Corporate learning is a phenomenon that promotes the development of unique employee talents and career aspirations. With the advent of technology, new technologies and models are to be introduced into the workplace areas. In order to design the outline for employees working for The Body Shop Company, it is critical to choose those instruments that would meet their needs. In particular, this paper proposes a three-day learning plan with a focus on methods, timeline, and learning management system (LMS) importance.
Proposed Methods and Technologies
To ensure that the employees would receive the necessary information and master their communication and relationship-building skills, three sessions would be offered in three different days. The first sessions would take place based on the method of the integrated collaborative workspace. The task of the instructor / educator is to prepare relevant topics to be discussed, such as conflict resolution tips, trust-building, and / or value co-creation (Nelis, 2014). The virtual platform where the members of a team can work in collaboration and share information is to be chosen from the following options: Google Docs, Sharepoint, or Zoho. The managers should be asked to upload documents and share them with employees, while the latter are expected to learn them and note any questions or suggestions.
The second session would be devoted to discussing knowledge and skills learned by employees in terms of the previous session. In particular, the method of web-conferencing seems to provide vivid opportunities for live meetings via the Internet, using such technology as WebEx Meeting Center, Slack, or Skype for Business (Li & Zheng, 2014). The WebEx Meeting Center is one of the most preferable online platforms that are distinguished by its feature of keeping the conference-related content after the meeting. In addition, the mentioned technology allows for resizing the screen and moving it if required.
The selection of web-conferencing and WebEx Meeting Center can also be justified by means of the cost-benefit analysis that is provided in the next section of this paper. These tools create an environment that promotes connectedness and team spirit.
The third training session is to be based on the use of microblogs, namely, Twitter. This last session would serve as the opportunity to share opinions and collectively identify further needs and changes. For example, the instructor would incorporate the community for discussing the activity of serving a client to understand his or her product preferences. The activities designed by the educator can be informally considered by employees, which are likely to improve their teamwork skills and listening techniques (Landers & Goldberg, 2014). In other words, the microblogging method promotes peer-to-peer learning, activates the decision-making skills of employees, and leads to greater mutual trust and respect within a team.
Cost-Benefit Considerations
Using the opportunities provided by modern technology, it is possible to improve customer satisfaction by focusing on their specific needs. For example, employee training requires significant spending, yet communication skills built as a result of this education would provide the benefits of the increased customer understanding and service quality (Hanaysha & Tahir, 2016). One should also emphasize the fact that when an employee clearly realizes what is needed for a particular client, the satisfaction of the latter would raise essentially.
Another area that clearly demonstrates the benefit of the suggested training program is travel costs. The solution significantly reduces the cost of business trips and is perfect for productive negotiations across the multiple stores of the company (Li & Zheng, 2014). By holding a meeting on the Web, the video-conferencing format would allow not to lose efficiency while exchanging and discussing documents, presentations, and applications in a convenient place and time.
As for the cost-benefit issue of the integrated collaborative workspace, one should state that it offers greater mutual respect, trust, and understanding, which promotes the occurrence and transition of new ideas and information. In turn, well-informed employees are likely to solve problems and build relationships more effectively. In the situation when employees of the Body Shop are spread across various geographical locations, their cooperation becomes especially important. For example, the Chinese personnel may note some required changes and share it with their UK-based colleagues so that they can design and implement relevant alterations.
The awareness of modern technology use at the workplace also presents the area of the cost-benefit analysis, where the advantages prevail over disadvantages. Innovations enter not only into customers’ lives but also employees’ daily routine, which makes them technology-savvy and aware of the latest advancements (Dodson, Kitburi, & Berge, 2015). Therefore, the staff training program is expected to help the employees in leveraging technology throughout the company and reaching new prospects.
Project Management Timeline
Reasons and Ways for Learning Management System
The implementation of the learning management system (LMS) is an innovative step towards the design and adoption of e-training. The use of this technology advancement makes the learning place much more powerful, interactive, and personalized (Conde et al., 2014). In other words, LMS provides a more comprehensive and high-quality approach to the process of education. The first reason for its implementation is not a mere shift to online training but establishing a platform for real experience. The ease with which LMS can be used in the workplace is one of the most vivid advantages.
Second, the factor of reliability is another reason for referring to LMS, which is accessible only to the company employees, who learn in virtual teams. The built-in communication tools also provide interaction opportunities. Third, LMS saves money and time due to its portability. The personnel can learn in case there is the Internet connection and any device, while the content remains easily adjustable (Conde et al., 2014). Among the ways to use LMS, there are online forums, chat platforms, videos, podcasts, and so on. One may also stress that the identified ways and reasons for using the learning management system promote advanced reporting, multimedia learning, and efficient management.
Conclusion
To conclude, a range of delivery methods are discussed in terms of this paper for the proposed employee training project. It is identified that there will be three learning sessions based on a virtual platform to present the relevant content, web-conferencing to discuss the questions and topics of interest, and microblog to share ideas and suggestions in an informal manner. The cost-benefit considerations are explored in such areas as technology awareness, customer satisfaction, travel costs, and collaborative workspace. Ultimately, the project management timeline as well as the reasons and ways for the LMS are clarified in terms of the given project.
References
Conde, M. Á., García-Peñalvo, F. J., Rodríguez-Conde, M. J., Alier, M., Casany, M. J., & Piguillem, J. (2014). An evolving learning management system for new educational environments using 2.0 tools. Interactive Learning Environments, 22(2), 188-204.
Dodson, M. N., Kitburi, K., & Berge, Z. L. (2015). Possibilities for MOOCs in corporate training and development. Performance Improvement, 54(10), 14-21.
Hanaysha, J., & Tahir, P. R. (2016). Examining the effects of employee empowerment, teamwork, and employee training on job satisfaction. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 219, 272-282.
Landers, R. N., & Goldberg, A. S. (2014). Online social media in the workplace: A conversation with employees. Psychology of Workplace Technology, 284-306.
Li, X., & Zheng, Y. (2014). The influential factors of employees’ innovative behavior and the management advices. Journal of Service Science and Management, 7(06), 446-450.
Nelis, J. M. (2014). An exploratory study into virtual learning environments as a training platform in the workplace. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, 7(3), 8-11.