Human Resources Manager is professional that help to provide and tailored training for employee need. Human Resources Manager also regulates and maintains an employment relationship between employers and its employees. These relationships help to bring out the best in employee performance at work. According to Rainbird, Munro & Holly 2004 Human Resources Manager helps to identify the model of how organization works and help to bring the interest of the employers and employees on certain issues in order for the employers and employees to work together and achieve better goals and a better working environment. This could be achieved by training of the employer and employees which are organized by the Human Resources Department. Human Resources Manager sometime plan training activities for the employees which may not necessary be for the employee but this training is meant to benefit the organization. Management priorities their training activities they choose the type of training they want to be involved in (Rainbird, Munro and Holly, 2004). "Human Resources Manager stands as a mediator between the employees and employers the quality and availability of learning in the workplace depends on the relationship between the organization and it employees. The interest of learning depends on how the organization and its employees views learning and training in the workplace". When an employee's feels that the organization care about their well being this give the employees a sense of belonging and in return the employees make himself available for the organization example; the employees take place in training activities and sometimes work long hours when the need arises. The relationship between the employer and its employees plays a fundamental role in learning in the workplace. Human Resources Manager helps to maintain this relationship (Fox, 1966).
According to Rainbird, Munro and Holly, 2004 the Human Resources Development adopts a system which are unitary which help to stimulate the relationship between the employer and its employees this result in training and human resources development. Example the Human Resources Managers help to bring the interest of both employees and employers together. This action allows the employees and the employers to agree on common goals and give a sense of leadership at workplace. Employees are sometimes sent on training activities which are not in line with work schedules or work plan but are needed for the growth of the organization but employees might find the training unnecessary the Human Resources Manager help to stimulate this relationship. Human Resources Managers might be during this when the organization is struggling financially and the organization needed to make redundancies and bring the organization back in profit. Human Resources Department helps to retrain employees so that employees can work in a different department and continue to be in employment or when employees too are taking up different workloads or job responsibilities.
Workplace learning could be defined as the efforts that workers undertake to gain knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to be more effective in carrying out day to day job responsibility. The relationship between the employers and the employees determine how learning is viewed and the effectiveness of learning in the workplace (Muhamad and Idris, 2005). This relationship also determines the type of learning; quality and the availability of learning that take place in the workplace. The type of learning that is available in the workplaces is based on organization region, organization's interest and the business focus. The size of an organization can also determine the type of learning and training that is available for its employees.
Workplace learning is more about filling staff or skill vacancies, inducting new employees via informal apprenticeship and providing workers with the ability and knowledge to obtain problem solves skills that are specific to their organization and its remit. Workplace learning can also be known as an effort taken by employees to participate in training in order to acquire skill and knowledge. Workplace learning is skills and knowledge which are learnt by an individual or a group of people but are specific to organization. Organizations are known to send it employee on training to learn a particular skill which is required for a task within the organization (Garavan, 2002).
According to Becker, 1962 organization only invests in skills that will only be of great importance and benefit to the organization directly. The willingness of organization to invest in skills, learning and education in the workplace are highly discouraged and the percentage of organization that take part in training activities of its employees are reducing. Employers training plan for each employee varies. A manager might receive more training activities than a salesman that deal with the customer's needs. Employers have been known to privatize its training plans so some percentage of employees received training and learning frequently more than others in the workplace. The employer only pays for learning activities or pay part of learning when the organization knows that the knowledge required are specific and that its knowledge cannot be found anywhere. When employers know that this knowledge can be found elsewhere they are happy to divert the cost of learning. Employers are happy to offer basic training and learning activities to its employees. Example the training of health and safety at work these are basic training activities that are legally bound by the government that every employee must be thought about (Ziderman, 1996). The willingness of adults to take part in vocational learning is based on personal motivation and ambition.
This action by employers has made some country government to be involved in training and learning activities in workplace. Example In China when the private training market were not able to meet the requirement of skills that is needed in the job market due to investment and improve hi-tech changes the government plays an important role for skills transformation. The government invested in training activities by providing an alternative training centre and making the environment conducive for an employer and its employees to involve in training in the workplace. The government knew the importance of learning and do not want it citizen to be laid back in training and learning. These actions taken by the government draw investor in the country where the government can gain back some the resources it invested in training. These actions also provide employment opportunity for its citizens (Ziderman, 1996).
