Introduction
When workers grow, a business also develops (Brown & Harvey, 2011). This statement summarizes the centrality of employee development in the success of an organization and its activities. Companies have unique goals and missions, which demand employee skills and knowledge to achieve profitability (Saks, Tamkin, & Lewis, 2011). Consequently, in response to the unique organizational needs, many organizations have customized their training and development programs to impart the needed skills and knowledge to their employees. However, there is a growing concern that employee management has been ignored, overlooked, and almost forgotten as far as employee training and development is concerned in the modern-day organizations. Hence, it is imperative for organizations to understand that employee management development is equally central (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). This paper seeks to fill the gap that exists between training and development initiatives and activities between the management staff and the general staff members. The paper will use ABC Oil & Gas Company to investigate how it has established strategic employee training and development strategies to address capacity problems in some of its units that are based in non-English-speaking countries.
Literature Review
Just like other organizations, ABC Oil & Gas Company has its unique challenges and approaches to employee management and development. As a medium-sized company, ABC Oil & Gas Company has established elaborate measures that focus on employee training and development. Besides, the training is also focused on the management officials. However, the company needs to establish training and development programs that can suit the demands of its local workers, especially those who are based in non-English speaking countries.
As a discipline in organizational management, employee management development is a recent discipline. ABC Oil & Gas Company have made great strides towards ensuring better treatment of employees as partners and key tenets of the business as opposed to the previous periods where human resources were viewed as an extra cost to the organizations (Warner & Goodall, 2009). The recognition of the centrality of employees in the success of the organization emanates from the fact that organizations need a wide range of talents and competencies to ensure success in their activities (Brown & Harvey, 2011). For an organization to realize the required competencies in its employees, training and development become a very vital tenet (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). Further, it is crucial for organizations to not only achieve the competencies that are needed for their smooth running but also in ensuring that employees are retained to continue adding value to their (organizations) bottom-line through their competencies (Teck-Hua & Catherine, 2015). Therefore, human resource department has the role of establishing the right measures towards training, development, and retention of employees.
In recognition of the role of employees in the success of the organization, ABC Oil & Gas Company has established a range of procedures that are aimed at monitoring and increasing competencies through a thorough employee evaluation program that also covers the management segment. Various jobs have diverse requirements. In this case, it is crucial to customize or tailor each training program and competency requirements for each specific position. ABC Oil & Gas Company has managed to achieve fete. In their daily activities and in the quest for the company to remain competitive, managers who are based in non-English-speaking countries face various challenges such as geopolitical problems, employee conflicts, remaining up to date with trends in business and technology, supervision of employees, and family challenges among other issues. However, no space has been left for compromise. Thus, managers in these diverse and challenging environments must deliver at all times. In this case, the best approach to mitigating the negative consequences that such problems may have on managers’ performance and the overall organization’s results is through training and development at the management level. Such training should be constant and well incorporated into practice to guarantee relevance and preparedness at all times (Merriam & Merriam, 2009). While training managers, it is crucial to train them on matters that relate to their management roles such as the supervision of people of diverse languages, decision-making, problem solving, and other relevant skills (Warner & Goodall, 2009). In addition, management primarily involves providing guidance and supervision of other people. Hence, managers need to be trained on the kind of people they are likely to supervise in terms of their language, knowledge, experience, expectations, and levels of education among other characteristics, which go a long way in ensuring that they are well prepared for their roles (Aragon & Valle, 2013). Further, training allows managers to be prepared for their current tasks and their future roles that they are likely to assume in the event of promotions (Ferreira & Leite, 2013). Such preparedness leads to excellent performance.
Recognizing the importance of management development should be done every time. Organizations must incorporate training and development as an important tenet and role of the human resource development (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). For a long time, the focus has been on the training and development of the general employees while leaving out the management officials who equally need such activities and programs (Teck-Hua & Catherine, 2015). In most cases, many promotions to management within an organization are carried based on the individual performance at junior levels. In other words, many managers are promoted based on their performance as technicians or other junior positions. However, in this process, the biggest assumption that organizations make is that the promoted individuals can undertake the new tasks just as they performed in their previous positions. For a long time, the assumption that managers may not need such training because they are prepared and flawless must stop (Brown & Harvey, 2011). In the current environment, it is worth noting that the management roles present new challenges and higher levels of responsibility, which the new managers may be least prepared to undertake (Saks et al., 2011). This unpreparedness leads to failure. Therefore, employees who hold management positions require much training than other employees. Through training and development, ABC Oil & Gas Company needs to provide refresher-training sessions that allow employees to be rejuvenated (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The move has boosted employee performance. The most crucial role of the management is the supervision of other employees and guiding them to accept to maximize their competencies and skills such that they can deliver in their respective roles. In recognition of the role of management development, ABC Oil & Gas Company should implement various steps towards the training of the human resources, including managers. The company should offer regular training and skill development to ensure maximum output by the employees.
