Training as a business advantage: Motorola University
What are the major ways in which Motorola University contributes to the effective individual and organizational learning of its employees?
The existence of Motorola University is critical for improving the learning of employees hired by this corporation. In particular, it ensures that workers can quickly find the solutions to the problems arising in the workplace. Moreover, the management can prepare them for the tasks that are related to the functioning of specific business units. Additionally, this university is responsible for the evaluation of different training programs. This function is important for minimizing the costs of training and identifying those methods that enable workers to attain professional growth in the most effective way. Apart from that, one should note that the work of this university has enabled the company to save approximately $ 10 billion (Vance and Paik 210). Thus, one can argue that Motorola University has brought both tangible and intangible benefits which are important for the sustainability of this corporation and its long-term competitiveness. It should be noted that other large companies also highlight the importance of learning as a prerequisite for competitiveness.
How does Motorola’s commitment to training contribute to its distinct competitive advantage in the global marketplace?
The commitment to training is important for strengthening the competitiveness of the company in the market place. In particular, well-prepared workers are better able to satisfy the needs of clients whose loyalty is critical for the financial performance of any business (Vance and Paik 211). These employees can better understand what exactly potential clients expect from the company. Additionally, in this way, one can improve the efficiency of their work. In particular, the workers will know how to perform a certain task as quickly as possible. Thus, their productivity in their work is increased. These are the main issues that should be considered by HR managers.
What training activities can smaller and medium-sized firms use to build greater capability among employees to help it compete in the global marketplace and build a strong pipeline of talent in the long term?
Smaller businesses can take several steps in order to make sure that training supports the competitiveness of a business. In particular, they can launch orientation programs that help new hires understand the requirements set by employers. These programs should be implemented by mentors who are usually experienced, workers. These people know how various challenges can be addressed. They will play a critical role in promoting learning within the organization. Moreover, this approach is critical for the retention of the most qualified candidates. So, this policy can bring several benefits to businesses, but it does not require significant costs. To a great extent, this approach resembles some of the practices adopted by Motorola; according to the requirements, set by the company, each worker should have at least forty hours of training (Vance and Paik 210). These are the main recommendations that can be offered. Admittedly, small and medium-sized companies cannot create such organizations as Motorola University. However, they can adopt some of the best practices used by large corporations in order to improve the efficiency of the workforce. In many cases, these practices do not require considerable investments. These are the main details that can be singled out.
Developing employees across cultures
Even though Annette demonstrated a strong commitment to host country workforce training, is there any evidence that Aran was inadequately prepared for his new management position?
Although Annette was willing to help Thai workers, she failed to consider the cultural differences between these employees and French expatriates. In particular, she should have taken into account that these people could differ in terms of several important criteria such as attitudes towards independent initiatives, the willingness to critique the decisions of senior executives, or beliefs about risk-taking (Weihrich and Cannice 66). These differences often lead to disagreements, conflicts, or job dissatisfaction (Weihrich and Cannice 66). This knowledge of cross-cultural management could be useful for predicting the responses of people like Aran. Additionally, this information could be useful for avoiding conflicts in the workplace. In turn, Annette did not pay attention to these issues. These are the mistakes that she should amend in order to retain Thai employees such as Aran.
What kind of preparatory training could have been helpful for Aran to avoid the difficulties he experienced?
n turn, employees like Aran could have benefited from different types of training. One of them is related to the use of conflict resolution techniques. In particular, this person should remember that avoidance of conflicts is not always productive because this strategy cannot lead to the solution of various problems such as the existence of ineffective workplace procedures (Barnes 107). Moreover, this strategy can intensify the dissatisfaction of employees. These are some of the challenges that Aran was not ready for because he did not even talk to French expatriates. Additionally, Aran should have learned more about cross-cultural differences and their impact on the workplace behavior of people. These are some of the details that should not be overlooked by managers working in companies that operate at the international level.
What kind of training could have been helpful for the general Thai workforce at ATZ?
On the whole, the training of the Thai workforce should lay stress on the importance of leadership in the company. This concept incorporates several important elements such as the willingness to take initiatives or readiness to express disagreement with the policies of the management, especially if they do not increase the productivity of a business. This approach is important for the identification of problems as quickly as possible. The employees of this business should be ready for working in a global company in which employees can have different values and worldviews. To a great extent, this training can make them more resilient to various stressors. These are the main advantages of this approach.
What are some possible ways in which training for Aran and the other ATZ workers could be provided more effectively?
On the whole, the effectiveness of training can be improved if the management does not focus only on the technical aspects of their work. More attention should be paid to the peculiarities of workplace procedures in the organization. These people should know more about such things as the flow of information within the company, conflict resolution, and negotiation. As it has been said before, they should be ready for working in a global company in which the cultural values of people can differ. In this way, one can prepare workers for possible challenges such as disagreements with the employees who occupy a higher position in the workplace hierarchy. They should remember that in many cases, workers can be reluctant to criticize the actions of managers, even when they adversely affect the performance of businesses. This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided.
What recommendations do you have for Annette as she plans for her meeting with Aran?
If Annette intends to communicate with Aran, she should stress several points. At first, she should mention that this conflict is largely caused by misunderstanding. In particular, French expatriates could simply overlook the differences in workplace cultures. These people did not distrust Thai workers; moreover, they did not intend to insult local employees. Furthermore, Annette can stress the idea that the conflict is not related to Aran’s incompetence. More likely, these difficulties can be attributed to the fact that in the past he did not work in an international company This is one of the points that can be distinguished. This strategy can help Annette persuade Aran to return.
Works Cited
Barnes, Bruce. Culture, Conflict, and Mediation in the Asian Pacific, New York: University Press of America, 2007. Print.
Vance, Charles, and Yongsun Paik. Managing a Global Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in International Human Resource Management, New York: Routledge, 2014. Print.
Weihrich, Heinz, and Mark Cannice. Management, New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2010. Print.