Human Resource Management By Dr. Debashish Sengupta

Learning Process & Trainers 10 CHAPTER Human Resource Management

Key Terms Accommodator Assimilator Converger Diverger Honey & Mumford Learning Styles Richard M Felder and Eunice R Henriques Human Resource Management

Learning Knowledge: Information gathered & processed provides greater clarity to facilitate greater understanding of job and job context is called knowledge. Knowledge can provide better visibility into content, procedure and usage (time, manner and degree) of information. Skills: The capabilities required to execute a set of tasks in a job are called skills. Attitude: An individual’s orientation which reflects a preference or non-preference affecting one’s behavior is called attitude. Human Resource Management

The Process of Learning For a trainer it is important to understand the process of learning since training is all about creating an opportunity for the same. As a trainer one is expected to not only make participants feel that it is an opportunity but also ensure that they make most of this opportunity. Besides if a trainer understands how learning actually takes place, he/she can position himself/ herself better in terms of planning, resource- development and execution. Human Resource Management

Learning Styles a) Reflectors: Thoughtful, observant, good listeners, think-back on experiences and take time to arrive upon a decision. b) Theorists: Rational and objective, they can integrate / assimilate observation into theories that are usually complex but objective. c) Activists: Thrive on new experiences and are bored soon by something they have been doing for a while. Many a times act in haste in their quest for change. Human Resource Management

Learning Theories Besides the usual learning theories like classical conditioning, operant conditioning etc., we shall primarily focus on two learning theories: A. Social Learning Theory Any event or consequence in a learning environment is cognitively processed before one learns them so as to influence his/her behaviour. The Theory states that human beings learn through four steps – a) Attention : Attention to external stimuli (models) b) Retention: Retention of information related to stimuli. Enough motivation for retention must be there. Human Resource Management

B. Adult Learning Theory Adults primarily learn through experience B. Adult Learning Theory Adults primarily learn through experience. They experience, process the stimuli cognitively, generalize and apply their learning other elements in the environment. Kolb’s adult experiential learning cycle specifies four steps through which learning takes place: a) Experiencing: The stimuli are picked-up by all five senses, in case of trainees primarily through eyes and ear. b) Processing: Such Stimuli are cognitively processed to create meanings. Human Resource Management

The Learning Curve Learning especially skill learning follows an S-shaped curve. On y-axis we have a measure of some skill whereas on x-axis we take the number of trials. There is an initial stagnant period, depicting a slow progress at initial stages. Thereafter there is steep increase or a burst of learning which occurs after sometime. And finally there is plateau. The plateau instead of depicting a point of stagnation actually represents a point of stability. Human Resource Management

The Learning Curve Human Resource Management

Implications for Trainers The learning curve is common for most forms of training. The implications for trainees are as under: a) Learning-by-doing is the best way of learning. b) Practice should be incorporated in training. c) Repeat at times to advance the ‘learning burst’. Human Resource Management

Transfer of Learning One of the biggest challenge confronting most training managers is how to ensure that whatever is imparted in the training room, is translated on to the actual job. Transfer of learning needs involvement (of line managers, right of need formulation) relevance (of the program) and measurement (of how effective it was to apply the KSAs learnt during training in the job). Human Resource Management