GREAT ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

GROUP MEMBERS

LEAH MUDYIWA M188238

LOVENESS S MAZVIHWA M180691

RUFARO KENAS M187224

CLARA WATADZA M163042

SARAH WILSON M180363

RUTENDO HAVADI M171217

NYASHA RUNGANO M187967

BRIAN O MASEPA M180365

KUDZAIISHE CHINOFURA M188648

QUESTION: Using examples examine the impact of learning and development strategy in
enhancing organizational performance.
Gales defined Learning as the behavioural modification which occurs as a result of experience as
well as training. The primary objective is to empower them with the knowhow and expertise
required to perform their jobs efficiently.According to Elizabeth Hurlock, development means a
progressive series of changes that occur in an orderly predictable pattern as a result of maturation
and experience Alex R. Miller and Gregory G. Dess (1996), define “Strategy as a set of plans or
decisions made in an effort to help organizations achieve their objectives.Cherrington (1989)
defined organizational performance as a concept of success or effectiveness of an organization,
and as an indication of the organizational manner that it is performing effectively to achieve its
objectives effectively.Thus the question requires one to show the effects of learning and
development strategy in enhencing organisational perfomance.though there are quiet a number of
positive outcomes as a result of learning and development on organisational perfomance, this
paper will mainly focus on,employee retainment,developing future leaders,employee
empowerment,boosts workplace engagement, and that it builds workplace relationships.

To commence with, the impact of Learning & Development strategy is that it Attracts Top
Talent .Investing in learning and development has a flood of positive outcomes. One particular
benefit is that your organization will attract better talent. A prospect is much more likely to join
your company if you have a strong focus on employee development. 87% of Millennials say that
personal development or career growth opportunities are important to them, so give the talent
what they want. When carefully crafted, a brand can communicate how successful your
organization is, and the position your organization holds in the industry. Learning and
development can improve your organization’s reputation and help to attract new talent. A strong
brand communicates a clear message to prospective employees. For example, the iphone Apple
brand has a good reputation because it attracts unique talent leading to unique innovations which
enhances a positive organizational performance. .

Adding on, another impact of learning and development strategy is retention. Retention is a
voluntary move by an organization to create an environment which engages employees for the
long term” Chaminade. Cascio (2003) perceived retention as initiatives which the management
takes to prevent employees from leaving the organization.Retention is a major challenge for
employers but retaining strong workers can be achieved through career development. In fact,
training and development has become so centralized within businesses that it is often used as a
competitive advantage when hiring. Offering career development initiatives helps employees
establish a sense of value within the company and fosters loyalty, ultimately resulting in
increased staff retention and a 59% decrease turnover rate. For example at an organization like
Toyota which offers apprentice programmes, employees are more likely to stay for long since
they would have a sense of belonging hence lowering the rate of staff turnover which results in
enhanced production and organizational performance.

Targeting employees with the skills for future leadership can be vital in establishing a business
for growth and evolution. Leadership talent can be acquired through new hires, or HR
professionals can select current employees as managerial candidates. According to the Society
for Human Resources Management (SHRM), having proffessional development
programms ensures an organization is focused on future business goals by preparing promotable
talent. Providing opportunities for professional development can have a significant impact on a
workplace. Through learning, employees can refresh skills or identify those they need to work
on. They can choose to develop role-specific expertise, or they can develop soft skills, which are
becoming increasingly sought after in the digital age. For example after learning and
development an organization must have a percentage increase in skill and production, if an
employee could save 5 clients per hour after learning and development the same employee
should be able to save 8 or more, hence a positive impact on organizational performance.

Another impact is that it empowers employees .Leaders who feel empowered within the
workplace will be more effective at influencing employees and gaining their trust. Consequently,
those employees will feel a greater sense of autonomy, value, and confidence within their work.
SHRM defines employee autonomy as the extent to which an employee feels independent and
can makes their own decisions about the work they do. In fact, Forbes measured empowerment
and ingagement in data from over 7,000 employees and found that employees who felt a low
level of empowerment were rated with engagement in the low rankings of the 24th percentile,
compared to those who felt a high level of empowerment and were in the 79th percentile.

Furthermore Boosting of  Workplace Engagement is also a positive impact in finding ways to

booster the consistent engagement of employees can diminish boredom in the workplace,
training and development initiatives can prevent workplace idleness and in turn will help
businesses establish regular re-evaluation of their employees, skills and processes. Furthermore,
it will influence company culture by instilling an emphasis on planning and can prompt company
analysis and planning as it requires employers to review existing talent and evaluate growth and
development opportunities internally, rather than via recruitment.

Learnimg and development also has an impact in a way that it builds workplace relationship,
providing opportunities for employees to explore new topics, refine their skills and expand their
knowledge can help your team members bond with each other. During these training and
development sessions, they will tackle new challenges together. They can also lean on one
another for various learning opportunities by collaborating with colleagues who have specific
areas of expertise. Research has shown that peer collaboration is actually their preferred method
of learning. Learning from each other’s strengths not only leads to a more well-rounded
workforce, but those bonds can also improve retention and engagement.

It can also be noticed that learning and development enables better futures, amongst many other
things, education opens your mind up to new ways of thinking. It contributes to a society being
geopolitically stable and it leads to economic stability. That aside, think about your creative
heroes. Robert De Niro would have been terrible in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull without his
acting education!We wouldn’t be making a worldwide effort to rid the oceans of plastic, if it
wasn’t for David Attenborough educating us about the inevitable dangers (otherwise known as
The Attenborough Effect). Education creates inspiration.

Conclusively, an organization is not separate from its employees. Investing in the learning and
development of the employees results in sustainable business performance. In today's dynamic
work environment, employees hunt for new learning and development opportunities to enhance
their productivity. L&D plays an imperative role in augmenting the knowledge of employees and
in developing their skills to improve their performance, enhance their productivity, and attain
sustainable organizational performance. An example is that of continuously training and
developing employees on new technology and new machinery so as to improve skill and have a
competitive advantage, hence improved and positive organizational performance is achieved.

REFENCE

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development. California Management Review, 1968, 11, 73-78.

Campbell, J. P., & Dunnette, M.. 0.. Effectiveness of T-group experience in managerial

training and development. Psychological Bulletin, 1968, 70, 73-104.

House, R. J. T-group education and leadership effectiveness: A review of the empirical

literature and a critical evaluation. Personnel Psychology, 1967, 20, 1-32

Schmuck, R. A.., Runkel, P. J., & Langmeyer, D .. Improving organizational problem

solving in a school faculty. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1969, 5, 455-

482 ..