THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA.

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION.

DEPARTMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION AND EXTENSION STUDIES.

NAME : LEWIS CHIYABA

COMPUTER # : 15026795

COURSE CODE : AED 4411

LECTURER : MR. M. MULAISHO

TASK : ASSIGNMENT ONE

QUESTION: In the current turbulent business environment, organizations must continually

be able to learn, adapt and grow if they are to survive. With this assertion in mind, discuss
using practical examples how human resource development ensures survival of an
organisation in such an environment?

DUE DATE : 30th APRIL, 2020.

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Effective human resource development is a major prerequisite to equip employees to
acquire relevant new ideas, competencies and adapt to a changing market, and
effectively drive organizational competitive advantage in order to achieve the survival
goals. Therefor the paper seeks to discuss with examples how Human Resource Development
ensures survival of an organisation in turbulent business environment, the essay will start by
defining the major concepts in the question and finally a conclusion will be drawn.

Human Resource Development (HRD) is a process of developing and unleashing human

expertise through organization development and personnel training and development for the
purpose of improving performance (Holton, 2001; 90). Organisation is the process of
identifying and grouping the work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility
and authority, and establishing relationship for the purpose of enabling people to work most
effectively together in accomplishing objectives, well turbulent environment is defined as
being “an environment characterised both by several changes occurring rapidly and
simultaneously and by a situation where only the most optimistic see the possibility of a
return to a more stable environment in the foreseeable future” (Sadler, 1996 p. 21).

In a broader scene, the term Human Resource Development means those learning experiences
which are organized for a specific time and designed to bring about the possibility of
behavioural change. Human Resource Development in the organization context refers to the
process whereby the workers are continuously helped in a planned way to, acquire or sharpen
capabilities required to perform various tasks and functions associated with their present or
future expected roles, Develop their general enabling capabilities as individuals so that they
are able to discover and exploit their own inner-potential for their own and organizational
development purposes and contribute to the professional well-being, motivation and pride of
work.

human resource development is recognised as being critical to the survival and success
of organisations, it equip the employees towards taking the organization to its expected
destination, by developing employee’s human capital, an organization improves her
performance, productivity and innovative abilities which are essential for survival. In
addition, human resource developments tend to turn human resources into a more
tangible assets, as well as help match up the employees to strategic organization needs.
For example Velos Construction Company used to buy concrete cement from Blunali

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Construction Company and started losing clients to Blunali Construction Company, but Velos
Company trained workers how to make concrete cement and the company become well than
Blunali Construction Company, it was even haired by Zambian government to construct
Matero level one hospital and Chilenje level one hospital. It is recommended that
organizations should invest in the various aspect of human capital development as it
helps firms to attain greater performance and to remain competitive for their long-term
survival, as such, human resources boast significant responsibility for the success of an
organization ( Haslinda, 2009).

Furthermore, when employees human resource are developed, the employees begin to
think outside the box and start questioning premises behind the prevailing knowledge
within the organization, and this broaden the problem solving ability, leading to
likelihood of transforming existing knowledge within the organizations. This innovative
ability thus leads to organizations ability to survive the threats and challenges in their
operating environments. According to Oforegbunam and Okorafor (2010) the quality of
human capital available in an organization influences its chance of survival, since it is the
most critical agent of business performance. This is supported by Olufemi (2009) in his
study of human capital development practices and organizational effectiveness, when he
stated that, to survive in an environment where, all provide almost the same product
and services, the quality of the human element is a major factor. It has also become a
critical index of competition in the world of business to the extent that the development of
such capabilities through training has become top priority in designing the strategic plans of
business organizations. For example the Coca-Cola Company tries to make new innovation to
develop their products by developing workers how to make new drinks, beer and new
Branding of goods in order to survive in a turbulent business environment.

In addition, Human Resource Development ensures survival of an organisation in a turbulent

environment through scanning the external environment which assists management in
planning the future course of action. It is believed that environmental scanning is well
defined, systematically planned and executed and that it is directed at systematic and
comprehensive data. This process is also taken to rely on regular, casual and informal
information sources from all stakeholders and it involves both information searching and
viewing. Organisations carry out environmental scanning so that they understand the external
forces at work and develop effective responses to improve or secure their position in the
future. They also scan the environment in order to identify opportunities and threats, avoid

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surprises, gain competitive advantage and enhance their short and long term planning.
Nonaka (2002) has maintained that in an environment where the only certainty is
uncertainty, where market, shifts, products proliferate and technology’s becomes obsolete
virtually overnight, the only surviving companies are the knowledge base companies driven
by human resource development consciousness.

