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Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 50, Number 2, July 2010

Challenges in aligning workplace learning with business goals:

A perspective from HRD professionals in New Zealand

Tom ShortUniversity of South Australia

Roger HarrisUniversity of South Australia

Modern organisations have become more complex, less mechanistic and increasingly sensitive to rapid changes in the external environment than in previous eras. Today, executives lead employees through a maze of complexity and changing contexts. However, another group of dedicated professionals, the human resource managers and practitioners, also play a big part in shaping business success. For human resource managers, learning how to cope with a diverse range of people-centred challenges has generated a succession of workplace development initiatives aimed at aligning education and training with business strategy (Anderson 2009). In the knowledge economy, the value of workplace

Challenges in aligning workplace learning with business goals 359

education and training has become a mantra for business survival. Simultaneously, in response to a requirement for change, the human resource management (HRM) profession has engaged in frequent and often inward-looking processes to re-define its own contribution, not only to the effectiveness of an enterprise but also to the individual employee and wider community. Within this evolution, in some organisations, the traditional sub-areas of HRM, such as human resource development (HRD), have gradually become detached from mainstream HRM and assumed a role quite different in both purpose and approach to from the more hegemonic notion of resources management. This paper draws insights from a group of senior HRD professionals in New Zealand to review the significance of workplace learning in a strategic context and identify the challenges the profession faces in meeting the demands of complex workplaces. The paper focuses on how HRD professionals go about aligning learning activities with business objectives—often with mixed results.

Introduction and background

Inrecentyears,humanresourcemanagement(HRM)practiceshavegrownsystematicallytobecomefirmlyembeddedwithinabusinessmindset(Boxall&Purcell2003,Elsey1997),yetbycontrast,humanresourcedevelopment(HRD)activitieshaveevolvedtoperchawkwardlybetweenthemore-establisheddisciplinesofbusiness,educationandsocialpolicy(Short2009).Intheacademicworld,HRDspecialistsare‘strugglingfortheirownspaceandfreedom,distinguishingthemselvesfromHRMorvocationaleducation’(Sambrook2004:617).HRDprofessionalshave‘longsearchedforcredibility’(Iles,Preece&Chuai2010:125)andmuchhasbeenwrittenaboutthechallengesHRDfaces,primarilykeepingthefieldrelevant,adoptingmorestrategicapproaches,embracingtechnologicalchangesandmeasuringitscontribution

360 Tom Short and Roger Harris

toorganisationalperformance(McGuire&Cseh2006).ItsgradualevolutionhasbothgeneratedopportunitiesandcreatedlimitationsforHRDresearch.Inbecomingwedgedbetweenmainstreamacademicdisciplines,HRDcanbeperceivedasfertilegroundandanattractiveplaceforappliedstudy;ontheotherhand,thispositioningcanalsobeinterpretedasbeinginthedisciplinarywilderness,resultinginalackofinterestfrompuristsonallsidesandadilutingoftheimportanceofHRDasastrategicareaofinterest.

Partofthisresponsecomesfromtherecurrenttensionsofideologybetweenthedisciplines.TheunfortunateresultisthatHRDofferingsbecomeoverlookedbytopexecutivesorsubsumedasalessimportantactivityofHRM,andthissituationbecomesmostevidentwhenanorganisationre-alignsitsstrategyinordertocopewithever-changingmarketcompetitionanddemand.SomeorganisationshaveamplifiedthisestrangementbyplacingHRMinacentralised,corporateservicewhiledevolvingHRDtolinemanagement.Therearetwokeyimplicationshere.First,itrelegatestheidentityofHRDtowardstheoperationallevelofabusiness;andsecond,itassumesthatlinemanagersareequippedwiththeknowledge,skills,motivationandtimetoorganiseworkplacetraining.Moreover,Sambrook(2004)foundthat,whenlinemanagerswerekeentoacceptautonomyonHRDdecisions,atensiondevelopedaboutthepurposeofHRD—thatistosay,whowouldbenefitmost,theindividualortheorganisation?Asaconsequence,manyHRDpractitionershavebecomeresignedtotheirrelegatedstatuswithincorporateaffairs,butthislackofrecognitionhasimpactedadverselyontheirprofessionalidentityasworkplaceeducatorsandmayevenhaveinhibitedtheircareerdevelopment.

Historically,workplacedevelopmentprojectshavebeenamongthefirstcasualtiesofrationalisation,especiallysofterskillprograms,whereevaluationsofbenefitsarehardertosourcethanstraightforward,practical,skill-basedtraining.Yet,evenbeforethe


widespreaduptakeofHRDinthemid-1980s,workplacelearningandtrainingwasseenasasub-activityofpersonneldepartments(Buckley&Caple1990).Asaresult,anorganisation’scommitmenttotraininganddevelopmentwasverymuchdependentonthepersonnelmanager’senthusiasm.Inspiteofever-increasingtrainingbudgets,present-dayresearchshowsanongoingandtenuousexistenceforworkplacedevelopment,inthatonlyasmallpercentageoftheUK’sFTSEtop100organisationshaveahumanresourcesrepresentativeatboardroomlevel(Manocha2006).Suchever-presentdilemmascreatemanychallengesforHRDprofessionalswhobelievetheircontributiontoworkplaceperformanceisspecial,notonlyintermsofenrichmentofpeoplebutalsotothelonger-termdevelopmentoftheorganisationandwidercommunity.

Therearetwofactorstoconsiderhere. First,despitetherepeatedassertionsofHRMadvocatesthattrainingshouldbefullyintegratedintobusinessstrategy(Guest1987,Purcell1989,Story1989,Hendry1995,Tyson1997,Mueller1996,Elsey1997,Boxall&Purcell2003,Field2004),thecontributionofHRMasagenuinestrategicactivitycontinuestodominatestudies,thoughsometextsindicatethatHRDisawell-establishedconceptwithinthewiderfieldofHRM(Sambrook2009,Wang,Hutchins&Garavan2009).Second,despiteglobalincreasesintrainingbudgets,thereremainsongoingdoubtatboardroomlevelaboutthepositiveconnectionbetweenworkplacelearningactivities(oftenincludedinthenotionofHRD)andlonger-termbusinesssuccess.Somecommentatorsbelievethattopexecutivesfailtoacknowledge,orvalue,HRDasastrategicimperativeandthissituationpresentsaninterestingparadox,becausetrainingbudgetsareeverincreasing.TheestimatedforecastfortheUKin2008was£24billionandlaterrevisedto£36billion(CIPD2008).

