Essay Instructions: Please answer this question:
*Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Spencer model of staff development, and assess its relevance to your organization/ department/ section.
( An essay is essentially an argument within you present evidence to support yur point of view. You should , however, critically analyze both your argument and your edvidence before drawing conclusions.)
This is a management course and the unit study is ---fundamentals of staff development.
John spencer's model of staff development:( 10 principles) ( attitudinal principle)
1. heterogeneity
2. accountability and responsibility
3. altruistic vision
( action principle)
1. recruitment and selection of staff
2. staff induction
3.staff supervision
4.staff evaluation
5. planned individual development
6. further professional (growth ) development
7. career path planning
you can view this as some reference of the 10 principles, however, it doesnt cover enough details.
Spencer divides the 10 steps in his model into two different categories that he believes will help the HR department find and focus in on those skills and priorities which will transform them. As I evaluated these 10 steps, I would separate the two categories into three. He separates them into Action steps and attitudinal steps. In the group of action steps, these could be further divided into Action ?V maintenance and monitoring, and Action ?V proactive development.
The 10 Steps of staff Development
Action steps maintenance and monitoring
Recruitment is the first step in the HR task list, and this is the only step in the list which is at considerable disagreement with much research in the field. Spencer insists that an organization takes on the identity of the people that are hired, and finding the right people for the right position is the most important aspect of recruitment. While this is true, often people are hired because they have the right set of skill building blocks, rather than all the essential skills for their new position. Spencer even goes onto say that new people need new skill and remediation to learn their new employers ways of doing business, regardless of prior experiences.
The purpose of the HR department is to find the right person for the right position. However, this responsibility is not the end of the HR developmental responsibility. The HR department must stay connected to the individual, and initiate teaching, training, and coaching so that the new recruits become valuable and integrated into the organization.
The next step, Induction, contains three smaller steps. The new hire needs to be introduced to the organization, and it??s formal policies and procedures. Often HR staff stop their involvement with the new hire at this point, and ??pass them off?? to new supervisors like passing an unwanted problem. However, Spencer suggests that the HR professional should take the process further and familiarize the person with the organization, and make sure they become incorporated in the organization so as to complete the transition.
One of the highest costs to an organization is the cost of finding, hiring and training new members. Therefore, anything that can be done at the beginning of the process to more completely acclimate the new member to the organization ultimately is a cost savings measure. The fully acclimated individual is more able to become a working, and valuable contributor to the organization, thus forming his own psychological contracts with the organization, and maintaining a high level of organizational commitment.
After Induction comes supervision, and for the HR administrator, this seems like an unwanted elephant sitting right in the middle of the desk. The individual department supervisor should perform supervision. But Spencer argues that the HR professional should stay in touch with recruits in order to meta-evaluate their selection processes, and make determinations as to whether or not the personnel need additional training, and skill development. Supervision should not be considered optional, according to Spencer, as all members of rapidly changing organizations will encounter the needs for new skills, and assistance to overcome new obstacles which may, or may not come form their immediate department supervisor. The immediate supervisor is typically task oriented; therefore the impetus for developmental change may have to come from the HR department.
Next, Evaluation is a word which employees love to hate, but evaluation is the checkpoint for the organization to determine if they are moving toward their goals. The evaluation process, according to Spencer, should not be limited to organization??s staff, but also include self evaluation. Is the HR department reaching internal goals, and helping find the right people to help the organization reach group goals? Evaluations, according to Spencer, can be not be solely objective or they will loose connectedness to the person. The evaluations cannot be all subjective either, or they devolve into unformatted, personal opinions.
In the field of performance review, the idea of 360 degree evaluation has found wide acceptance because it puts together a wide collection of evaluations, including objective and subjective, in order to paint an accurate picture of the person being reviewed. 360 Degree evaluations include asking the person to review their own behaviors and progress, asking the person??s subordinated peers, and supervisors to also contribute to the process. By using input from all around the person, hence the 360 degree label, the person is forced to look beyond self perceived boundaries, and develop an understanding of their behaviors which are most closely related to actual behaviors.
Action ?V Proactive development.
The next three steps are closely related, as they all involve helping the individual chart a course for their future involvement with the organization. The action steps of planned individual development planned professional development and career planning help the person find a connection to the values and core beliefs which are important to the individual, and discover how his or her unique desires and talents will be best utilized in the organization. These three personal development stages include a shared important word - planning.
The person who fails to plan plans to fail, on an individual, and at an organizational level. The person needs to have assistance of the HR administrator in order to find those elements of his or her own personality which most accurately fit the organization, and discover which skills and traits he or she may need to develop in order to move toward his or her personal goals. The HR department, by maintaining in regular contact with employees, and using evaluations as a means to point the employee in the direction of their own future, can facilitate building strength into the organization from within.
However, development and planning cannot be forced. The HR professional can encourage, assist, and counsel with the individual. In this case the person is ultimately responsible for his own future, but the HR professional can come along side of the person to help them find and gain access to a future which is desirable to the person.
Attitudinal ?V vision casting.
Vision casting is an important aspect of development and strengthening the organization for future challenges. As the proverb goes, with out a vision for the future, people cast off restraint and often perish. When the individual person does not have a vision for his own future, this person will find it difficult to stay motivated, and will likely find reasons to leave the organization.
Part of vision casting is casting the correct vision of a heterogeneous organization, which is composed of multicultural individuals who are all committed to the same goals. A heterogeneous organization understands and makes allowances for personal differences, but at the same time is willing to work through those differences for the common goals of the organization. The Heterogeneous organization needs to cast this as a vision for itself, otherwise the organization can appear too demanding of uniformity, and loose the unique contributions of the person. Or they can appear too informal, and loose energy in random directions which should be directed toward the organizations goals.
The final attitudinal steps serve as the foundation and the ceiling which covers the entire process. The foundation is personal responsibility. Each member of the organization needs to understand that they are personally responsible for their own jobs, and their own future. A proactive personnel policy is not to be confuses with a co-dependant department which enables individuals to underperforms, and blame others. The HR department also needs to communicate that each member is accountable, that is responsible to another person for their performance. The concept of an ultimate accountability is found in theological circles, according to Spencer, and needs to be taught in order to set the standards in the organization for personal performance which is connected to another person which will be overseeing the progress.
For the part 'assess its relevance to your organization/ department/ section' , as I am a sales in a jewelry company, please use my post to apply in it.
References or bibliography:
It is a method of maintaining consistency when presenting the sources of ideas or information you may have borrowed form others. It acknowledges the author, date of publication and page number if necessary in the text, with full details of the work provided in the list of references or bibliography at the end of the text.
***Guidelines for textual references: If the author's name is not used in the text( weak author orientation) the author's name, the year of publication and the page number appear in parentheses immediately after the quote. Note that the full-stop appears after the parentheses are closed.
example: The success of Cook's voyages has been attributed, in part, toimproved means of navigation and nutrition(Blainey 1966: 11-13)
( please bold the sentences which are quoted by the authors or professors and state the the author, date of publication and page number behind those sentences.)