For example the case of Nokia phone which was locked in its Symbian operating systems that
it had invested so heavily in. Nokia had used environmental scanning, product and
technology roadmaps to define its competitive position and developing its product portfolio
in the mobile communication industry. However, Nokia was not able to sustain its advantage
over Google and Apple which entered the market unexpectedly exploiting the software skills
they had originally developed in the PC industry. This entry of Apple and Google into the
market can be identified as an example of a discontinuous driver of change that results in
boundary uncertainty. Thus under such circumstances, Human Resources Development
enable firms to grasp the new key components and players of their industry as soon as they
emerge and adapt quickly and the organisation continues to survive.

Furthermore, Human Resource Development help organizations to survive in a turbulent

business environment and maintain their competitive advantage in a rapidly changing and
very competitive business context, by re-assessing objectives, operations and management
orientation. Currently, effective management of intangible assets (knowledge, relationships,
intangible capital, networks, brands and talents) is crucial. According to this line of thinking,
organizations need to make a shift from the traditional disciplinarian, command and control
philosophies of managing employees to an approach where employees are regarded as an
intangible asset and an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. This means
that organizations need to develop the creative potential of the organization through
encouraging creative new ideas, innovation, autonomy and entrepreneurship. Human resource
development has emerged as a critical challenge for managers given the important role it
plays in encouraging creativity and innovation. For example trade Kings Company during
this period of COVID 19 because of human resource development the company is producing
hand sanitizer, soap and face mask used to fight COVID 19 while other companies have been
closed. Human Resource Development thus focuses on a more comprehensive person
development rather than the narrow employee development context (Sambrook, 2001).
Human Resource Development systems enable the workers to continuously acquire, sharpen

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and use their capabilities to create an organizational climate which ultimately steers the
organization to success.

In addition, Human resource development continually expand the organisation capacity to

produce the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are
nurtured, where collective aspirations are set free, and where people are continually learning
how to learn together. Along this line of thinking, the learning organization encourages
continual organizational renewal and embed core processes to encourage continuous learning,
adaptation and change. Senge (1990) described five core dimensions of learning
organizations namely personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning and
systems thinking. For instance Trade Kings Company continues expanding its products
through developing workers in order to survive in a turbulent business environment, we used
to use blue Boom past for washing, the company developed human resource and started
producing white powder Boom and the company still survives. The survival of organizations
depends on their power of rebuilding. This rebuilding is accomplished through adapting the
goals to the present circumstances and improving the methods of accomplishing these goals.
Therefore, organizations must encourage creativity and innovation, since non-creative
organizations will become defunct or modify themselves (Daft, 1998).

Human resource development includes three processes namely creating, trainning and
transferring knowledge this will help an organisation to survive in turbulent environment.
Knowledge can be transferred between individual employees, within and between units.
Reilly (2011:22) concludes that Human Resource needs to reflect more both on its own
capacity and on the roles it plays in organisations. While supporting the organisation in
achieving its objectives will always be central to the mission of Human Resource
Development. Human resource development changes what individual employees and teams
do and how they view themselves and their context. It seems that learning invites critical
reflection, changes discourse and acts as a negotiating platform to individuals and teams.
Reilly (2012) further emphasises the importance of a Human Resource strategy being
informed by both external factors and the values of the organisation, and of ongoing
monitoring and review.

Human resource development contribute to business success by focusing their efforts on

development of people in line with a strategic analysis of the key influences on the present
and future success of the organization, the influence of threats and opportunities in the

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business environment and the competencies and strengths of the organization. Strategic
human resource development in this situation includes analysis of current skill levels
available within and external to the organization which might affect current and future
business goals. Human Resource Development would consider the core competencies of the
organization in terms of human capabilities in existence or which might be developed, and
how these might be deployed, for example Velose Construction company trains people who
already works as general workers to brick-layers and they get paid a salary of a trainee but
they do the work of a qualified brick-layer as the result the company makes more profit than
employing a qualified brick layer worker who will be paid high salary, this makes the
company to survive in turbulent environment. Choice of strategic options open to the
organization in terms of products or services could be assessed against the ability of Human
Resource Development to recruit staff and train them to meet the requirements of the
strategic options selected. The overall objective of Human Resource Development activities
is to achieve high performance (Haslinda, 2009).