The scaffolding approach features prominently in explaining the need for training the management officials. In this case, scaffolding calls for guidance instead of learning on the job as the best way of ensuring that new managers are brought to their roles as fast as possible. They are equipped with the right competencies to undertake their roles (Melton, Dail, Katula, & Mustian, 2010). ABC Oil & Gas Company should put in place the right approaches through which new managers can be trained and fast-tracked not only to understand the requirements of their jobs but also to know how they can undertake them effectively (Saks et al., 2011). However, the company needs to establish elaborate employee management and development programs for its Human Resource Development (HRD) strategy to guarantee high levels of competency among its employees in more than 80 countries where the company has branches. Since more than 3000 workers are based in non-English-speaking nations, the organization should implement responsive training and development programs that promote progressive development of the skills of employees and managers (Church, Rotolo, Ginther, & Levine, 2015). This strategy will help to address capacity problems that have been witnessed in the local labor force. The training that the HRD at ABC Oil & Gas Company needs to implement should be guided by not only job descriptions and requirements for each position but also the geopolitical elements that come with operating in non-English-speaking countries.
Performance and individual qualification evaluations are also used to tailor the training to individual needs. Such an approach ensures that an organization can respond to the needs of each specific management position in the organization, hence leading to better management and consequently superior organizational performance, irrespective of the language barriers (Creswell, 2013). The inevitability of change means that ABC Oil & Gas Company must progressively adapt to the changes in the respective industries and countries to remain relevant (Aragon & Valle, 2013; Raelin, 2003). This issue is primarily achieved through the training of local employees. ABC Oil & Gas Company has significantly benefitted from its training and development programs that have been aimed at its management, as well as other local employees in the diverse countries. For instance, the company has focused on the training of its employees on the importance and application of information communication technology to allow better incorporation of computerized services, which have increased efficiency of its services in all in branches. The benefits of computerization of oil and gas services have also led to increased customer satisfaction and accuracy of services. The adoption of such technologies by the local workforce will result in time saving, which has a positive impact on any organization’s productivity.
Training and development are crucial practices of any organization that wants to meet the expectations of its employees towards career development (Khoreva & Vaiman, 2015). In this case, ABC Oil & Gas Company should recognize that employees are more satisfied in an environment that allows them to develop their careers. Consequently, offering an elaborate training and development program is an aspect of consideration by many employees, especially if they operate in a country where language barrier prevails (Jayakumar, David, & Sulthan, 2014). In recognition of this employee’s need, ABC Oil & Gas Company needs to put in place training programs that allow the local workforce to have career development. These programs ensure that employees have personal development that relates to their training, skills, and job requirements, irrespective of the prevailing geopolitical problems. Such programs also ensure increased employee satisfaction and low turnover of the best talent in the management (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). They lead to a positive outcome for an organization. According to Greenwood (1993), increased competency through training and development ensures that employees are more committed to their work (). When employees view themselves as qualified for their specific roles, they are likely to have more confidence, which increases their productivity, job satisfaction, and commitment and loyalty to the company (Church et al., 2015; Tannenbaum & Schmidt, 1973). According to Corbin and Strauss (2008), loyalty is a vital aspect of efficiency at ABC Oil & Gas Company. For instance, through its HRD, the company has ensured employees are trained on skills and competencies that are required for their roles and positions in all countries where the organization has operational branches. Many employees quit organizations in search of better opportunities. One of these reasons for quitting is the lack of career development opportunities (Creswell, 2013; Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). Presently, through its HRD, ABC Oil & Gas Company has ensured that employees who may quit do not cite such a reason. Consequently, the company’s plan of training and developing its employees has led to low employees turnover, increased loyalty, and commitment to the organization, and hence better outcomes for the organization.
The programs that the organization has established towards employee management development have also been important in ensuring change management and succession. An organization evolves through many ways. One of them is through changes in management and human resources, especially when the company establishes businesses in challenging environments such as ABC Oil & Gas Company. It is vital for any organization to ensure that it has a well-prepared workforce to take over new positions to replace vacant positions (Jayakumar et al., 2014). ABC Oil & Gas Company has demonstrated the ability to train individuals to take over senior management positions as they arise while at the same time ensuring that they can drive the organization even higher in new countries. Many organizations are not prepared for the departure of crucial senior management personnel. Such a situation, which is a recipe for disaster, often leads to crisis and poor performance of the organization (Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Tannenbaum & Schmidt, 1973). At ABC Oil & Gas Company, the implementation of the training and development program has allowed the company to be prepared for any eventuality that may arise in any of its businesses, hence allowing it to have competent personnel that can take over positions that are left once other employees leave. According to Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnson (2008), such a situation allows minimal disruption of services and hence smooth transitions in times of change in management.