CommitmentfromthetopisanessentialfactorinthesuccessofHRD(Pareek&Rao2008).AccordingtoSambrook(2004:619),‘how


seniormanagersthinkaboutHRDcaninfluencehowitispractised’andpartofthereasonwhyexecutivesreducetrainingbudgetssoeasilyispoorevaluationpractices.HRDprofessionalsrecognisetheimportanceofgainingfeedbackfromlearningevents,butresearchfindingscallintoquestionthethoroughnessofevaluationprocesses,claimingtheyrarelyhappentothesatisfactionofseniormanagers.Thisproblemfuelspre-existingscepticismamongseniormanagerswhoneedevidenceofthepayback(Horwitz1999,Sloman2004).Consequently,traininganddevelopmentprojectsthatareunabletodemonstrateclearalignmentwiththefirm’sobjectivesarepostponedorcancelledaltogether(Tarrant2009).TheuneasyrelationshipbetweenHRDandstrategy,therefore,meansthattraditionalapproachestoevaluationmayhavefailedtoconvincemanagers—creatinganeedtodiscoverbetterwaysofexpressingthebenefitsoftraining,ifthestrategicvalueofHRDistostrengthen.Moreover,inrecentyears,theterm‘alignment’hasgrowninuse—especiallyinthepro-HRMliterature—asadescriptivetermtosymbolisearangeofmanagement-drivenprocessesbasedonplanninganddirectingtrainingprojectstowardsstrategicgoals(Anderson2009).Thereisnoshortageofadviceonhowtoachievealignment,butsometimestheofferingsseemoverplayedandsimplistic,andtooverlooktheincreasingcomplexityoforganisationallife(Short2008b).HRDprofessionalsknowthatachievingalignmentisnotstraightforward.Forexample,inaculturallyrichsetting,alignment-basedscorecardsthatsetanobjectivisttonemayfailtorecognisethequalitativecircumstancesinwhichorganisationsdeploytheirlearningstrategies.Arguably,thenotionofalignment(inthecontextofHRD)takesamanagerialperspective(Field2004,Short2008a)andoverlooksthatorganisationsfrequentlygaincompetitiveadvantagebypursuingseveralstrategiesatthesametime(Thompson1995),thusmakingalignmentdifficulttoquantifyanddefineasauniversalentity.Consequently,confusionprevailsandalignmentdegeneratesintoamanagementdream,orperception,ratherthananachievablereality.


TheupshotisthatorganisationsusingalignmentasareasonformakingstrategicdecisionsonHRDfinditchallengingtoarticulateaccuratelywhatalignmentmeansandhowitimpactsonbusinesssuccess.

Withallthisferment,thetraditionalsub-areasofHRM,suchasHRD,havegraduallybecomedetachedinsomeorganisationsfrommainstreamHRMandassumedarolequitedifferentinbothpurposeandapproachfrom themorehegemonicnotionofresourcesmanagement.Sambrook(2010:121)suggeststhereare‘varioustitlesassociatedwithHRD’andsuchsignificantissuesareinneedofilluminationthroughresearchonactualpractice.Thispaper,therefore,drawsinsightsfromagroupofseniorHRDpractitionersinNewZealandtoreviewthesignificanceofworkplacelearninganddevelopmentandtoidentifythechallengestheHRDprofessionfacesinmeetingthedemandsofcomplexworkplaces.ThepaperexaminestheperceptionsoftheHRDpractitionersoftheirroleandprofessionalcontribution,howtheyestablishanidentityandhowtheyinfluencewhatmanagersandemployeesconsiderasimportantfororganisationstosucceed.Indoingso,itrevealsanumberofoccupationaltensionsforHRDpractitioners.

Research method

Aninterpretiveapproachhasbeenusedinthisresearch,sincethestudywasprimarilyconcernedwithperceptionsandexperiences.Aninterpretiveapproachisbasedontheviewthatpeoplesociallyandsymbolicallyconstructtheirownorganisationalrealities(Berger&Luckman1967).Itconstruesknowledgeasbeinggainedthroughsocialconstructionssuchaslanguage,sharedmeaningsanddocuments.Thustheindividualiscastas‘acentralactorinadramaofpersonalmeaningmaking’(Fenwick2001:9).Inthisway,individualsareunderstoodtoconstructtheirownknowledgethroughinteractionwithenvironments(constructivism).


ThedataonwhichthispaperisbasedwerederivedfromaspeciallyconvenedfocusgroupoffivehumanresourcepractitionersinNewZealandduring2007.Thegroupwasdrawnfromaselectionoforganisationstoprovidecommentaryonarangeof HRDissuesandpractices.Noneoftheparticipantskneweachotherbeforethemeeting,butoneoftheresearchersknewtheindividualsthroughpreviousconnections.Thegroup,comprisingtwoearly-careermaleHRDmanagersandthreeseniorfemalepractitioners,hadallexperiencedHRDinaninternationalsetting.Theyweredrawnfromfiveindustrysectors,includingmanufacturing(MF),automotiveretail(AR),localgovernment(LG),commercialbanking(CB)andtertiaryeducation(TE).Theseindustrysectorswerepurposivelyselectedwiththeintentofobtainingasdiverseaspreadofviewsaspossible.

Thefocusgroupwasledbyanindependentandprofessionalfacilitator.Usingafacilitatorwithsubject-matterknowledgeaddedmuchcredibilitytothediscussion,enabledparticipantstorelatequicklytotherangeofissuesandalloweddiscussionto‘freewheel’withintherangeofquestions(seeappendix).Thediscussionwasaudio-tapedtoassistwithlateranalysisandeachmemberverifiedthewrittentranscription.Usingdesktopanalysis,thetextdatawereclusteredforthepurposeofwriting-upthefindings.Thefindingsthatfollowarestructuredaroundtenthemes.Thesethemesemergedfromtheinterviewtranscripts,interpretedfromnotestakenduringthefocusgroupandinformedbyanextensivereviewoftheliterature.Thisstrategywaschosentobestcapturetheessenceofhowgroupmembersnotonlycontributedtotheirorganisation’ssuccessbutalsoreconciledtheirownprofessionalagendaofeducatingemployeeswithinthewidercontextoflifelonglearning.(Thecodesusedafterquotationsindicatethequestionnumberandtheindustrysector).


Findings and discussion

Strategic HRD considerations in a global workplace

ThehighturnoverofemployeesinNewZealand’smobilelabourmarket,particularlyinlargecitiessuchasAuckland,raisedconcernaboutthechallengesoffinding,retaininganddevelopingcapablepeople.Thegroupdiscussedhoworganisationsmightfallbackonahistoricreluctancetoinvestintrainingiftheythoughtstaffmembersweregoingtobepoachedatalaterstage.Therewassomebeliefthisattitudeprevaileddespiteresearchtothecontraryshowingthattraininganddevelopmentactuallyhelpedinretainingemployees(SmithandHayton1999).Oneparticipantsaid:

Ithinkthereisquitealotofreluctanceouttheretodeveloppeoplesometimeswhenyouthinkthey’regoingtobepoachedifIdevelopthemtoomuch.Youknowtheoldsortofmodelwherewe’vejustinvestedalotinJim,andnowJim’sgoingsolet’snotinvestanymoreandnotmakethatmistakeagain.Thatkindofattitudestillprevailsinalotofareasandyouhavetotryandconvincethemthatinactualfacttheresearchisincreasinglyshowingthatdevelopmentisvaluedbyemployeesandthey’remorelikelytostayiftheyaredevelopedandstimulatedinthatwayandtryingtoconvincepeopleofthat.(Q3,LG)

Theneedforeconomicsurvival,growthandincreasedlevelsofcompetitivenessweresignificantconcerns,especiallythedeclineofwholeindustryinfrastructures,asincreasingnumbersofNewZealandorganisationsmovedoffshore.Inanatmosphereofsurvival,peoplerarelyconsideredthatifonecompanyfailedithadaknock-oneffectonmanyotherpartsofthesupplychain.ThegroupbelievedNewZealand,asanationofsmallbusinesses,wasparticularlyvulnerable,andthechallengewasforlargerorganisationstoseebeyondthemselves,considerhowtheycouldsupportthesmallfirms,andcreateaformofstrategicinterdependence.Guaranteesofpartnershipwouldthengivesmallfirmstheconfidencetoinvestincapitalanddeveloppeople.Buildingonthisidea,oneparticipantfromthe


bankingsectorrecognisedtheneedtobecreativeanddifferentfromthecompetition.Inhisview,‘Itwouldbesoeasytogetsuckedintotherestofthepackandnobodywouldbeabletotellthedifference’(Q3,CB).Hebelievedcustomersvaluedapointofdifference—soimportantwhenattractingnewtalent.NewZealandhasarelativelysmallpooloftalent,limitingtheavailabilityofhighcalibrepeople.Inthetradeunionsector,importantchallengesincludedencouragingpeopletoseelearningaspartofthebiggerpictureandbecomingmulti-skilled.NewZealandersarealsonotoriouslylowrisk-takersandworkingpeoplerarelytakeonalearningchallengeforfearoffailureorbeingperceivedasafailure.Theemergenceoftheknowledgeeconomyhadbeenahugewake-upcallformanyworkingNewZealandersaseconomicsuccessincreasinglydependedlessonagricultureandmoreonadvancedtechnology.Themanagerconcluded:‘Inmostcases,theproblemwasnotthetechnologyitselfbutthemannerinwhichpeoplecommunicatedthedifficultiesorhelpedothersovercometheirdifficulties.’(Q3,CB).

Influences on workplace development decisions

Asorganisationsstruggletosurviveintheglobaleconomy,prioritiesareever-changingandHRDpractitionersplayanimportantroleinshapingthemanagementdecisionsontraininganddevelopment.Participantsreportedawiderangeoforganisationalissues,largelycentredonselectingthecorrectpeoplestrategy,overcomingresourceconstraintsanddrivingtheneedforperformanceimprovement.Mostly,decisionsrelatedtotrainingwerebasedonaprimaryassessmentoftheexternalenvironmentandmarket.Thisappraisalwasundertakentodeterminecustomerexpectationsonperformance,andthenexaminehowemployeescouldbestmeetthoseexpectations.Oneparticipatingmanagerfromthebankingsectorexplained:‘Welookatthebig-ticketissuesthatarepresentlyonthehorizonandintothefuture.Thenwelookinsidetheorganisationtoseewhatourcapabilitiesareinrelationtothosethings.Itisaclassicgap


closingactivity,startingwiththebigpictureandthenworkingdown’.Thompson(1995:229)referstothis‘relational’processasdealingwiththestrategic‘architecture’.Themanagercontinuedhisaccountoftheprocessasfollows:

Costissecondarytobusinessneedovertheshortertermandwhatstafftrainingwasneededtomoveforward.Inthelongerterm,itwasaboutconsideringwhatformulasworkedinthemarketplace-investigatingwhatactivitiesweregoingwellandwhatappearedlikegoodinitiativestodeployoverthemediumtolongterm.Culturalfitwasalsoanimportantpartofthisassessment,asexperiencehadshownthattraininginitiativesfailedwhentheydidnotfitwiththeorganisationalculture.(Q2,CB)

Thetertiarysectorparticipantemphasisedfinancialfactorsinrecountingthat‘inmyorganisation,allwehearaboutisbudgetsbutatthesametimeyouaresupposedtokeepyourselfuptospeedwithprofessionaldevelopmentandgetonwiththenextthing...itisreallyanissueofrhetoricversusreality’(Q2,TE).Interestingly,participants’commentsreflectedbothstrategicandoperationallevelsofdecision-makingontraining.Typically,seniorexecutivessetthreetofiveprioritiesperyearasstrategicitemstosupporttheoverallbusinessplan,butatthenextlevel,trainingwasdeterminedmorebytheengagementofoperationalline-managersandavailabilityofbudgets.

Therewaswidespreadagreementthatdecisionsontraininganddevelopmentoftenresultedfromamanagerialdesireforperformanceimprovement,atrendsupportedbyresearch(Tarrant2009).However,onefeaturethatemergedfrequentlywasthelevelofunderstandingrequiredtobringaboutperformanceimprovement.Experiencehadshownthatsomeleadersdoggedlystucktoatriedandtestedstyleofcurriculummanagementapproachandwerenotactuallyfocussedonmakingdecisionsaroundwhatmadeadifferencetoperformance,yetthiswasrequiredatastrategiclevel.


SuchexperiencesupportsthefindingofRiggandTrehan(2008)whoreportedhowdifficultitistoemploycriticalreflectionwithintheworkplacebecauseofthecomplexpowerrelationsbetweenmultiplestakeholdersinacommercialcontext.Learningwasacknowledgedasakeypartofanorganisation’sdevelopmentstrategyandwasnotsomethingthatfeaturedonitsown,orhappenedtopeople.Participantsreportedthatsometimesevenhumanresourceprofessionalsdidnothavethedepthofunderstandingrequired—especiallyamongthoseappointedintohumanresourcesrolesfromotherprofessionalareas.Oneparticipantclaimed:‘AsaHRDmanager,youoftenhavetoworkforpeoplewhodon’thaveyourdepthofknowledgeandthatcanbedangerous’(Q2,LG).

Ways in which HRD practitioners add value in their organisations

ParticipantsplacedgreatimportanceonthesupportingroleofHRDinhelpingpeopletomaintainfocusandensuringalignmentwithbusinessgoals.Furthermore,itwasthoughttheabsenceofaHRDpractitionermightleadtomanagersbecomingdistractedby‘fire-fighting’activitiesand/ordealingwiththecomplexitiesofroutinework.Afterall,HRDpractitionersweretherespecificallytohelpmanagersmaketherightdecisionsintermsofdevelopmentandtoidentifyopportunitiestoleverimprovementsinperformance:

Ifyou’reaHRDpractitioner,thendevelopmentispartofyourgameandIthinkyou’rekeepingyoureyeontheballandfocusingonit—you’resupportingmanagementinthatrole.Ifyouhaven’tgotHRDpractitioners,whathappensisthateveryoneknowsit’sreallyimportantbuttheyaresobusyfightingfirestheynevergetroundtoit.SoIthinkthemainroleistokeepthingsfocusedonwhat’simportantandtomakesureHRDpractitionershelpmanagersmaketherightdecisionsintermsofdevelopmentalopportunities.(Q5,LG)

Thegroupmembersalsoacknowledgedthevitalroleofthehumanresourceprofessionalasaninternaladvisor/consultanttolinemanagement.However,theyacknowledgedthelogisticaldifficulty


ofaloneHRDpractitionerorganisingeveryaspectoflearninganddevelopmentinalargeorganisation.Theybelievedthatcoachinglinemanagerstocarryoutactivities,suchastaskanalysisandtrainingneedsanalysis,helpedtoraiseawarenessoftheneedtoidentifyperformancegaps,andensuredaconsistentleveloflearninganddevelopmentthroughouttheorganisation.However,astrongpartnershipwithlinemanagerswascentraltomakingthissuccessful.Aboveall,thegroupconsideredHRDpractitionersaspeoplewhohadacatalysingeffectonlinemanagers.Accordingtoonerespondent,‘theyinfluencedfirstandtransactedsecond’(Q5,AR).ThefollowingstatementtypifiedtheimportanceoftheHRDeffortbeingtotallyalignedwithbusinessgoals:‘Youhavetobesoinextricablylinkedthatyouaresuchapartofthebusinesstheydon’tseeyou’(Q5,AR).Thegroupconcludedthatthislevelofintegration(thatis,workingbehindthescenes)hadtobevaluedatalllevelsintheorganisation.

Alignment of workforce development with business strategy

Discussionfocusedonthepopularconceptofdevelopinghumancapital(Boxall&Purcell2002)asthebasisforahumanresource,service-ledmodel,buttheyconsideredthisideaassomewhattransactionalandfundamentallydifferentfromthephilosophyoflearninganddevelopment.Someofthegrouphadworkedinhumanresourcedepartmentswheretrainingwasviewedassomeoneelse’sproblemandwhereworkwasinappropriatelycontractedoutinthenameofefficiency.Onerespondentproclaimed:‘Ithinkthatlearninganddevelopmentstrategieshavetobetalkingaboutpeople—notresources,bitsofcardboardorasortofdisembodiedsomething.Ialwayssay,youmanageresourcesbutyouleadpeople’(Q6,TE).

Atanorganisationallevel,therewasagreementthatlearninganddevelopmentactivitiesshouldfocusonthewholebusinessaswellasthecomponentparts.Thissuggestionreflectsthesystematicorholisticapproachandsupportstheideaofworkinginclosepartnershipwiththoseresponsiblefordevelopinganddeploying


thebusinessstrategy.Participantsconsideredhowhumanresourcefunctionsinlargerorganisationshadbecometooremote.Somebelievedlearninganddevelopmentmanagerswereperceivedassubservienttothehumanresourcesfunctionandexamplesweregivenofhowhumanresourcesdepartmentshadinitiatedtrainingwithoutfirstconsultingthelearninganddevelopmentpractitioners,creatingmuchconfusionandmisalignment:

Quiteoften,they’re[HRstaff]offrunningcoursesforAfrica[everywhere],butwhatdoesithavetodowithanythingelse?Youcanactuallyfindtheyarerunningprogramswiththebestofintentionthatactuallydonotalignatall.Ithinktheonlywayyoucanspecificallyalignistocarryonwithapartnershipatahighlevelandalwaysgobacktowhatthebusinessstrategyisforthefuture.Iftheydonotcontribute,thendonotdothem…itisthatstraightforward.(Q6,LG)

Thenotionoflearninganddevelopmentactivitybeingphilosophicallydifferentfromthatofpersonnel-relatedworkisaninterestingoneandcloselyassociatedwiththecreationofhumanresourcemanagementaswehavecometoknowit.Uptothelate1970s,trainingandpersonneldepartmentswereoftenseenastotallydifferentdisciplines,buttheadventofHRMinthe1980ssoughttomeldthesetwoactivitiestogetherforthebettermentofbothprofessions.Overtheyears,thisunitaryvalueofpersonnelortraininghasbeendebatedinglobalstudies(Cunningham&Hyman1999),butinthisfocusgroup,itseemedtheHRDpractitionerswerefeelingcompromisedandinhibitedfrommakingafullcontributiontothewiderstrategyonhumanresourcemanagement.Simplyput,someoftheHRDprofessionalsinthefocusgroupfeltlessvaluedthantheirHRMcounterparts.However,oneparticipantfromthemanufacturingsectorthoughthavingroleseparationwasadvantageousattheoperationallevelandgaveanexampleofhowinternalhumanresourceconsultantsandlearninganddevelopmentprofessionalshadworkedinpartnershiponaperformancemanagementissue—human


resourcestaffdealingwiththedisciplinaryaspectsandlearninganddevelopmentstafffacilitatingalearning-centredsolution.Inthisexample,theorganisationalstructureinfluencedroleboundaries—withhumanresourcesreportingtoacentralservicefunctionandHRDtolinemanagement.

What employees value

TheHRDpractitioners,intheirworkwithinorganisations,frequentlybecameinvolvedintheimplementationoforganisationaldevelopmentactivitiesthataimedtopromoteandsustainavalue-drivenculture.Fromthisexperience,participantscommentedonwhattheythoughtemployeesvaluedintheirrespectiveorganisation.Thepurposeofthisquestionwastoidentifyhowgroupmembersunderstoodandreconciledemployeevalueswiththeirownandthoseoftheorganisation.Asummationoftheparticipants’viewsindicatedthatcareerprogressionandfairlevelsofremunerationfeaturedstronglyinemployeeengagementsurveysasvaluedemploymentpractices.Additionally,formalandinformalcommunicationswereconsideredasimportantprocessesforprovidingfeedbacktoemployees.Participantshighlightedthatinformalfeedbackhelpedtoembedcommunicationsintotheorganisationatanaturallevel.Incomparisonwiththepast,newentrantshadamuchhigherexpectationfromtheiremployer,especiallyonworkplacecommunicationsystems,workplacedemocracyandstructuredfeedbackmechanisms.Thiscontrastedsharplywithlongerservingmanagers,whomaynothaveexperiencedthesameapproachtocommunicationsearlierintheircareers.Youngpeopleenteringtheworkforcetoday,oftenreferredtoasGenerationY,seemedtocravecommunicationsandfeedback,especiallyonindividualperformanceandprogression(MacLeod2008).Thegroupbelievedthislevelofpersonalvalidationwasimportant,asemployeeswerequicktocriticiseleaderswhodidnotadapt—seeingpoorcommunicationsasasignofmanagementincompetence.


Increasingly,peopleatanylevelintheorganisationstructurewerethoughttovalueaworkinglifethatdevelopedinparallelwiththeirpersonalidentity.Forexample,theyasked,‘DoesthisorganisationhelpmefeelgoodandclarifywhereIamgoing?’(Q1,TEandRB).Alltoofrequently,managerswerereportedtobenotgoodatcommunicatingthevision,valuesandoverallobjectivesoftheirorganisation.Employeesalsovaluedbeingabletotrusttheirorganisationwastreatingthemfairly.Oneparticipantcommentedthat‘managerscangetawaywithalmostanythingaslongastheyareperceivedasbeingfair.Ifitis[consideredtobe]fairandconsistent,thenemployeesareusuallywillingtodowhatisaskedofthem,withinreason’(Q1,CB).Thisviewsuggeststhatperceptionsoffairnessareanimportantfactorinthelevelofemployeelenienceonpotentiallycontentiousissuesandreinforcesthenotionofpsychologicalcontracting.Issuesmightincludeunexpectedchange,workre-organisationortheimpositionofnewrules.Inotherwords,whenmanagersdemonstrateabeliefintheirpeopleandareperceivedasbeingfair,employeesrespondwithunobstructedconsentonmostinitiatives,aspeoplearehappytogobeyondthelimits.However,thislenienceisfragileandarevealingexamplewascitedbytheparticipantfromthemanufacturingsectorwhosaidthat,whenmanagementtookaunilateraldecisiontoimposethewearingofsafetyhatsinthefactory(afterreportsofafatalaccidentinanotherorganisation),workersdidnotseetheneedforthisrulingandtookexceptiontothewayinwhichtherulewasbeingenforced.Theparticipantrecalledoneemployeesaying:

Ablanketrulewasmadethatweshouldwearhardhats.Therewasabsolutelynodiscussionandforusitwasabittoughbecausewewerenotusedtowearingahelmet.Weareallintosafety,butitwasablanketrule…eveninareaswherenothingcouldfallonyourhead.They[management]saiditwasforourownsafety,butwebelieveditwasjusttocoverthemandnotworryaboutus.Noonecares,Ineverusedtosweatbefore…butnowmyheadisdrippinganditiscausingirritatingrashes.(Q1,MF)


Overall,thefocusgroupmembersagreedthathard-earnedgoodwillcouldbeerodedveryquicklybythreefactors:managerinconsistency,internalpolitickingandthepresenceofavacuumincommunications.Intheorganisationsoftheseparticipants,engagementsurveysandintranetfeedbacktestedthelevelofemployeecommitmentbyaskingindividualsarangeofquestions,includingtheextenttowhichtheywouldgotheextramile.

Evaluation of learning

ThefocusgroupparticipantsreportedaheavyrelianceontheuseoftheKirkpatrickmodelofevaluationintheirorganisationsandalloftheparticipantswereabletoarticulatethewell-knownfourlevelsofevaluation:reaction,learning,behaviourandresults(Kirkpatrick1996,Parry1997).Therewasrecognitionthatcomputer-basedtechnologyhadmadeitmucheasiertocollectevaluationdata,butthemainchallengewasfindingthetimetoanalyseandinterpretthem.

Thesizeofthetraininginvestmentwasanimportantconsiderationbutpresentedaparadoxicalsituation.Forexample,evaluationsoftrainingprojectsthatdirectlyaffectedbusinessperformancewereconsideredamuchhigherprioritythansmallertrainingactivities,yetthesetrainingprojectswerereportedasbeingthemostdifficulttoevaluate.Furthermore,organisationaldevelopmentprogramsoftenraninparallelwithseveralotherprojects,makingithardertoisolateandevaluatethebenefitsofanyonetraininginterventioninaneffectiveandtimelyway.Poorinitiationoftrainingprojectspresentedanotherreasonwhyevaluationwasdifficult.Thegroupsuggestedthatunderstandingthebusinessdriversfirstandthenbuildingperformancemeasurementintotrainingneedanalysesmightofferamorereliableplatformforassessingtrainingoutcomesandthecorrespondingvaluetotheenterprise.