To achieve the required savings means leveraging the workforce. The expectation has to be
that all employees have a responsibility to secure the future of the company. The role of the
human resource development department is not to draw up lists for redundancy, it is to
facilitate cost savings, through communicating clear expectations and implementing
programs that enhance teamwork and help all employees to make a positive contribution
towards surviving these most difficult times. Brum (2007) Contend that when business
environments change quickly and abruptly, only firms with best trained employees can adapt
and adjust most efficiently. Moreover, Human resource development can result to greater
productivity for an individual based on his acquired skills and competencies, and thus most
likely to result to high salaries and status in an organizations and society for the individual.

Human Resource development have many levers to put into play that, if used correctly, can
be of great value to both the performance of the organisation in a turbulent environment and
the employee. The most critical area of impact is the organisational culture. The culture
defines “how things are done” in an organisation. More importantly in times of crisis, culture
takes the driver’s seat. A constructive culture where people treat each other with respect and
work together effectively provides a solid foundation to handle external pressures more
positively. As a consequence, if an organisation has a poor culture it is more than likely that
its business results will be poor as well. So, in uncertain times, it is imperative that the culture
is one in which employees can strive to do their personal best; one in which they wish to stay

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to pursue a career and one in which they actively promote the organisation as a great place to
work. A culture that encourages people in these ways is one in which its people are actively
engaged and leads the company to survive in turbulent business environment. The cultural
elements and personality effects behaviour and sustainability of organization (Schwartz,
1994).

Furthermore Human Resource Development can really add value to the organisation’s
survival in a turbulent business environment by creating an engaging environment in which
people are inspired to do their best, for example Velose construction company workers get
bonus upon completing a site, this makes workers not to miss use the materials and the
company do not make loses leading it to survive in turbulent business environment. Human
resource development develops leaders that are open and honest and act with humility – these
leaders love to coach and develop their people. Leaders that take full accountability for their
actions and do not get into the blame game. They also are generally very curious about what
is happening around them, genuinely interested in their people and keen to be constantly
learning. The Human Resource Development has the responsibility to work with line
managers to develop leaders so they can be role models for these behaviours. Perrin
(1990:6), noted that the “human resource is being transformed from specialized, stand-alone
function to a broad corporate competency in which Human Resource and line managers build
partnerships to gain competitive advantage and achieve overall business goals”.
“Competitive advantage is defined as anything that gives an organization an edge over the
competitors in its market”.

The human resource development has an impacting role in crisis management through
planning and training to ensure employees are capable of navigating through in turbulent
times. The role of Human Resource Development in crisis management is to enhance
preparedness among personnel and thus ensure effective disaster planning. Human Resource
Development is best positioned to offer disaster preparedness and crisis management training
to employees to ensure that they are in a position to handle crises when they occur
accordingly, the role of Human Resource development in managing crisis becomes extremely
important for any organization that seeks to maintain brand reputation and stakeholder trust
and loyalty. Therefore, discarding Human Resource Development may be another disaster at
preventing or recovering from a crisis and it may ruin all the management efforts of the
organizations (Wang, Hutchins, and Garavan, 2009).

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An imperative role of Human Resource development in turbulent environment, training
ensures that employees can effectively implement the crisis management plan. Training and
talent development provide employees with knowledge and skills necessary to enhance the
recovery process. The Human Resource is expected to lead or participate in training aimed at
mentally preparing employees for possible crisis events. This involves the development of a
training plan in which employees are provided with knowledge and skills on how to deal with
crises. The training should also involve simulation exercises to provide a practical feel about
how to deal with real crises. In order for an organisation to survive in a turbulent business
environment, human resource development plans should be integrated with human capital.
Before making plans, performing a SWOT analysis is appropriate. SWOT analysis which
identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to an organization is useful for
strategic crisis management planning. On the other hand, organizations or human resources
department teams should take the safety and wellness of the physical, mental and
psychological health of employees into account when they make and perform crisis plans.
Therefore, Human Resource should play a critical role to plan all training programs as soon
as a crisis hits (Lockwood, 2005).

The Human Resource development has a key responsibility to ensure that employees are
aware of vulnerabilities and potential threats in order for an organisation to survive in a
turbulent business environment. This involves identifying and communicating all possible
threats within and outside the organization to the employees. Effective communication
ensures that employees are physically, emotionally, and intellectually prepared, such that it
becomes easier to handle the crisis. For example if Trade Kings Company see that other
companies are producing the same product to theirs, the company should communicate to
workers in order to improve their product. Besides providing such information, the Human
Resource is expected to develop a crisis communication plan that should be shared among
employees to help them in identifying channels of communication in the face of a crisis.
Martin et al (2011) states that every employee and manager believe that communication is
essential to the success of any company.

