudes, identifying policies and methods either by an individual or corporation intended to safeguard public’s interest. This is to implement an already predetermined action aimed at earning both understanding and acceptance (Narasimha 4). 3. It is both an art and science that focuses on analyzing trends, forecasting their results and advising corporation managers before implementing predetermined programs of action that will safeguard both interests of the public and the corporation (Newsom & Haynes 4). Therefore, this implies the term despite having varied definitions, their implications are the same except the wording from one person’s perspective to another. However, there are some definitions that attach extra essence to public’s interests and the relationships in an organization that would lead to a good reputation evident in definitions 2 and 3. This is contrary to the definition 1 whose emphasis encompasses communication and understanding in an organization besides ensuring healthy relationship with the public. I think one of the reasons that have contributed to the emergency of numerous definitions of â€Å"Public relations† is due to the perception, which the mass media has created in the people’s minds Joosuk & Candace 319). This is especially in the mode of reporting whereby for the past decades, media has utilized the term in relation to negative connotations especially when expounding varied interactions between the society and the corporation