According to Lo, L., Lai, M and Xiao, J(2005) the studies of Shanghais its aspiration and determination to encourage learning in the workplace. It is known that certain measures were taken of its determination to become the "first rate" international economic, financial and commercial center (Jianshe Shanghai yiliu jiaoyu keti zonghezu, 1996; Shanghai jiancheng "san ge zhongxin" shehui shiye fazhan guihua yanjiu ketizu, 1994). For Shanghais being "first rate" it has to maintain a competitive edge and provide "first rate" education beyond school. The changes in the workplace where affected by both internal and external factors. "The emergence of the market economy and some factor like openness has encouraged organization to make internal changes in the organization and in manufacturing. These also bring about withdrawal of state protection for state-owned enterprises which bring about the termination of national allocation of production quota and resource distribution. The introduction of new employment policy meant the demise of the cohesive job assignment system. This meant that organization flexibility in directing its own human resources department and allows mobility in the job market for employees. These allow the organization to be able to plan, focus and strategies it training and learning activities" (Lo, L., Lai, M. and Xiao, J. 2005).
The new employment law brings about stability which allows the organization and its human resources manager is able to strategically plan and encouraged learning in the workplace. Learning and training for individual employees were different to the other. Employees received leaning and training activities that best appropriate for their need and to carry job activities these meant shanghais were ahead of the country. The policy allows and encouraged vocational learning for adult. An adult who does not have secondary education has the opportunity to do so. It was recorded that about 283,000 adults participated in secondary school enrollment and 82,000 adults enrolled in higher education's (Shanghai Statistics Bureau, 1998).
The change in employment law in shanghai has created more learning opportunities in the workplace. Organizations now determine its own training to suit the requirement of its employees. The Human Resources Department is able to effectively plan training and learning activities for its employees depending on own capacity. "Sometime the organizations often send the employees on training courses which are offered from education agencies in the community". Training activities for each employee are different to the other. The level of education attained by an employee will determine the type of training activities that will be planned for such employee by the Human Resources Manager. Employee in different education categories receives different kinds of training. Example employee who does not attain a secondary education might need more training than an employee who gain a degree in education this will also by the position and the number of years in services of such employee. In skill improvement training an employee who is a graduate vocational and technical school requires less attention than that of their counterpart from the academic stream. It is known that employee require on the job training regardless of education achieve. Example an employee who has just gained a degree in accounting at most time has got theoretical knowledge but has not got practical and on the job knowledge such employees will need training to be able to carry out job responsibilities effectively. So training activities that are designed for an employee allows the employee to perform at a certain level of expectation which is required for certain occupations. Training activities are meant to improve to improve the capability of an employee so that they can carry out their daily activities more effectively.
The Human Resources Department plan in house training these are training activities that take place at work (Lai & Lo, 1996; Lo, 1993; Lo & Lee, 1996). There are different kinds of education and training activities that are available for employees. Informal learning at work are learning that takes place at work this training are designed to provide knowledge, skills and attitudes which can bring about transformation in a workplace or make the workplace more interesting and successful. Informal learning is knowledge and skills which are learnt outside the activities of a workplace. Employees learn from day to day job responsibilities. These are skill that has not been taught to employees but are learnt from day to day job duties (Marsick and Watkins, 1990). Non formal adult education stands as a training courses, short training courses, lecture and workshop which are offered on-site and by off-site education agencies. These courses are meant to transform and are structured to meet the need of an employee in a workplace (Colletta, 1994). The relationship of an organization and its employees determine the social relationship in a workplace.
According to Government of Malaysia the Human Resources department was used to develop and create a strong human resource base to support the development of knowledge bases economy and to enhance productivity and competitiveness. The Malaysia government develops its human resources department so that its citizen could be more productive. The Malaysia government also set up a fund to help the development of human resources due to the government plan to support the development of knowledge based economy and enhances productivity and competitiveness. The competition from global regional level also plays an important part in the government decision to support human resources development in Malaysia. The creation of World Trade Organization (WHO) and the ASEAN free Trade Area (AFTA) means that to compete in the international and domestic market that all employees in different sector had to be retrained and updated their skills.
