Human resource development and performance

Posted on by Miha Škerlavaj

Tomislav Hernaus (University of Zagreb), Matej Černe (University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business), and myself just published a research article The interplay between relational job design and cross‐training in predicting employee job/task citizenship performance in the journal Human Resource Development Quarterly (top 3 in the field of industrial relations and labor). Above all, we were interested how human resource managers and leaders in general can utilize modern approaches towards training and job design to improve employee performance. Welcome to read and comment.

Abstract: Drawing on a relational perspective to human resource development and management (HRD/M), a multilevel and multisource field study has been conducted examining how HRM practices of job interaction requirements/task interdependence and HRD practice of cross‐training interplay in order to enhance employees’ job/task citizenship performance (JCP). A two‐level research model from a sample of 43 organizations and 535 nested individuals demonstrates that socially enriched jobs (interactive and interdependent), when supplemented with organizational (system‐wide) cross‐training opportunities, increase extra efforts among employees to complete activities which are not part of their in‐role requirements. Thus, by applying a 1‐2‐1 moderation analysis, we offer new knowledge about social and cognitive aspects of human behavior above and beyond the traditional focus on narrowly defined job/task performance. In addition, we explicate how mutual understanding across job positions may practically contribute to achieving superior individual‐level JCP when relational architecture of the workplace is designed.

System view on training and development for broadened impact

Posted on by Miha Škerlavaj

What is the impact of training and development activities at work? In the chapter (Dysvik, Carlsen, & Skerlavaj, 2017) published recently in Cambridge handbook of workplace training and employee development, we investigate how training can contribute to development of systems thinking of trainees as seen through three lenses of building impact: the realm of business impact, the realm of beneficiary impact, and the realm of societal impact. Knowledge creation is socially constructed through the development of shared meaning between employees participating in training, their trainers, and their respective colleagues and beneficiaries during and after training program completion. In short, training should be aligned and integrated with the core drivers for organizational performance, and provide employees with a holistic and systemic understanding to act autonomously and proactively in applying relevant training content when deemed relevant.

Source: Dysvik, A., Carlsen, A., Skerlavaj, M. (2017): Rings of fire: Training for systems thinking and broadened impact. In: Brown, K. G. (Ed.): The Cambridge Handbook of Workplace Training and Employee Development. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 9781316091067: p. 471-494.