The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation Essay

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation - Essay Example However, not all organisations are able to establish a competitive edge utilising traditional differentiation tools and must, instead, rely on human resources to establish a tangible human capital advantage. There are some organisations, such as Sainsbury’s, a leading supermarket chain, that must establish a collaborative, culturally-sensitive model of teamwork in order to improve business position in a very mature and saturated marketplace. In order to ensure that employees have the skills and competencies necessary to gain competitive advantage, training becomes a critical imperative for HR professionals. This report describes the dynamics of the workplace that both hinder and support training in HRD, mitigating issues of organisational culture, and the potential conflict that can arise between theory and tangible HR practice when attempting to build human capital. Why training is an imperative Sainsbury’s positions itself on the market as a value leader and as an organisation with a strict compliance to multiple dimensions of corporate social responsibility to maintain a competitive edge (Sainsbury 2011). At the highest levels of governance, with decision-making occurring vertically throughout the organisational hierarchy, Sainsbury leadership establishes an ethical climate built on integrity, transparency and trustworthiness which are then disseminated throughout the organisational culture. Establishment of an ethical climate is quite different from development of an organisational culture, defined as the methodology by which employees perceive the established norms of the business culture (Denison 1996; Bartels et al. 1998). The premise of this ethical climate and supporting ethical culture is to ensure that the values and principles of Sainsbury’s business model are modelled by employees and managers to improve Sainsbury’s market reputation with mu ltiple stakeholders and shareholders. Why is this important in the domain of HRD? Sainsbury, in order to maintain its high market share in this saturated marketplace, must ensure that the ethical and socially-responsible values are transparent and adopted throughout the organisational model. Sainsbury differentiates itself from major competitors such as Tesco and Morrison’s through branding, â€Å"a core marketing practice emphasising the continuity of the firm with important buyer markets†, translating the intangible of market-based assets to a tangible representation of value (Abimbola 2001, p.98). Sainsbury establishes a brand personality in dimensions of sincerity, competence, and sophistication, three dimensions necessary to gain market loyalty and subsequent brand equity (Aaker 1996). However, in order to provide tangible and recognisable value associated with this established brand personality, employees must be properly developed so that job role functions are aligned with core values and the elements of brand that leads to competitive advantages. This cannot be effectively accomplished without establishing a training programme that is homogenous and relevant for issues of ethics and social responsibility. Because the integrity of relationships with many stakeholders along the value network distinguish Sainsbury’s brand reputation from competitors, it is critical that interpersonal relationship development be improved between internal employees and external stakeholders. Without proper training and development in these key areas underpinned by ethical values, Sainsbury cannot maintain a unified culture that willingly and openly role models these vital