Ithinkitdependsonthesizeoftheinitiativeandwhatyouaretryingtoprovebyit.Youcanspendanawfullotofenergyonevaluatingaprogram.Idefinitelythinkonthe‘bigticket’


itemsitisworthplanningfortheevaluationanddoingsomemeasurementbeforeyoustarttheinitiative,soyoucanshowtheaddedvalueafterwards.Wesometimesthinkwearemakinganimpactbut,whenyoulookattheresults,wearenot.(Q7,LG)

Onerespondentexplainedthat‘gaininggenericimprovements,throughcollaborativeworkingwithmanagers,oftenmeantthat“non-curriculum”trainingwasundertakenspontaneously’,makingitmoredifficulttoderiveafixedmodelofevaluation(Q7,AR).Sometimes,HRDinterventionsfocusedontheaffectivedomainoflearning(suchassecuringengagement),soasuccessfultrainingoutcomemightbebeneficialtoadiverserangeofperformanceindicators.Forexample,oneparticipantacknowledgedthedifficultyinposingthisquery:‘Howdoyoumeasurethatcoachingsomebodytogivefeedbackisgoingtoimprovetheirabilitytogivefeedbackuntilwegetthenext[employee]engagementresult,whichmaybearesultofsomethingelse?’(Q7,AR).SuchcommentstypifytheinherentcomplexityofaligningHRD,especiallywhentryingtobalancetheneedsandlearningoutcomesofspecifictrainingprojectswiththelongertermgoalsoftheorganisation.

Anotherdimensionofevaluationrelatedtotheformalversusinformallearningenvironmentandtheorganisation’sculturetowardspeopledevelopment.Thegroupconsideredtheseissuestobeimportantbecausetheyhadadirectbearingonhowleadershipvaluedemployeesandhowindividuallearningneedswereaccommodatedintheprocessofongoingperformancecoaching.Thegroupagreedthatlearningcontinuedirrespectiveoftheorganisation’sintent,butthiscouldhaveapositiveordetrimentaleffectonalignment.Thisperspectivesuggeststhat,inmostcircumstances,itishelpfultocaptureandrecognisetherelevantinformallearning,oftenemanatingfromtacitexperienceacquiredatworkoroutsideofemployment.


Barriers to learning

Therewasauniversalacceptanceinthefocusgroupthatleanorganisationalstructuresandbusinesspressuresfrequentlymadeitdifficulttoreleaseemployeesforformaltrainingcourses.Lackofadvocacybyandsupportfromlinemanagersmadeitaneasyoptionforpeopletowithdraw.Fromthediscussion,thereappearedtobeampleevidenceofstrongrhetoricbyseniormanagersaboutpeopledevelopmentandperformancereviews,butoperationalrequirementsfrequentlygotintheway.Evenmoredisturbingwasthesuggestionthatseniormanagerswereamongtheworstoffendersandthisreflectedpoorrolemodelling.However,thecurrenttrendtowardsflatterorganisationalstructuresmadeiteasiertoobservewhethertopmanagementwassupportinglearning-relatedprojects:

Ireckonlackofadvocacyiswhereitcounts.Ifyou’retryingtodosomethingwhereeveryoneisagreeing—sotherhetoric’sthere,youknow,yeswedoagreethatyoushouldhaveaperformanceimprovementprocessinplace,yesweshouldhaveperformancereviews…[however]whenyou’redrivingsomekindofinitiativethatthosepeoplethatareatveryseniorlevelifthey’renotrightinbehindit,ifthey’renotfilteringthroughtherightinformationtotheirdirectreports,thenyou’reindeep[trouble].(Q8,AR)

Thefocusgroupthoughtthatthosepeoplewhoputupbarrierstolearningwereoftenthesameindividualswhofailedtounderstandthetruevalueoflearning.Typically,theysoughtquickfixsolutionsandcouldnotseethateffectivelearningtakestime.Forsome,theirtraditionalperceptionoflearningemanatedfromschoolanduniversity.Theyunderstoodtheroleoftrainingbutdidnotfullyappreciatethechangeoflanguagetowardsamoredistinctnotionofadultlearning.Inthisregard,HRDmanagersfrequentlystruggledtochangethemindsetoftheircolleaguesandthisresistancestemmedfromtheorganisationculture.


Finally,thegroupdiscussedanemerginglearningbarriermorespecificallyrelevanttothoseolderworkerswhostruggledtoseeanybenefitfromtraining.Therewasgeneralacknowledgementthatthisgroupofpeoplehadexperiencedintensiveorganisationdevelopmentoverthelasttwodecades,oftenwithlittleornodirecttraining.Somehadexperiencedlossofemploymentormadelateralcareertransitionsandcarriedaresultantlowesteem.Conversely,thegroupdiscussedhowotherlong-servingemployeesmightbevictimsofmisalignmentwhentheirorganisationschangedstrategicdirection.Ironically,changesinthedemographicmixofsocietymeanttheoverallageofemployeeswouldincreasesignificantlyintheyearsahead.

Employer recognition of tacit knowledge and experience

Onerecurringthemewithinthefocusgroupdiscussionwastheimportanceofapartnershipapproachtolearninganddevelopmentandthecomponentpartsofthisprocessincludedablendofdirecttraining,individualcoachingandongoingprofessionaldialoguewithteamleadersandhumanresourcepractitioners.Thefocusgroupbelievedthatidentifyingandutilisingtacitknowledgeorextra-murallearningwasanimportantrequirement,becauseunderstandingthevalueoftacitknowledgeandusingperformance-basedcoachingmodelstomaximisethisinformationwouldencouragestaffretention.Peoplewouldmorereadilyappreciatethealignmentbetweentheirownobjectivesandthoseoftheirorganisation.Furthermore,thefocusgroupmembersrecognisedthatformalmentoringprogramsandinformalmentoringactivitieshadbeensuccessfullyusedintheirorganisationsasawayofdisseminatingtacitknowledgetolessexperiencedstaff:

Ithinkthatperformancemodelsworkwellintermsofthecoachingmodelandyou’vegotyourindividualwiththeirownskillneedsandtheirownobjectivesandtheirownmissionandpurposeandyou’vegottheorganisation’s;ifyou’vegotthatalignmentthroughgoodcoaching,thentheymaynotleave.If


they’regoingtoleaveinfiveor10yearstime,thenyou’vehadthebenefitoftheirservicesforthattimeandtheymaywellcomebackorhavefosteredotherrelationshipswiththeorganisation.(Q9,MF)