Job approval is a central part of human resource management. It can be generated through various initiatives in the organization. In this case, Khoreva and Vaiman (2015) reveal how employee management development increases job contentment in employees. Job satisfaction is a key factor for employees’ dedication to their jobs (Melton et al., 2010). Without job fulfillment, employees are likely to demonstrate underperformance and increased rate of turnover (Ferreira & Leite, 2013). These issues affect the organization’s ability to perform well. Through training and development, an organization ensures that employees have the necessary skills for their tasks. Consequently, employees who have the right skills enjoy job satisfaction, which is felt through better outcomes for the organization (Merriam & Merriam, 2009). ABC Oil & Gas Company has a well-established reward and recognition system. The company has managed to ensure high levels of job approval in most of its businesses.
One of the main assumptions in many organizations, as well as in the existing research is that organizations must recruit new individuals to replace those who have left (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). However, the training and development programs that are in place at ABC Oil & Gas Company clearly indicate that any company can prepare its employees through training and development initiatives to take over management positions. Such training and development programs not only concentrate on the skills and job requirements of the given position but also in imparting skills that allow employees to be prepared for future and higher positions in the organization (Greenwood, 1993). Consequently, the paper has disapproved the assumption by providing a more viable alternative that ABC Oil & Gas Company has provided.
Conclusion
Employee management development is a crucial part of any organization. It paves a way for organizations to establish training and development programs that promote the acquisition of skills and career for employees, irrespective of the prevailing geopolitical issues. The function of employee management development through the HRD leads to increased job satisfaction, high retention levels, high job delivery and outcomes, and loyalty, which are all vital indicators of good organizational performance. The example that has been set forth by ABC Oil & Gas Company has clearly indicated that indeed such initiatives are central in determining the success or failure of an organization.
Ned Wicker Case
The Ned Wicker case represents major leadership aspects that Ned displays as a manager in the process of leading his department at Graubart Chemtronics Company. His leadership characteristics can be well evaluated using the Four-Style Leadership Continuum. In this case, during the beginning of Ned’s leadership, the focus is on group participation and involvement in decision-making processes. This plan has led to high company success, which has been recognized by the president of the group. This appreciation is an indication that the group is doing well. When analyzed using the four-style leadership continuum, these early stages of Ned’s leadership fall under the join/support continuum. In other words, Ned’s leadership is exhibited through his focus on joining and participating actively with the group in decision-making processes concerning the bids that the company is planning to offer (Warner & Goodall, 2009). Each member is given a fair hearing and participation in the group’s discussion. The decision-making process is participative.
The shift of Ned to the left side of the continuum, which indicates a shift to the selling/coaching headship field, was not an effective change. In this case, it is unimaginable that Ned would have thought that the group would shift and function normally as it did previously via the constraining approach that Ned had adopted. Although the concerns for the change, which were related to duration of the meeting, were genuine, Ned would have approached the problem using a participative approach where members would deliberate on the ways of reducing the length of the meetings. Such an approach would have allowed agreeable and acceptable decisions to be made without compromising the group’s motivation and participation. The two elements were very vital for the roles that the members had been charged with (Raelin, 2010).
From the beginning, the group’s qualities and qualifications meant that each member’s participation was very vital since it shed crucial light on the group discussions. In this case, the nature of the work that was involved in winning technical bids that Graubart Chemtronics Company focused on required technical knowledge and participation of all members. Hence, the team was predisposed to a more collaborative leadership style. On the other hand, a full responsibility delegation on the group would not have been a good move for the team. In this case, a decision by Ned to delegate full responsibility to the group would make it difficult to reach the objective and agreeable conclusions. In Ned’s case, situational leadership plays out evidently since it is difficult to decide the leadership style that best fits the management of the team and hence the need to use a mix of approaches to ensuring productivity of the group.
The level of preparedness of people under an individual’s leadership plays a crucial part in determining the leadership approaches that can be used. In this case, a highly competent and motivated team can guide a leader towards a joint/participative and a delegative leadership approach (Warner & Goodall, 2009). However, in a team that lacks the necessary skills or motivation, a leader may be forced to use a democratic approach where he or she is highly involved in the decision-making process (Raelin, 2010). Approaches and models of leadership and the Ned Wicker Case have enabled me to have a better understanding of the leadership strategies that best fit different management scenarios. This appreciation will go a long way in assisting my critical action-learning project.
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