Towards a better growth score

Businesses need to align their learning strategies with corporate goals and also adapt them to suit the demands of the workforce.

- DR SANTOSH DHAR AND DR UPINDER DHAR

Organisations that fail to adjust their learning management practices and solutions often struggle with growth and productivity. Hence, leading companies are abandoning traditional methods in favor of more effective solutions—often involving technological innovations—that engage talent and improve performance.

Sustainable competitive advantage no longer arises exclusively from a position, scale, and first-order capabilities. It is ‘second-order’ organisational capabilities that often foster rapid adaptation. Those that thrive are quick to read and act on signals of change. They work out how to experiment rapidly, frequently, and economically—not only with products and services but also with business models, processes, and strategies. They build the necessary skills for managing complex, multi-stakeholder systems in an increasingly interconnected world.

Marsick and Watkins (1990) argued that more than ever, employees must undertake continuous and collective learning. Learning is now seen as a lifelong endeavor (Knapper and Cropley, 1991). In this ever-changing world, it becomes essential to understand how employees learn and think of the workplace. Learning in the workplace can only be successful if there is a commitment from employers (Kirby et al, 2003). Watkins and Marsick (1993) argued that, in addition to providing job training, organisations must consider factors such as the way in which work is designed, conditions in the external environment, reward systems, and governing policies.