The constant technology changes meant that all employees have to train regularly to be able to compete in global markets and acquire knowledge and skill that are needed in the global market. The skills often change constantly this is due to the invention of new ideas and technology. The Government realizes that for employees to work in full capacity and be productive there need to be a form of training, encouragement and the need to empower to such employee. The Government also realizes that the human resources department serves as a medium between the organization and the employees because the department is responsible to make sure that each employee are trained and equipped for the task at work. The Malaysian government is committed to support training and education through human resources development the government sets up a program that mandated the employers in the private sector to contribute 1% of their total salary enrolment to the fund. These funds were used for the development of human resources and promote workplace learning and training so that Malaysia can become knowledge based economy and promotes competitiveness and productivities (Government of Malaysia, 2001).
Human Resources Manager has an exact way in people management in a workplace. Human Resources Manager also helps in fulfilling the planned and the purpose of an organization which includes the goals of employees' commitment, flexibility and assimilation. Human Resources Manager is known to achieve these goals by providing training for employees. Human Resources Manager needs to direct or be in-charge of training and learning in one place because the skills required by each employee are often differing from one people to another. Human Resources Manager is able to maintain and encouraged employees to participate in training and learning activities in workplace. By explaining the importance of the training activities to employee and its importance in day to day job duties. Human Resources Manager also tells employees that training activities will enhance the performance of employees in a workplace. The degree of an employee's performance to carry out job responsibilities at the workplace can be determined by what has been taught. It is also known that not all skills are learnt through Human Resources Manager because employees pick up skills that are not taught. These skills are picked up by employees from day to day job responsibilities. Example a cashier might have a better and faster way to balance up the petty cash book. These skills might not have been taught but the employees might just find out a way without being able to properly explain the method.
The learning opportunities for workers can generally be differentiated as on-site learning and off-site learning the Human Resources Manager are in a good position to maintain and handle this (Lo, L., Lai, M. and Xiao, J., 2005). For work place learning to be effective Human Resources Manager should be in charge of training activities because Human resources manager plan training activities strategically to meet employee needs so that the employee might be able to carry out job duties responsibly. When planning training activities of an employee human resources manager bears in mind the employee job responsibilities make sure that the training is directed to make employee discharge their duties effectively. To make sure that training and learning activities at workplace are effective the Human Resources Manager makes a survey like questionnaires and get feedback from employees who has participate in training. These questionnaires are meant to see the effectiveness of training on employees and the areas that needs improvement. Human Resources Manager is in charge of these questionnaires. The question is sent out to all the employees will participate in the training however, it is known that not all employees who take part in training wants to take part in the survey. When the questionnaires come back from the participant the human resources department collates the result from the questionnaires and to check the effectiveness of training and how the employee are applying the knowledge or skills taught from training on their day to day job duties. These questionnaires give the human resources manager the insight of knowledge gain and how this knowledge could be improved or enhanced. Human Resources manager creates an important such as self renewal organization climate. "Human resources manager empowers employees and create continues learning cultures, teach the employees about the importance, the need and the valve of gaining knowledge, skills throughout ones careers. This teaching by the human resources manager serves as an empowerment to an employee which will make some employee more determine and focus in acquiring skills and knowledge because the employee understand the valve of training (Sancez, Kranus, White & Williams, 1999).
For learning to be effective and human resources manager to function at full capacity in a workplace some factors are required within the organization. The Organization needs to know the changes in technology and working condition. The need of customer, managers and employees should be the heart of the Organization because when an employee need are meant such employee work at full capacity and feel that the organization is it family. Employees need a wide-range of professional connection outside work with friend and supplier these are important to learning because learning also takes place when we interact with one another. A survey to see the impact of learning by employee also encourages learning in the work place. The need of management to participate and encouraged training in workplace. Organization needs to learn new things and explore what has already been learnt so that they do not fall as a victim of learning because learning is important for the growth of an organization (Jaw, and Liu, 2003).
According Gold, J and Thorpe, R. 2003 while most of us embrace training and the development of Human Resources some percentage of small and medium sized enterprises thinks that taking part in training activities is a waste of time and resources. The small and the medium size enterprises are worried about their survival than the growth of the business. These enterprises are small are mostly run by a few people and their main concern is how the business is going to survive also with this in mind the small and medium enterprises do not take part in training to have a human resources manager to oversee the business. How the business is coping, the staff and customer relation. The small and medium enterprises should be encouraged to participate in training. This might enhance the survival of the enterprises.
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