Learning is the process through which individuals acquire new knowledge, skills, behavior’s, or attitudes and make use of that information to adapt to their environment and improve their understanding of the world. Learning is a fundamental aspect of human and animal cognition, and it occurs throughout a person’s life. In the following article, you will know the implications as well as significance of learning.
According to E. R. Hilgard, “Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of prior experience”.
Top Significance of Learning (As Per Observation)
Learning is an important process as it facilitates making knowledgeable behavioural changes in people and societies. It is also considerable for the firms because of the following reasons.
1) Helps in Controlling Employee Behavior’s
Learning facilitates organizations in controlling the behaviour of the employees in the place of business.
2) Determines Employee Behavior’s
It assists managers in recognizing the extent to which learning can be carried out at the behaviour for the growth of employees as well as the organization.
3) Helps Managers Differentiate between Learning and Acquiring
Learning enables managers to distinguish whether or not an ability is being learned or received. Thus, managers are capable of deciding that a skill is a obtained one or that the worker is naturally talented with that talent.
4) Brings Significant Changes in Training
Learning brings about massive modifications in the training of employees. It facilitates managers in the development of talents and abilities of a worker for efficient performance in the place of business.
5) Enhances Growth in Functional Behaviour
In order to obtain organizational goals, managers act as educators. They deliver commands to the personnel to engage themselves in such behaviours, which assist in the fulfilment of organizational goals. They also manipulate and manage unwanted behaviours like absenteeism, carelessness, and disorderliness and inspire the development of purposeful behaviours with the aid of providing great reviews and benefits.
Various Implications of Learning on Managerial Performance
Following are a few organizational implications of learning on managerial performance:
1) Motivation
Motivation is associated with learning in many ways. An employee’s commitment towards the organizational goals depends on the degree of rewards provided for his high performance. In other words, individuals must understand that specific actions, like hard work, lead to specific results, such as rewards. It shows the implications of learning. In the same way, individuals may only be interested in hard work if their work performance is rewarded.
2) Performance Evaluation and Rewards
Organizational practices are related to learning through performance evaluation and reward systems. The way managers measure the working ability and performance of employees or groups of employees is referred to as performance evaluation. Recognition of expected performance through salary hikes, promotion, awards, recognition, etc., is termed a reward.
3) Training
The main objective of training an individual is learning. Huge inputs, such as time and resources, are allocated by several business organizations in training and development to enhance the expertise and capacity of the individuals. It is the implications of learning on managerial performance.
4) Employee Discipline
There are bound to be cases of a manager dealing with individuals who are disobedient, indulge in thefts, come late on a regular basis, are involved in alcohol intake at the workplace, etc. Certain actions like scolding, warning letters, and suspending the individual for a short period may be taken by the managers. However, disciplinary actions bear some price. It does not give a permanent remedy and also carries some negative impacts.
Instead of providing them with alternative behaviours, the disciplinary actions are aimed at stopping the individuals from doing what they are not supposed to do. As a result, the indiscipline can be controlled for a short period by using continued punishments, but it cannot be removed permanently. Individuals may develop a sense of fear for the manager if, instead of rewards, disciplinary actions are consistent. The individuals create a negative image of the manager in their minds and hesitate to face the manager. Thus, the relationship between managers and individuals gets weakened due to continuous punishment.
5) Creating Mentoring Programmes
Mentoring programmes are implemented to assist in the development of skills and working ability of individuals. The individuals, under a mentor, are given suggestions and directions for their survival and progress in the workplace. Mentoring makes sure that the capability, talent, and knowledge are disseminated from the mentor to the individuals. However, mentoring should not be restricted to managerial positions only. Initiatives like union apprenticeship programmes aim at developing individuals from being untrained individuals to trained workers. For example, an inexperienced mechanic trained under an experienced one to develop the necessary expertise for the job.
6) Self-Management
Applying learning methodologies by the organizations is not only limited to managing other’s behaviours. By using these methods, the employees are able to control their actions. This leads to the lesser requirement of managerial control. It is termed as self-management. This requires an individual to knowingly direct the stimuli, internal processes, and reactions to make their behaviour productive. The key processes consist of one’s perception of his behaviour, comparison of behaviour with set standards, and rewarding oneself in case the behaviour matches with standards.
7) Other Organizational Effects
Learning can also have effects other than motivation, training, and performance evaluation and rewards. Some of them are discussed as follows:
i) Describes Specific Managerial Behaviour towards Subordinates
Specific managerial behaviour can be explained towards subordinates by using learning theory. If some negative information is given by the manager, always in a specific manner, and the subordinates take the news positively and amiably. They can provide positive support to the managers. Therefore, the manager will perhaps adopt the same manner in future.
ii) Emphasizing the Manager’s Role
Various dimensions of the learning process emphasize the role of the manager as a teacher and of the subordinate as a learner.
iii) Influences Day-to-Day Interactions
Daily communications, both formal and informal, are influenced by the learning processes. Each response of an individual to others has reinforcing consequences for them.