Page 185 - DMGT406_HUMAN_RESOURCE_MANAGEMENT

Human Resource Management

Notes However, education within the organisation is considered as a better alternative as it
simultaneously ensures employees on-the-job activities and learning of new techniques
for their future roles. For example, some organisations with their in-house talents run
professional programmes for their employees like, Engineering Degree Courses of
Institute of Engineers, Indian Institute of Metals, Management Degree Courses of All
India Management Association, National Institute of Personnel Management, ICFAI
Business School, International Institute of Management Science, Professional Programmes
of Indian Society for Training and Development, National HRD Network, Academy of
HRD, etc. This is considered more cost-effective than the earlier two methods and this also
reduces the time-lag between the time of education experience and its application on the
new job.
Employee education calls for attitudinal changes of corporate leaders as they should be
prepared at the outset to invest in the future of individuals who may or may not remain
with the organisation. It is also necessary to identify individuals who are future oriented.
Evaluation of employee education is difficult when there is considerable time-lag between
learning and its actual on-the-job application.
Development

The development component of HRD is to conduct learning experiences for a future
undefined job. The focus being on a future undefined job an organisation, before going
ahead with employee development, the organisation must be able to identify individuals
who enjoy high risk and new undefined challenging jobs. Such risk takers may not
necessarily be confined to the higher levels of an organisation, even though conventionally,
development function rests with the higher levels only since decisions on investment in
employee development are taken at higher levels and, people at higher levels are
considered to be more knowledgeable (both by virtue of experience and educational
background) than people at lower levels. Hardly a few organisations consider it right to
risk the investment to develop employees at lower levels. However, experience shows,
carefully planned development experiences can be helpful in realising human potential,
irrespective of the hierarchical levels and functional areas.
Before the introduction of computers in Indian organisations, computer literacy was
considered as a development function. At present, however, TQM, business process
re-engineering, benchmarking, ISO:9000 quality systems, value engineering, etc., are
considered as new areas of development.
Valuation of employee development programmes is extremely difficult both in terms of
return on investment and application of learned experiences, for obvious time-lag, in the
organisation.
However, success of training, i.e. HRD efforts of an organisation in the form of education
and development programmes, largely depends on simultaneous changes in the
organisation, which is known as Organisational Development (OD). Changes in the
employee behaviour (for training, education and development programmes) is reinforced
by changes in the organisation by OD process, which uses many strategies and interventions.
Hence, HRD efforts should be in congruence with OD investments.

11.1 Need of HRD

HRD is needed by any organisation that wants to grow continuously. In the fast changing
environment, organisations can scale new heights only through the effective and efficient use of
human resources. Appropriate personnel policies help maintain employee motivation and morale
at a high level, but this alone may not help the organisation achieve success and venture into

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