The Human Resource development has a key role to play in turbulent business environment
and consequently promoting sustainability preparedness in an organization. Notably, disasters
both within and outside the working environment are likely to impact the organization and its
employees is a significant manner, such that there is a need to design preparedness measures

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to promote sustainability. The role of the Human Resource is based on the premise that when
employees are affected by a crisis, the organization becomes vulnerable. Second, people
within the organization are considered the solution to the challenges faced by the
organization in the face of a crisis, such that preparing them for disaster is considered an
imperative aspect of human resource development. Perceptions of disasters and their
associated risks influence how much the organisation engages in preparedness (Starbuck,
1984).

In addition, Human Resource development is responsible for providing necessary manpower

within the organization and also ensuring that employees use their skills to contribute to
organizational development. This means that Human Resource can contribute to crisis
management through motivating employees to contribute to the crisis management plan
execution. It is notable that staff are of great significance, both before and after the crisis, and
the Human Resource professionals are best placed at facilitating their participation in crisis
management. Through training and motivation, an organization can ensure that its crisis
management efforts are fruitful by actively engaging employees in the process (Garavan,
2009).

The other way in which Human Resource development influences the survival of an
organisation in a turbulent environment is through improving supervisor-subordinate
relationship, teamwork and collaboration among different departments in an organisational
culture and to contribute to the welfare, motivation and pride of employees. Lockwood
(2005) defines organizational culture as the shared behaviours within an organization and
which determine how members of the organization interact and execute their duties as
influenced by organizational values and norms. This insinuates that the manner in which
employees within an organization respond to crises is highly dependent on the organizational
culture. The Human Resource development can influence culture within the organization,
with aspects such as leadership capabilities and resilience being emphasized as a means to
enhancing crisis management. When skills such as problem solving are ingrained in an
organization’s culture, it is possible that staff will be better positioned to survive the crisis.

Additionally, human resource development helps an organization to survive in a turbulent

environment through expansion of workplace policies. Every organization has policies to
ensure justice and stability within the organization. Human resource management has the
obligation to develop the verbiage contiguous policies. Human resource department,

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management, and administrative are involved in the process. For example, the human
resource development professional will likely recognize the need for a policy or a change of
policy, seek opinions on the policy, write the policy, and then communicate that policy to
employees. Everything human resource department do needs to involve all other departments
in the organization. Some examples of workplace policies might be the following: Discipline
process policy, vacation time policy, dress code, ethics policy, internet usage policy and
many policies to mention (Schneier, 1997).

According to Haslinda (2009), Human Resource Development is a series of activities that

support behavioural change and learning opportunities for employees. Therefor business
firms should cultivate high human resource development practices as human Resource
development drives employee’s loyalty, commitment and a sense of employee’s feeling of
obligation toward the organization. Additionally, organizations should make human resource
development an important aspect of their corporate strategic plan to upgrade their
employees skills, enhance their conceptual knowledge, and broadens their understanding
of the organizations total business objectives and values in order to survive in turbulent
business environment.

Jackson et al (2008) argue that understanding the nature of the organizational and external
environments is core to managing human resources strategically. To develop people with the
right competencies and to keep these people motivated to do their best work helps an
organisation to survive in a turbulent business environment, managers and Human Resource
professional’s alike need to understand the demands and nature of the business.

In conclusion, Effective human resource development is vital in enhancing organizational

survival especially in today’s where competitiveness, innovativeness and profitability goes
hand in hand with survival and business success. Human resource development gives an
organization a very big competitive edge over its competitors and helps her to
maintain and improve productivity, performance and survival abilities. Consequently, to
deliver more effectively and keep abreast with current trend of knowledge, abilities and
competencies to survive and generate positive organizational outcomes, human capital
development becomes a must for all organizations. Organizations should therefore come up
with some effective plans in investing in the various aspect of human resource as not only
does it help firms to attain greater performance but also does ensure that firms
remain competitive for their long-term survival. Business firms should cultivate high human

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resource development practices rather than treating employees as cost. When an organization
help an employee to develop his skill, knowledge and work abilities, such an employee
always seeks ways to reciprocate the favour to the organization.

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Holton,F. (2001). Foundation of Human Resource Development, First Edition, Berrett-

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