Thecontradictionbetweenrhetoricandrealityoftencreatedincongruencebetweentheplanningofformalandthatofinformallearning.Insomesituations,suchasbusinessre-structuringprograms,employeescontinuedtolearnirrespectiveofwhattheorganisationwantedthemtolearn,butsuchlearningdidnotalwaysalignwiththebusinessstrategy.Itwasthoughtthecompetitivemarketsofthe1990shadforcedorganisationsselfishlytodirecttheirlearningactivitiestowardsbusinessgoals,butindoingso,hadneglectedthebroaderneedsofsociety.Itwasrecognisedenterprisesexistedwithinawidercommunityandorganisationsthatvaluedlearningquicklybuiltanexternalreputationforvaluingtheirpeople.Overall,theHRDfocusgroupmembersconsideredtheirorganisationswereweakatrecognisingandutilisingtacitknowledge.Thosethatdidattempttoharnessthefullextentoftacitknowledgedevelopedablackholeofunmanageabledatathatwasneverminedandused.Equally,organisationswerereluctanttoinvestinextra-murallearningthatdidnotofferanydirectbenefittothebusiness.Thoseorganisationsthatpaidforextra-muralstudyrarelyutilisedthefullextentofthelearning.

HRD challenges facing New Zealand in the 21st century

Thegrouprecognisedthechangingdemographicmixintheglobalworkforceandreflectedhowthisaffectedissuessuchasfewerpeopleretiringearlyandlessyoungpeoplebecomingavailableforemployment.Astheaverageageoftheworkforceincreased,apolarityinvalueswaslikelytoemergebetweenthedifferentagegroupsintheworkplace:

Iwanttopickuponthisone…aboutthechangeofdemographics.Ithinkthatprobablythegreatestproblem


wehaveinNewZealandisrecognisingtheageingworkforceandrealisingthatthosepeopleovertheageof50constitutealmostthemajorityofpeopleintheworkforce,andthat’sarealchallenge.Seeingtheneedsofanolderworker,andwhatdrivesthem,isverydifferentfromwhatyouaregettingina25yearold,andyetwehaven’tevencometogripswiththis.(Q10,TE)

EarlierinthispapertheHRMchallengesassociatedwithdistinctivedemographicgroups,suchasGenerationXemployeeswereraised.Membersofthefocusgroupreflectedontheirownpersonalexperiencesandsawthisasasignificantchallengeforhumanresourcepractitioners.Examplesincludedemergingvalues,suchasapproachestotime-keeping,debt,expectationsofworkingconditions,andattitudestoacademicsubjectssuchasmaths,sciencesandtechnology.Thedeclineintechnicalcompetence,atanelementarylevel,washarmfultotheNewZealandeconomy—asasmallislandnationthathadhistoricallyreliedonexport,manufacturingandagriculture.AnotherconcernwasthesizeofNewZealand’seconomy,itsgeographicisolationandthelackofabilitytosourcenewtechnology.Membersofthegroupcommentedthatuniversitieswereusingoutdatedequipmenttotrainstudents—puttingNewZealandlearnersatadisadvantagecomparedwiththosestudyinginoffshoretertiaryinstitutions.Emergingservice-basedindustries,suchastravelandtourism,seemedtobegrowing,butweregeneratinglowerpaidemploymentopportunities,andtherewasconcernoverhowmanyservice-sectorjobstheeconomycouldsustain.Thebankingsectorinparticularwascontinuallyseekingnewwaysofdoingbusiness,soinnovationwasthekeychallengeforthatindustryinthe21stcentury—despitethehugeprogressmadeinrecentyears.

Inrelationtogloballearning,theissueofconsistencycameupasamajorconcern—especiallyinthedeploymentofglobalHRDsolutionsinitiatedbyanoffshoreheadoffice.Thisfrequentlyledtoinitiativesbeingre-inventedtofitwiththeindigenouswayofdoingbusinessorviceversa.Themainchallengewasdevelopingglobalvaluesand


consistentpoliciesthatallowedtheincorporationoflocalculturesortraditionsintothesepolicies.Thegrouprecognisedhowincreasinglocalcomplianceissues(suchassafetyandlegislativereporting)oftenmadeanorganisationriskaverseandconsequentiallylesswillingtobecreative.InmanyNewZealandorganisationalsituations,thepressuretoperformdidnotcomefromoverseasmastersbutlocalgovernmentagenciesthathadaresponsibilitytoprotectthenationalinfrastructureandenvironment.

Factors affecting organisational success

TheparticipantsreflectedonHRDoutcomesthatwouldmostcontributetomakingtheirorganisationssuccessful.Akeyfactorthegroupstressedwastheimportanceofvaluingpeople,inparticularrecognisingwhatindividualscouldcontributeatalllevels.Theysuggestedemployeesshouldbeabletoarticulateanddefendthebusinessstrategyandknowwheretheycontributedtoit.Thestrategyneededtobeabalancebetweentheneedsoftheorganisationandthoseoftheindividualemployees.Theimportanceofbeingabletorelatepersonallytoavisionensuredthatpeopleremainedfocusedwhenthingsbecamedifficult.Asoneparticipantexpressedit,‘whenthingsstarttogettough,thevisiongivesyouamaptofollowandkeepsyouontrack’(Q12,MF).However,inadditiontounderstandingthevision,itwasimportanttohavetheabilitytobeflexiblewhenthesituationchanged:

Fromanemployeeperspective,theyarekeenonamorestablevisionandstrategybecauseitfeelsasthoughtheyknowwheretheyare—butitismakingsureyouarenotstuckwithasinglevisionandsinglestrategy.(Q12,CB)

Systemintegrationwasalsosignificant.Thisinvolvedconnectingtheneedsofindividualswiththeneedsoftheirorganisationsandembeddingtherelationshipwithsystemsandprocesses.Thegroupagreedthat‘visionwasnothingwithouttherealityofplanningandoperatingsystems’(Short2008a:237).Furthermore,theparticipants


claimedpeoplewhoweregoodatdevelopingstrategyoftenneglectedtheimplementationissues.Inthisregard,aworthwhileHRDoutcomewouldbetoalignandsynthesisethedevelopmentofallleaders,bothstrategicandoperational.Thegroupre-emphasisedthatbeingaleaderandvisionarywasnotexclusivetoseniormanagersaspeopleatalllevelshadacapacityforstrategicthinking.Theyoftenhadasignificantcontributiontomake,reinforcingtheneedforfeedback.Finally,thediscussionrevertedtoapotentialpolaritybetweenlearninganddevelopmentactivitiesandhumanresources.Onreflection,thegroupthoughtsuchpolaritywasdetrimentaltothewholeareaofperformanceimprovement,duetothestrongneedforagenuinepartnershipbetweenallstakeholdersinthebusiness.

