Development and Learning in Organizations

Matthew Kutz

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125336

Purpose – Intelligence is the adaptation to the environment. Therefore, intelligence rests on an individual's capacity to diagnose their context and not necessarily on IQ, test performance, or intellectual ability. This means that failure to diagnose the environment accurately can lead to the kind of mistakes that have a detrimental effect on an individual and an organization. Design/methodology/approach – This article focuses on the complexity of contextual intelligence, focusing on the behaviors that can both hinder and encourage contextual intelligence to address how to generate top performers across multiple contexts. Findings – Leadership is becoming so nuanced and idiosyncratic it is impossible or at best difficult to lead outside of a defined context. Therefore, a new set of skills is necessary that will enable its users to perform well in a variety of contexts. Intuition is quickly becoming a commodity that can have long‐term transferable value. However, developing a reliable sense of intuition takes time. In other words, intuition is of little value without experience. Practical implications – Top performers must be able to recognize and diagnose when the context shifts or a new context emerges and quickly adapt. Failure to adapt, even to the smallest shift, increases the risk of becoming obsolete or irrelevant. Originality/value – In times of contextual shift, intuition becomes a very valuable asset. Practicing contextually intelligent behavior is a way to accelerate experience and eases the burden of change, perhaps even allowing an individual to perform well during a shift in context.

Siu Loon Hoe

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125345

Purpose – In recent years, action learning has been widely adopted as a problem solving and leadership development tool. The purpose of the article is to reflect on key learning points when initiating action learning sessions and provide tips on what to expect from such sessions. Design/methodology/approach – Documentation of the author's initial first‐hand action learning coaching experience and sharing of lessons learnt in organizing and coaching action learning sessions. Findings – The paper offers a view on how action learning practitioners can overcome initial coaching issues to run more effective sessions. Originality/value – This article contributes to the existing action learning literature by providing a deeper understanding of key factors affecting action learning. These factors include team member selection, role of the coach, questioning techniques and desired outcomes.

Antonios Panagiotakopoulos

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125354

Abstract – Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review critically the HRD literature in the small business context in order to identify the main barriers to employee training and learning and recommend ways to overcome them. Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights the potential barriers to training and learning among small firms, looking at organizational constraints such as lack of time or limited financial resources, as well as negative attitudes towards employee training and its importance for business survival. Findings – The available studies indicate that better access to information on the applicability and usefulness of HRD to small firms can be crucial to overcoming the barriers to skills development that exists among such firms. The analysis suggests that a key challenge for policy makers in this area is to facilitate changes in owner attitudes, improve access to training interventions and create the necessary institutional conditions to encourage SMEs to move to high value‐added trajectories. Practical implications – SMEs need to invest in innovation to face fierce national and international competition and achieve an above‐average return. This article provides guidance for implementation of innovation practices that may help SMEs to overcome some of the barriers to successful innovation. Originality/value – The human resource development (HRD) literature has tended to focus on larger organizations in order to develop an understanding of workforce skills development. However, it has been acknowledged that a healthy small business sector is fundamental to every corporate economy. This article helps to explore the HRD processes in these types of organizations.

Milton Mayfield

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125363

Purpose – The paper provides an overview of the ADDIE method for creating training and development programs. Design/methodology/approach – Prior studies and outlines on the ADDIE method were utilized to develop an overview of how ADDIE could be implemented in organizational training programs. Findings – The ADDIE method is useful in providing a systems‐based, iterative training development method that lends itself to a feedback‐based approach to creating a learning environment. Research limitations/implications – The implications from this paper show that ADDIE provides a useful and widely adopted method for driving content development. Practical implications – For organizations, adoption of the ADDIE method can provide a structured plan for development and learning in their training programs. Originality/value – This paper provides a concise overview of the ADDIE method for implementation in modern businesses and organizations.

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125372

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – It is possible to challenge assumptions about work‐family separation and the value of non‐standard workers and to progress towards the valuing of pluralistic and equitably valued working arrangements. However, in addressing some issues, others may be generated and need resolving. The limitation of policies such as job sharing, once considered to be in the vanguard of family friendliness, will also have to be considered in so far as this perpetuates standard models of working time. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125381

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies Design/methodology/approach – This review is prepared by an independent writer who provides context and commentary. Findings – Being involved in a task that is so engaging that you never want to stop is sometimes called “being in the zone”, or as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, renowned for his research on creativity, terms it, working in “the flow.” Most of us have had this experience at some time, peak moments where everything seems to come together and we are engaged in the present moment to such an extent that time seems to fly by. Such activities are energizing rather than exhausting. However, when asked to describe such a moment, most people do not associate it with what they do for a living. Very often people recount these experiences as having occurred while participating in a hobby or leisure activity, especially one to which they would like to devote more time. Fly fishing in a remote Scottish river, teaching a child how to sail, harvesting summer vegetables from your own garden, or becoming so lost in a great novel that you cannot put the book down are all experiences people have described as typifying “being in the zone.” Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125390

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – On the whole, interest shown in career roles increased in most areas across the represented age groups and from participants of both genders. This may be an indication of the success of those engaged in delivery of individual sessions in presenting an enthusiastic and motivating representation of roles within the police service. This specific pre‐employment course had an effect in strengthening the resolve of and raising interest and awareness levels amongst participants, solidifying their desire to aim to work within a police environment. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125408

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – In a development project, measuring operational business goals and making participants accountable for it can strongly lever results. An open and direct culture seems to increase performance levels. In this case they were fortified by conditions such as a high sense of urgency in the company, a learning method of “free formatted” peer‐to‐peer and expert coaching, not just standardized training programs, and a greater than average level of management involvement. Training demand is usually presented in a fairly straightforward manner. Proving added value afterwards is usually a difficult job. The method described bears a lower threshold for leveraging business results. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

2011 Development and Learning in Organizations

doi: 10.1108/14777281111125417

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Robin Gee, Head of Employee Engagement for Coca‐Cola Refreshments (CCR). Robin is responsible for building capability in engagement, maintaining engagement momentum and ensuring that engagement is integrated into CCR's people practices. Robin is also responsible for implementing the biannual employee engagement survey of all CCR associates and the Results to Action process, which guides the business in taking action on engagement results. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer. Findings – In tough times, Coca‐Cola Refreshments have continued to invest in people and initiatives that drive employee commitment. Robin's experience suggests that strong leadership and transparency are some of the key factors in engaging your workforce. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Social implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact. Originality/value – Robin provides insight into the best ways to measure employee engagement against business results, drawing on her experiences at Coca‐Cola Refreshments.