Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation
Motivation and engagement are vital issues that I face in my work as a supervisor, and I think that this largely depends on the type of training that a company provides to its employees. Training of employees is the process that requires continuous attention from the supervisors, and in my case, I emphasize the safety practices due to the specifics of working in manufacturing. It is because it provides enhancement of skills and knowledge, which is always a necessity. In addition, with each change in the company’s processes, a training session should be present to ensure that the staff is aware of the innovation. Typically, newcomers are trained after the initial orientation, during which one of the company’s staff members introduces them to the typical workflow and facilities of the organization. After this, the employee training takes place, which aims to ensure that the individuals understand their work and the overall mission of the organization.
In my company, we provide training that helps improve the efficiency and productivity of work. Therefore, one can conclude by arguing that employee training is essential for any company because it affects the way people will work as well as their perception of a company. I had witnessed many cases of improved productivity after training, including when I first started as a supervisor, which taught me to pay more attention to this element of personnel management and provided implications for understanding the benefits of this method. One issue that I always face is the high standards of performance set by the company. To achieve those, I need to make sure that the personnel is motivated to participate in training programs.
Theories and Principles/Abstract Conceptualization
In manufacturing, the industry in which I work, enhancement of technical knowledge is crucial to ensure that the company does not fall behind with all the innovations introduced to the market. As a supervisor, I make sure that I monitor my subordinates and assess their skills and knowledge to add training that will help them excel. Half (2018) argues that employee training can improve the essential components of the business, such as return on investment and competitiveness. Thus, one can say that proper practices can improve the bottom line of an organization. Moreover, it can showcase to the staff that the organization is invested in its development and aims to have a skilled workforce. In my company, training is an essential element of work that takes place regularly and based on the results. One can conclude that performance improvement is the main implication of this practice.
Theory 1
The constructivism theory emphasizes the fact that staff members are interested in learning and improving their existing skills. According to Ivanova, Ryabinina, and Tyunin (2019), this model is a “subject-based approach, indicating the subjective-value active perception and transformation of reality, aimed at achieving useful results for the organization” (p. 245). Thus, according to this model, they actively participate in the process, offer new strategies for training and self-develop. People that develop in accordance with this theory are more motivated to perform well at their job as well.
Theory 2
While the constructivism theory describes an ideal environment for any organization in which staff members are highly motivated to enhance their skills, in a large number of cases, supervisors have to take into account other learning theories. The goal theory focuses on the intrinsic motivation of individuals and specific objectives they set for themselves in regards to their education.
Theory 3
The transformative learning theory of personal development that focuses on enhancing the knowledge of adults was introduced by Mezirow. It applies to personnel management because of this concept’s implications for understanding the learning process explicitly tailored to adult individuals. In accordance with this approach, the underlying assumptions of individuals are challenged, which promotes critical thinking (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainge, 2019). Thus, people can review their viewpoints and learn to be more constructive in their approaches to work. This can be applied to a variety of training programs because it enhanced the essential skill – critical thinking. Most importantly, this allows individuals to review new perspectives and improve their approaches to work.
Summary
An essential component of my work as a supervisor is enabling training for employees that includes safety measures and performance enhancement. This is crucial for the fast passed environment of a manufacturing facility. The theories presented above provide an understanding of the learning styles and differences of individual approaches to training. It can be concluded that managers have to create a practice that is suitable for adults and which accounts for different learning approaches.
Testing and Application/Active Experimentation
Reviewing the theories that relate to the training and education process helped me enhance my understanding of this personnel management component and provided several implications for implementing new practices. My experience indicates that the learning process is mainly dependent on the desire of individuals to develop. Thus, each training should be tailored to the personal specifics of a person participating, although this is not always possible with large groups of people since currently, I supervise a team of over 190 employees. However, in accordance with the first theory, I can anticipate that some individuals will be more prone to engaging in self-development and improvement. In order to facilitate this, a process outlining the practice of individual training should be created. One example is if a person aims to enhance his or her skills to apply for a better position at the company or to improve his or her efficiency. He or she can reach out to the supervisor or me directly and offer an educational program that can help achieve this goal. When considering the conceptualization theory, one can argue that this will enhance motivation and engagement with work.
In addition, I also aim to implement more vision-based training for my organization to ensure that each educational activity has a clear connection to the strategy and values of my company. This should provide better efficiency of work and enhanced performance. More specifically, I want to incorporate more training that targets quality and safety requirements since this is the primary area of concern for me in my work. Additionally, I develop process capability, defect analysis, and other standard practices for the staff. The defect analyses require critical thinking, which can be achieved using theory 3. The implementation of a training system that emphasizes this aspect can improve the overall approaches to defect detention, and I think this will help my employees pay more attention to the quality of their work.
References
Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2019). Putting transformative learning theory into practice. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 9.
Half, R. (2018). The benefits of employee training.
Ivanova, O. E., Ryabinina, E. V., & Tyunin, A. I. (2019). Pragmatic constructivism as a soft methodology of the HRM concept. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 10(2), 245-253.