Conclusions

ThispaperhasreviewedhowHRDprofessionalsinarangeoforganisationalsettingsdealwiththechallengesofimplementingworkplacelearningprojects,andinparticular,attempttoalignlearningactivitieswithbusinessobjectives.Throughsynthesisofthesepractitioners’views,ithasbeenpossibletogaininsightintothemajorthrustoforganisationaldevelopmentissuesintheworkplaceandtheroleofHRDprofessionals.Analysisoftheseprofessionals’perspectivesoftheirhumanresourcepracticesandexperiencessupportsanumberofconclusionsregardingthesignificanceofworkplacelearninganddevelopment.

First,seniormanagerswerefoundtodevelopstrategicplansandcascadeinformationthroughtheirorganisationsbymeansofbriefingsystemsandothercommunicationmechanisms.Inmanycases,HRDprofessionalswereresponsiblefortheimplementationofthesecommunicationsystemsandhelpedtoadvocatethedownstreambenefitstoemployeesaspartofanoverallchangemanagementstrategy.


Second,theresearchsupportedfindingsfromaDelphisurveyofleadingHRDacademicsbyMcGuireandCseh(2006)whofoundthatworkplacelearning,employeedevelopmentandtraininganddevelopmentwerethemosthighlyrankedconstituentcomponentsofHRD,butinthisstudy,theneedforaperformance-basedculturewaspermeatingthroughmanagementdecisionsonworkplacelearninganddevelopmentandwasinextricablylinkedwiththeorganisationalperformancemanagementsystems.Takingacriticalperspective,Sambrook(2004:613)arguesthatthischaracteristicwillslowlychangeasthestudyofHRDmatures,when‘organisationswillneedtoconsiderotherdiscoursesincludingthePRroleofHRDinpromotingcorporatesocialresponsibilityanditsmorehumanisticrole’.Evidenceofthistrendcouldbeseenattheindividuallevel,wherepeopleweremotivatedtodeploytheircompetenciesinanethicalandfairway.Thatmeantworkingforvalue-driventeamsandorganisationsthatalignedtheirbehaviourswithsociallyappropriategoals.Onceagain,HRDprofessionalswereplacedcentre-stageintheimplementationofthesealignmentstrategies.

Third,thespecialleadershiproleofhumanresourcepractitionersandtheemergingcomplexitiesofthistaskwereevidentintheresponses.Throughouttheresearch,theatmospherereflectedamixofoccupationalpassionandpersonalcommitmenttothedevelopmentofpeople,yetthispassionwastemperedbyamoodoffrustrationwithintherole.Majorsourcesofanxietyforthemwereinconsistencyinseniormanagementcommitmentandcontinuingresourceconstraints.Clearly,bridgingthegapbetweenstrategicidealsandoperationalrealitywasamajorchallengefortheseHRDprofessionalsinmeetingthedemandsoftheirmodern,complexworkplaces.

Fourth,thefailuretoevaluatelearningeventsandshowpositivebusinessresultswasclearlylinkedtoanundervaluingoftraininganddevelopmentinvestmentamongseniormanagers.Historically,


thisissueismostevidentinthewayHRDprojectsarecut-backwhenbusinessperformanceispoor.

Finally,mostoftheorganisationsembracedbytheseHRDprofessionalswerefailingtoexploittheopportunitiesthatcouldbeavailablethroughanimprovedandsystematicrecognitionoftheemployees’tacitknowledgeandskillswithjobrequirements.Intheirstudyofcrisismanagement,KhatriandNg(2000)highlightedthevalueoftacitlearningandhoworganisationscandrawonknowledgethathasaccumulatedfromyearsofexperience.

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Appendix: Focus group questions

General

1. Whatdoyouthinkemployeesinorganisationsvalue?2. Whatfactorsmoststronglyinfluencethedecisionsontrainingand

development?

Strategy

3. Whatwouldyousayisstrategicallyimportantfororganisationsatthepresenttime?

4. Howdoesyourorganisationcommunicatestrategytoitsemployees?


Human resource development

5. WhatrolesdoHRDpractitionersfulfilinorganisations-howdotheyaddvalue?

6. Inwhatwaysdolearninganddevelopmentactivitiesspecificallyalignwithbusinessstrategy?

Learning

7. Howdoyouevaluatelearninginyourorganisationandusetheinformation?

8. Whatwouldyousayarethecurrentbarrierstolearninginorganisations?

9. Howcanorganisationsrecognisethebroader‘extra-mural’learningandcapturethe‘tacit’knowledgepeoplehave?

Closing questions

10.Whatdoyouthinkarethechallengesfacingorganisationswhenoperatingina21stCenturyNewZealand?

11.Towhatextentisthephenomenonof‘globalisation’affectingorganisations?

12.Ifyoucouldrecommendjustonethingtoanorganisationtohelpmakeitmoresuccessful,whatwoulditbe(inthecontextofthisstudy)?

About the authors

Dr Tom Short has been a research fellow with the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW) since 2008. Prior to that his career has included work in the education and manufacturing sectors as an engineer, business manager, management consultant and human resources manager. His research interests are strategic human resource management and adult learning in relation to workplace development.


Dr Roger Harris is a Professor in the School of Education and Director of the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, University of South Australia. He has had extensive experience in VET teacher education and VET research, with a focus on national training reform. Recently, he was Director of the national research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. Current professional activities include the South Australian Training and Skills Commission; Program Leader in the CRC for Rail Innovation; the Academic Board of a private provider; and Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore, for three months.

Contact details

Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095Tel: (08) 8302 5421Email: [email protected]

Tel: (08) 8302 6246Email: [email protected]

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