Human resource development's role in organizational competitive advantage

HRD Reflection

Human Resources and Human Resource Development -- a Reflective Analysis

The introduction to human resources development (HRD) and learning significantly expanded my understanding of the role of HR in creating a competitive advantage in a company. Honestly, my view of HR was that this was the department that was responsible for hiring and screening complaints from employees as well as other random tasks. However, learning about the role of HRD and how the HR staff can really help to set the culture and capabilities of the organization. My view of HR has transformed from some department that is necessary, but kind of acts on the sidelines of operations; to one that plays an integral role in the organization. In modern organizations that operate primarily in the realm of knowledge management to differentiate them in the marketplace, HR and HRD can either make or break an organization. Basically, in summary, through my studies in this area, I have gained a new appreciation for the role of HR and HRD in regards to creating a modern organization.

Chapter One Reflection

Although there is a significant amount of overlap in the HRM and HRD fields of expertise, human resource development (HRD) can be thought of as its own separate discipline of study. HRD is all about improving performance through training and development. Learning is at the core of all of HRDs activities and goals. Even though an organization can hire the best talent available to them, this is more of a beginning than an end. Education never stops. Technology, business processes, and the markets are all moving at the speed of light when compared to previous generations. For example, even though a new recruit may be the best in the industry at developing some process or IT function, in five years that process of software package may be obsolete.

Some modern organization have dedicated full-time HRD department with teams specifically devoted to learning. Other organizations must incorporate HRD through the broader HR team; however HRD seems to be a fact of life in any modern organization in some variety or the other. Even though I realized continuous education was an important part of employment, I had no idea the extent to which the field has developed. Nor did I have any idea how important it was for organizations to embrace formal learning to create a competitive advantage. Training and learning doesn't seem like it's a luxury expense in the intensely competitive environment; rather it seems as if it has become more of a necessity in today's marketplace. It is hard to differentiate a product or service in this environment and since so much of the business world is based on knowledge management then this becomes one of the only ways to create value against your competitors.

Chapter 3 Reflection

Learning about HRD practices and the different varieties and delivery methods was very interesting. I have been involved in a variety of training activities through my employment. However, most of my training has been more informal and didn't go through all the steps such as assessing the trainee's needs, instructional design, and implementation. Even though through different methods I managed to learn a great deal, my experience helps me to appreciate how a better designed program could be even more effective. It was also interesting to note the different training kinds of training programs and how they are designed in order to meet their objective. Most of the training programs that I have been involved in have not benefited from such a methodological approach.

Out of all the different theories of learning, I liked the Gestalt view of learning the best. However, it doesn't seem to cover all the different things I have learned in my life. For example, not all the things I have learned have come with the "ah, ha" moment. Yet some of the most important lessons that I have learned did seem to have such a moment associated with them. One example from my personal life was when I was learning how to use a new software platform. To use this software effectively there were a great deal of different steps that needed to be learned.

Even though I learned all of the different steps one by one, I did not feel comfortable with the software. It was difficult to use and I was having trouble recalling where to find different features and how to navigate through the menus. However, after using the software for a while there was an instant where everything kind of clicked and it all seemed to make sense. It wasn't that one piece of the software now made sense; like running an individual task. Rather it was like the whole software package made sense all at once with a click. Not only did I understand how to use the different features, but I also knew where to look to find the things that I didn't know. Therefore, in what seemed like an instant, I had a feeling that I was now comfortable with what I was doing. However, this also serves as a good example of the fact that different people have different learning styles. While I may have somewhat of an "ah, ha" moment, other learns undoubtedly learn in more gradual increments.

Conclusion

Over all this course was definitely enlightening and I feel like I learned a lot of different things that will benefit me later on. If nothing else, just being able to identify the different components of learning is an invaluable resource. For example, the learner may have different characteristics that suit different delivery methods or the content of the things to be learned might be suited to a certain method of learning. Knowing this takes a lot of the frustration out of trying to train someone. I realized that if one approach doesn't work then there might be another one that would be better suited.

It was also really enlightening to learn how HRD can help an organization's competitiveness. If HR and HRD is properly considered during planning, this can benefit an organization significantly; especially when comes to strategic planning. It seems as if some of the best managed companies integrate HRD at all levels of the organization. Also HRD helps set the tone of the organization culture, especially when new recruits are learning about their new environment. I believe that this course really has given me a good understanding of some of the fundamentals of HRD. Even though I am fully aware that I have only scratched the surface in this field of study, I gained a much greater appreciation for the HRD in an organization.