Introduction
Starbucks Company is a great enterprise including the chain of coffeehouses all over the world; this is a big organization producing coffee and offering its services to its customers. Currently, it is undergoing changes that require to start and implement reorganization in case the company wants to gain a large market share and remain competitive in the market.
For instance, employees lack skills, products are of low quality, and customers are moving away (Landy et al., 2010). In order for Starbucks to triumph in the competitive business environment, it needs to maximize its productivity and minimize losses (Mariane, 2009).
This is possible due to Human Resource Development. According to Garavan (2010), Human Resource Development concentrates on improving the performance of an organization. This means that Starbucks will greatly benefit from Human Resource Development.
For instance, Human Resource Development will ensure that Starbucks grows and develops by supporting the business, sharing knowledge and training its personnel.
The Role of Human Resource Development within Starbucks
According to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, Human Resource Development should assess the needs of an organization and address them accordingly (Reilly, 2008).
The needs of Starbucks include a proper specialization of the workers, increase in the profit margin and effective training programs (Landy et al., 2010).
The identification of these needs will assist the Human Resource Development manager to implement programs that address these issues. As a result, problems like unskilled workers and dissatisfied customers will end.
Training and development play the main role in Human Resource Development. According to the theory of teaching, effective learning entails the right content, place and time of training (Gilley, 2009). In Starbucks, it is the role of Human Resource Development manager to identify the right content and context of learning.
This will assist in eradication of incidences like the closure of Starbucks for three hours (Landy et al., 2010). Additionally, loyal Starbucks’ customers will not complain because they will not realize that training is to take place.
The contributions of Human Resource Development to Starbucks
According to the principles of management, Human Resource Development should enhance unity of strength and command (Stewart, 2010). This means that employees and employers should work collaboratively and share the knowledge and skills that they have.
For instance, if the CEO and the top management of Starbucks work in team with Human Resource Development manager, the organization will thrive in the business environment. This is because they will be able to identify problems that Starbucks faces and come up with the effective solutions.
Human Resource Development should ensure that there is equity between the need of a company and that of a person. The scientific management theory states that employees and employers should forget about their own needs for the sake of the organization (Blackman, 2010).
Employees and employers of Starbucks should focus on the needs of the customers. If a Human Resource Development manager had taken part in workers training, Starbucks could not have closed the business for three hours. Any delay in running business portrays negligence of customers’ needs (McLagan, 2010).
Human Resource Development is like a backbone of Starbucks. This is because Human Resource Development manager engages in activities like recruitment of employees and skills development (Gilley, 2009). Recruitment entails hiring qualified workers who are able to provide quality services.
Skills development involves the training of the current workers so that they will become more competent. This shows that Human Resource Development will contribute to the success of Starbucks by ensuring that the company will have the skilled workers who are able to prepare coffee of high quality.
Human Resource Development Issues Facing Starbucks
Human Resource Development manager plays a critical role in running of an organization because he/she controls all the activities via training and development of the workers (Blackman, 2010).
If Starbucks does not invest in Human Resource Development, issues concerning employees’ qualifications, customers’ dissatisfaction and inappropriate expenditure are likely to arise in the next three or five years.
Most of the employees will lack the required skills because they will not have someone to train and guide them to ensure that learning is a continuous process.
For example, Landy et al. (2010) explain that employees receive a three hours training without follow up. According to the principles of learning, onetime training is an ineffective teaching technique (Reilly, 2008).
This is because people learn the best when the tutor teaches them and follow them up to ensure that they are practicing the correct thing. Customers’ dissatisfaction will arise because unskilled employees and employers cannot adequately address the needs of clients.
For example, in the absence of Human Resource Development manager, Starbucks is likely to close again in order to train employees, and this will lead to customers’ dissatisfaction. Finally, Starbucks is likely to spend more money on employees’ development if it does not consult the Human Resource Development manager.
As a Human Resource Development manager, my focus concerning the aforementioned issues is placed on employees training, career development and organization growth. Employees training will increase the workers’ competencies.
As a result, they will make coffee of high quality, thus attracting many customers. Career development entails organization changes, like recruiting and outsourcing (Stewart, 2010). Career development empowers employees with skills and knowledge.
Empowerment of Starbucks’ employees will alleviate issues like workers’ and customers’ dissatisfaction. Finally, Human Resource Development manager should assist in organization growth by engaging in planning activities.
If Starbucks involves Human Resource Development manager in the planning activities, it will realize the need of more personnel. For instance, it may not need to stop recruiting Human Resource Development personnel.
Recommendations
According to the above analysis, Starbucks management team does not have adequate knowledge about the role and contribution of Human Resource Development to the company’s promotion and progress. Therefore, the Starbucks top management and the CEO need to engage in Human Resource Development activities with a positive attitude towards learning.
Moreover, Starbucks can hire Human Resource Development personnel and incorporate them into the training programs. Additionally, the top management should realize the role of Human Resource Development and see it as an asset and not a liability. Finally, Starbucks needs to change its attitude towards training as a onetime activity and invest in continuous employees training.
Conclusion
Human Resource Development is the greatest asset of an organization. This is because Blackman (2010) states that Human Resource Development contributes to the growth of an organization through employees’ development.
If Starbucks invests in Human Resource Development, it will triumph in the competitive business environment. This is because Human Resource Development will ensure that training, career development and organization growth take place in the company.
References
Blackman, D 2010, ‘ The Role of Human Resource Development in Preventing Organisational Stagnation’, Mangement Decisions , vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 628-634.
Garavan, T 2010, ‘Human Resource Development Literature: Current Issues, Priorities and Dilemmas’, Journal of European Industrial Training , vol. 136, no. 79, pp. 169-179.
Gilley, W 2009, Principles of Human Resource Development, Wesley, New York.
Landy, F., & Conte, M 2010, Work in the 21st Century: An introduction to Industrial and Organisational Psychology, John Wiley, New Jersey.
Marianne, G 2009, ‘Knowledge Management and the Links to HRD: Developing Leadership and Management Capabilities to Support Sustainability’, Management Research , vol. 342, no. 5, pp. 402-413.
McLagan, P 2010, ‘Models for Human Resource Development Practice’, Trainning and Development , vol. 36, no. 9, pp. 49-59.
Reilley, H. 2008, ‘The Role of Human Resource Development Competencies in Facilitating Effective Crisis Communications’, Advances in Developing Human Resources , vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 331-351.
Stewart, S 2010, Human resource Development and Learning Organisations in Europe, Routledge, London.