Cutting it: Learning and Work Performance in Hairdressing Salons Case Study

Introduction

This paper is an analysis of a case study titled, ‘Cutting it: Learning and Work Performance in Hairdressing Salons’. The study involves research carried out in the UK hairdressing sector. By observing and interviewing employees in four franchised hair salons, Lee and his fellow researchers are able to show the different methods in which formal and informal methods of learning are organized.

It covers the relationships between learning at work, how the work is organized and performance of both the organization and the individual employees. The work in this case study is organized by the franchise heads who also oversee the learning process and customer service requirements.

An analysis of the case study discusses the strategies used, how they influence implementation of learning both for the organization and the individual. It also discusses the driving forces and restraining forces of to the implementation of the strategies. Lastly, it lists solutions that could reduce the restraining forces.

Learning and work have become inextricably linked and reinforcing each other as genuine areas of endeavor for second or alter modern people and needs (Caims 2011, p. 73). For this reason, organizations are taking steps to ensure that their employees are learning so that they can maximize profits and increase efficiency.

In past years, learning has had a strong influence on the workplace, with organization viewing it as a product. However, this is no longer the case as organizations now see learning as more of a process than a product (Hager 2011, p. 44).

In the case study, the company involved has two training centers for the off-the-job training of apprentices and has working partnerships with other local colleges (Lee et al. 2005). To ensure proper learning, the two companies in the case study have come up with several strategies.

Below are various strategies used in the case study:-

• Service training that involve group work and role play. This makes learning more enjoyable and easier to remember.
• Technical training that involves cutting and colouring techniques on blocks, dummies or volunteer models.
• Rotating buddy system in which apprentices are assigned to a stylist or sometimes more than one stylist as a learner. After a certain period, the apprentice then moves on to another stylist. In this way, they learn different methods from different experience stylists
• Workshops, seminars, exhibitions, competitions and shows where they learn new techniques and improve their interpersonal skills.
• An artistic team drawn from all of the company’s franchises. This team specializes in high fashion techniques and represents the company franchises at shows, external demonstrations and photo shoots.
• Learning by observing among the stylists both experienced and inexperienced.
• In house training by specialist product manufacturers. They teach the stylists about new products.
• Encouraging employees to take ownership of some clients as a way of building customer service and employee performance.

There are various ways in which the learning strategy is chosen in this case study. The strategy is chosen mainly depending on experience. Apprentice stylists are trained differently than experienced stylists. Apprentice stylists undergo both formal training and informal training while on the job.

Formal training is carried out in the company training school and within the salons themselves through training days and training evenings (Lee et al. 2005). The salons have a trainer either from the franchisee or from another franchise. Older and more experienced stylists, however, are encouraged to attend organized workshops, seminars, shows, exhibitions and competitions.

This strategy seems to eliminate the risk that the notion of learning collectively in order to achieve organizational purposes seems to compromise the autonomy of the individual learner (Boreham and Morgan 2004). As apprentices, they are trained as individuals and as experienced workers they are trained collectively as an organization.

There are certain structural, functional, environmental and cultural factors influencing the choice and implementation of a learning strategy. The structure of the four salons mentioned in the case study is one that is highly centralized. Even though the franchisees are considered to be the owners of the business, they are required to conduct their businesses within strict parameters laid out by each parent company (Lee et al. 2005). These parameters include training and recruitment.

The use of watching as a learning tool in this case study is caused by structural factors that influence choice in learning. It has been argued that the person who is expected to teach in the workplace is the supervisor but due to their formal role, they may not be the most effective (Boud and Middleton 2003, p.194).

The implementation of a learning strategy consists of certain fundamental issues and these could influence employees. According to Cook and Yanow (1993), although groups produce learning and change in individuals, those changes are often challenged when these individuals return from their training to the organization (p. 373). In the case study, the older employees, already used to a certain culture, are expected to attend organized workshops, seminars and shows to learn new techniques and pass them on to other stylists.

Their training may not end up getting to the trainees and this may affect the organization negatively. This just proves Senge’s sentiment that most visions are one person’s vision imposed on an organization (Senge 2006). Like with all learning strategies, the one discussed here comes with driving forces and restraining forces.

GOAL-To implement a good learning strategy in a franchise and to maximize profits

Solutions

Certain measures could be taken to reduce or eliminate the restraining forces to accomplishing of learning goals. In this case study, the autonomy that is evident for the franchisee is in their choice of appropriate training days, their format and design (Lee et al. 2005).

They lack the power to decide the content of what their employees are learning. Learning requirements of employees are bound to be different depending on location and clientele. A loosening of the franchisors’ hold on the franchisees might allow them to come up with a different learning method that may be more creative and customized for their clients.

According to Lee et al (2005), the two companies in the case study are family owned. The owners of the franchises were trained and worked for the franchise before they became owners. This may be a limiting factor in their development of new ideas. A shift away from the group identity that is evident in the subjects in this case study would also be a great solution to the barriers.

It would be advisable to question the system, to inject it with new blood and to find different and maybe better methods of learning. The individuality would be a strong point towards accomplishing an employee’s personal vision. An organization made up of genuinely compliant people would be light-years ahead of most organizations in productivity and cost effectiveness (Senge 2006).

Conclusion

When it comes to learning, each organization has its own method and so do the employees. Fuller and Unwin (2011) argues that organizational learning depends to a large extent on whether both workers and the management are pursuing similar interests (p. 50). The analysis of this case study has brought a clear understanding of the good and the bad of learning strategies especially those embraced by franchises.

As far as learning is concerned in this case study, the advantages of being a franchisee outweigh the disadvantages. Lee et al, however, notes at the end that, the company’s culture of trying to impress the customer may have been extended to the researchers too thus influencing their results (Lee et al 2005). This takes away the credence of this study and suggests that a different study method should be considered.

Reference List

Boreham, N., & Morgan, C., 2004. A sociocultural analysis of organizational learning. Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 30, No. 3. pp. 307-325.

Boud, D., & Middleton, H. (2003). Learning from others at work: communities of practice and informal learning. Journal of work place learning, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp 194-202.

Caims, L., 2011. Learning in the Workplace: Communities of practice and beyond: The sage handbook of workplace learning. London: Sage Publications.

Cook, S.D.N., & Yanow, D., 1993. Culture and Organisational learning. Journal of Management enquiry, Vol. 24, No 3, pp. 373-390.

Fuller, A., & Unwin, L., 2011. Workplace Learning and the organization. ,in M. Malloch, L Cairns, K. Evans and B. O’Connor (eds). London: SAGE Publications

Hager, P., 2011. Theories of workplace learning. in M. Malloch, L.Cairns, K. Evans and B. O’Connor (eds). London: SAGE Publications.

Lee, T., Ashton, D., Bishop, D., Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Jewson, N., & Unwin, L., 2005.

Cutting it: Learning and Work Performance in Hairdressing Salons. Web. Web.

Senge, P.M., 2006. The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday.