THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANISATION

Learning and development

Learning and development is simply defined as ‘the formal, ongoing efforts that are made within an organization to improve the performance of its employees’. Learning and development can also be described as ‘an educational process which involves the sharpening of skills, concepts, changing of attitude and gaining more knowledge to enhance the performance of employees.

Learning and development process 

Knowledge, skill, and attitude are the main key aspects of the performance of an employee. Job-related knowledge involves facts, principles, theories, concepts, process, policies, procedures, rules, etc. with regard to the duties and responsibilities of a certain job. Opatha (2016). According to the Collins Birmingham University’s Dictionary (1987) knowledge means “information and understanding on a subject which a person has in his or her mind or which is shared by all human beings”. Skill refers to the ability to do something because of training according to the Dictionary of Personnel Management. (1988). Skills are for doing and applying. Opatha (2016).According to Glueck (1979) an attitude is a personal characteristic and usually long-lasting manner of thinking, feeling, and behaving towards an object, idea of a person or group. This attitude make cognitive, affective and behavioral changers of a person or the employee.

According to Opatha (2016), learning process of acquiring knowledge, skill and attitude learners can be forwarded under evaluation in three steps such as previous state, post state and learning has taken place when the learner. Hodgetts (1985) did a study of an individuals’ learning manner and introduce the three types of learning curves such as negatively accelerated learning curve, positively accelerated learning curve and Skills acquisition learning curve. Further, Werther and Davis (1989) mention that learning principles are the guild lines to be followed to develop a more successful learning or teaching process of knowledge, skills and attitude. Further, Werther and Davis (1989) listed out the those principles such as participation, repetition, relevance, transference, feedback, practice, motivation, reinforcement, intensity and follow up.

By learning or give training to the  employees, all about targeting to increase and develop the knowledge, skills and make attitude changers towards the objectives of the particular employees job. Opatha (2016). Further, Opatha (2016) stated that employee performance measured based on the ability and motivation normally it is changing time to time. Therefore, employee performance is highly related to the development of himself and organization.

When Opatha (2016) indicates that different between training and development in the practical application of the management, non-managers are trained and managers are developed. Thus, training focus on teaching mainly physical skills rather than mental skills. Development focus on teaching about decision making, leadership, communication, motivation, planning, organizing, controlling and human relation, etc. In both situations it is lead to happening of learning of technical, human, conceptual skills, etc and then increasing abilities of employees so that they can serve the company in better, effective and efficient productivities in all aspects.. This will develop the organization in well manner.

References.

• -       Glueck, W.F. (1979), Foundation of personal, Texas: Business Publications Inc
• -       Hodgetts,R.M. (1985), Management, Orlando: Academic Press, Inc
• -      Opatha, H.H.D.N.P. (2016), Human resource management, Colombo: Sharp Graphic  House (Pvt) Limited. (Printed in Sri Lanka).
• -      Werther, B.W., Davis, K., (1989), Human Resources and Personal Management, 3^rd ed., New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.