The Role of Human Resource in an Effective Learning Organization

An effective learning organization refers to a firm that is keen on knowledge acquisition which in turn improves performance. The learning organization is skilled with the different techniques in the creation, procurement, and transference of information and knowledge and it leads to behavioral and structural modifications in the firm.  Learning is essential for organization growth, and it entails processes such as systematic problem-solving skills, active experimentation approaches, learning from the past and present experiences in the organization. It also involves the transferring of information which allows the firm to learn from other company’s skills and practices and thus to expand their knowledge base. The organization is required to create systems and processes that support and integrate learning as part of daily operations (Garvin, 1993). The focus of this paper is to analyze the various aspects that define an effective learning organization. It also involves the analysis of human resource theory and its role in ensuring organizational learning.

Organizational Theory

The human resource department in an organization is tasked maintaining a productive workforce through competitive hiring, strategic training and ensuring organization citizenship and participation which improves the performance and the learning in an organization. The human resource is responsible for the provision of human capital in the organization which are central to the learning process.  In essence, the department is in charge of providing a conducive environment for learning since it educates employees on the strategic goals and plans as well as analyzing the work systems to foster a learning environment. A competent workforce can dissect customer needs based on positive and negative feedback and thus lead to the creation of new products (Lopez, Peon, & Ordas, 2006). Therefore, the human resource systems and functions are necessary for the creation of a productive learning environment which is essential for the firm’s sustainability.

The human resource department is in charge of workplace boundaries which are considered hindrances to the flow of information. The human resource department is in charge of implementing a shared vision, thinking, participatory leadership and the development of workforce competencies to ensure effective learning and improved performance in the organization. Participatory leadership opens up boundaries within and outside the organization, and this enhances the exchange of ideas and the effective flow of information (Lopez, Peon, & Ordas, 2006). Leadership coupled with workforce competencies links the organization to the customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. The participation of these stakeholders offers new ideas and competing perspectives which help in organizational management. Workforce competencies rely on competitive recruitment of skilled individuals and the proper trainingin order to assimilate to the organizational needs.

An effective learning organization is optimal in performance, and competitive advantage and this relies on the human resource ability to maintain workforce efficiency and competition. The maintenance of a productive workforce builds on motivation and commitment to organizational values and goals. The workforce ensures individual and corporate learning which is an interactive process for the employees, and it entails active sharing of information and other interactions which improve the organizational learning processes as well as its performance (Herisi & Khodabakhsh, 2006). The human resource department links the employees to the organizational goals, and the use of a reward-recognition method is a form of motivation which is effective learning in the organization.

Potential Limitations

The application of human resource management theory to diverse, multi-cultural or international organizations introduces the issue of unpredictability and challenging environment for a learning organization. A multicultural and international organization is faced with different social, cultural, political changes which can bring about disruptive effects to the organizational learning processes. Diversity comes with a level of uncertainty which is a threat to organizational development. The international space is saturated with organizations and competent workforce and finding the perfect fit the organization can be challenging for the human resource. Also, the multicultural and international space is filled with information, and in most cases, it doesn’t conform to the organizational standards and the use of this information and knowledge may adversely affect the growth and performance of the organization (Lopez, Peon, & Ordas, 2006). Thus, an effective learning organization should be able to accept continuous change and conform to the dynamic international and multicultural space which improves its competitiveness in the global market.

Conclusion

An effective learning organization and the human resource are interdependent and interactive disciplines in the organization. The human resource plays a crucial role in the provision of a competent workforce which enhances the effectiveness of a learning organization through obtaining and creation of new knowledge and information through their experiences. Also, the new culture is published and applied to the organization to improve and renovate the organizational procedures and processes. The human resource is a useful department in the transfer of information, and this transforms the traditional organization to a contemporary learning organization. This means that an effective learning organization can compete and survive in the modern hyper-industrial and information era which highly reliant on technology.

Annotated Bibliography

Garvin, D. (1993). Building a Learning Organization:

It introduces the building blocks of an effective learning organization in the contemporary competitive markets. The inclusion of processes such as problem-solving, experimentations offers a holistic view to a learning organization. The article explains the need for information and knowledge sharing and transfers in the bulging of an effective learning organization.

Herisi, M. M., & Khodabakhsh, M. (2006). Learning Organizations and Human Resource Development. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/57e4/7bdd6bed3324fe576922a7bb1c2427dead86.pdf:

The article creates a link between the human resource department and learning organizations which is an essential sentiment in enhancing growth and performance. It explains the interdependence and interactions of the two aspects of the organization. 

Lopez, S., Peon, J., & Ordas, C. (2006). Human resource management as a determining factor in organizational learning. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 37(2), 215-239. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507606063443

The article offers a global overview to the organizations and how diversity, multiculturalism and the international space affect learning organizations. The multicultural and international arena is hoarded with massive uncertainties and challenges which affect the organization in the adjustment to a new social, cultural and political space.

References

Garvin, D. (1993). Building a Learning Organization.

Herisi, M. M., & Khodabakhsh, M. (2006). Learning Organizations and Human Resource Development. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/57e4/7bdd6bed3324fe576922a7bb1c2427dead86.pdf

Lopez, S., Peon, J., & Ordas, C. (2006). Human resource management as a determining factor in organizational learning. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 37(2), 215-239. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507606063443