BMP6004 – LEANINING AND DEVELOPMENT
1. Introduction
The learning and development of the employees have become central focus for
the contemporary businesses. This is because the learning helps the employees to
gain knowledge and skills that they can use further to enhance the organisational
outcomes. The contemporary managers understand the importance of the individuals
for the achievement of the organisational success and for that, they should focus on
offering the workers opportunities to grow and to develop their career, keeping them
engaged and motivated.
Learning and development is a strategy that the companies use to align the
employee’s goals and performance with the organisational goals and performance, by
providing them with the skills, knowledge and competencies they need to successfully
carry their job roles. The learning and development is adding value not only to the
individual’s growth, but also to the organisation as a whole. Knowledgeable workers
are more engaged, more motivated, more productive and more determined to stay
within the business. To be effective, the learning needs to be tailored to the needs of
the employees and to benefit both, the individual and the organisational growth.
The focus of this paper is on reflecting the contribution that the organisational
learning has on the improvement of the organisational performance. In the first part of
the essay, the concept of learning and development will be defined and its importance
will be evaluated, approaching the notion from a strategic perspective, whilst the
second part will explore different theories and models related to the organisational
learning and learning organisations and on how this process helps to achieve the
organisational objectives.
2. Learning and Development
2.1. An overview of the learning and development in the United Kingdom
The organisations operating in the United Kingdom have adopted an employee-
centric attitude, focusing on their capabilities, skills and knowledge and attempting to
, address any gaps they may have and that may affect their performance in the
workplace. The technological progress has imposed a need to continuously update
the individuals’ knowledge to maximise the organisational performance results. More
than that, the Covid-19 pandemic has determined the companies to adopt flexible
learning methods, encouraging the spreading of online or blended learning (Laitinen
and Ihalanien, 2022).
It was found that trends such as digitisation have widened the existing skills gap in
the United Kingdom organisations, with the human resources specialists being more
focused on strategic workforce planning to determine these gaps, on improving the
training options for the employees and on developing a culture of lifelong learning
(McKinsey and Company, 2020). The upskilling or reskilling process is meant to attract
and retain more talented employees, to reduce the costs and to improve the
organisational performance and innovation (Alerasoul, et. al., 2021).
2.2. Definition of the learning and development knowledge
Page-Tickell (2018) defined the learning and development as “an internal
function whose purpose is to build the capability of the organisation”, a part of the
human resources function aimed at changing, adapting and growing to meet and
overcome the challenges and the changes. According to this definition, one of the
primary purposes of the learning and development is to contribute to the individual’s
growth, to its preparation for unexpected and easy adaptation to the external or
internal changes that may happen.
Garavan, et. al., (2020) stated that the learning and development involves both,
the individual and organisational level processes, appreciating that the concept is
broad and incorporates formal training activities conducted in a classroom setting, on-
the-job or online, development and education activities that prepare the employees for
future career goals and roles, as well as social, collective and organisational level
learning. This definition sees the learning and development as a set of organisational
practices having the similar purpose highlighted above, to contribute to the individual’s
and organisational growth.
1. Introduction
The learning and development of the employees have become central focus for
the contemporary businesses. This is because the learning helps the employees to
gain knowledge and skills that they can use further to enhance the organisational
outcomes. The contemporary managers understand the importance of the individuals
for the achievement of the organisational success and for that, they should focus on
offering the workers opportunities to grow and to develop their career, keeping them
engaged and motivated.
Learning and development is a strategy that the companies use to align the
employee’s goals and performance with the organisational goals and performance, by
providing them with the skills, knowledge and competencies they need to successfully
carry their job roles. The learning and development is adding value not only to the
individual’s growth, but also to the organisation as a whole. Knowledgeable workers
are more engaged, more motivated, more productive and more determined to stay
within the business. To be effective, the learning needs to be tailored to the needs of
the employees and to benefit both, the individual and the organisational growth.
The focus of this paper is on reflecting the contribution that the organisational
learning has on the improvement of the organisational performance. In the first part of
the essay, the concept of learning and development will be defined and its importance
will be evaluated, approaching the notion from a strategic perspective, whilst the
second part will explore different theories and models related to the organisational
learning and learning organisations and on how this process helps to achieve the
organisational objectives.
2. Learning and Development
2.1. An overview of the learning and development in the United Kingdom
The organisations operating in the United Kingdom have adopted an employee-
centric attitude, focusing on their capabilities, skills and knowledge and attempting to
, address any gaps they may have and that may affect their performance in the
workplace. The technological progress has imposed a need to continuously update
the individuals’ knowledge to maximise the organisational performance results. More
than that, the Covid-19 pandemic has determined the companies to adopt flexible
learning methods, encouraging the spreading of online or blended learning (Laitinen
and Ihalanien, 2022).
It was found that trends such as digitisation have widened the existing skills gap in
the United Kingdom organisations, with the human resources specialists being more
focused on strategic workforce planning to determine these gaps, on improving the
training options for the employees and on developing a culture of lifelong learning
(McKinsey and Company, 2020). The upskilling or reskilling process is meant to attract
and retain more talented employees, to reduce the costs and to improve the
organisational performance and innovation (Alerasoul, et. al., 2021).
2.2. Definition of the learning and development knowledge
Page-Tickell (2018) defined the learning and development as “an internal
function whose purpose is to build the capability of the organisation”, a part of the
human resources function aimed at changing, adapting and growing to meet and
overcome the challenges and the changes. According to this definition, one of the
primary purposes of the learning and development is to contribute to the individual’s
growth, to its preparation for unexpected and easy adaptation to the external or
internal changes that may happen.
Garavan, et. al., (2020) stated that the learning and development involves both,
the individual and organisational level processes, appreciating that the concept is
broad and incorporates formal training activities conducted in a classroom setting, on-
the-job or online, development and education activities that prepare the employees for
future career goals and roles, as well as social, collective and organisational level
learning. This definition sees the learning and development as a set of organisational
practices having the similar purpose highlighted above, to contribute to the individual’s
and organisational growth.
