The Evolving Role of Training and Development in Global HRM

In the context of a hyper-dynamic work environment, traditional training practices prove inadequate. With technological disruption, hybrid working, and increasing workforce diversity, the 21st-century workplace calls for far more than episodic skill-training workshops. In order to remain competitive and resilient, organisations must integrate T&D into the overall strategic framework of SHRM. This approach enables organizations to ready staff not only with the skills needed today but also with the agility, innovation, and leadership qualities needed tomorrow. Based on my own experiential learning on the MBA module "People and Organisations: Principles and Practice in Global Contexts", I have learned that simply investing in staff knowledge is not sufficient. For the recent internship experience in a corporate environment, I was struck by how training was generating concrete business value only when linked to organisational strategy facilitating transformation, innovation...

In the modern hyper-digital, rapid, and agile workplace, employee learning needs have dramatically changed, especially among Millennials and Generation Z workers. Born between 1981 and 2012, these two generations currently comprise the most dynamic and largest segment of the global workforce (Deloitte in 2023). As opposed to earlier generations that were used to structured learning programs and static training sessions, Millennials and Gen Z want to experience learning that is fluid, real-time, mobile, and highly integrated into their daily work. They are digital natives who grew up in an environment of instant information access, YouTube tutorials, and personalized apps. Their learning expectations are based on accessibility, relevance, and timeliness. This fundamental change in learning behavior has given birth to the notion of "Learning in the Flow of Work" (LIFOW) a concept popularized by HR thought leader Josh Bersin (2018). LIFOW is a learning experience that occurs in ...

  Amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping industries, jobs, and skill requirements. Organisations now need to reimagine Training and Development (T&D) strategies to be in sync with this disruption. Conventional competencies are becoming obsolete as machines assume routine and manual jobs. Consequently, the focus in T&D needs to shift to developing future-ready competencies cognitive, emotional, and digital competencies that augment human agility and guarantee long-term employability. As an MBA student and practitioner, I have observed how Training & Development, when coupled with strategic HRM principles, emerges as a key facilitator of workforce resilience. In order to determine the path T&D should follow, we must refer to HRM theory that unites human and technology systems. The socio-technical systems (STS) theory focuses on humans' reliance on digital tools and argues that effective organisations maximise b...

The 21 st century workplace is not restricted by borders. Technological revolution, global value chains, and human capital mobility have mapped organisations into multicultural ecosystems. Here, conventional models of training and development are lacking in dealing with the intricacies of diverse workers. Cross cultural and global training is not a "nice to have" but it's a strategic necessity to support global business goals while driving inclusion, cohesion, and performance. My own MBA learning experience has left me convinced of this mantra, “training needs to be simultaneously globally standardized and locally tailored”. Global training refers to standardized systems of knowledge transfer that ensure consistency within multinational operations. Cross cultural training, however, focuses on helping employees understand and work with cultural differences, including communication styles, power, time orientation, and social norms (Hofstede - 2011). Together, they aim ...

In today's rapidly changing business world, the return on investment (ROI) in Training and Development (T&D) can no longer be confined to numerical parameters such as training hours or cost saving. Particularly in the context of global Human Resource Management (HRM), where agility, innovation, and human-oriented values define workforce expectations, the traditional emphasis of ROI has become obsolete. Instead, we must consider the human impact, how training programmes influence behaviour, enhance performance, and influence employee satisfaction. This blog discusses this contemporary HRM challenge and opportunity, drawing on theoretical concepts, global best practices, and personal reflection on the MBA module People and Organisations, Principles and Practice in Global Contexts. T&D is increasingly part of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), shifting from operational support to being a main driver of organizational competitiveness and agility. The Resource-Based Vie...

  With today's VUCA environment, leadership development can no longer be reliant on classroom instruction or classic hierarchical succession planning. Greater demands for ethical governance, green ecology, and inclusive practices with the entry of Gen Z into the labor market require us to rethink future leader development .  Future ready leadership, as I've learned from my MBA path, needs to be inclusive, purpose driven, and values driven, it also needs to be in line with organizational strategy and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives. This blog examines how succession planning and leadership development might be transformed by contemporary HRM techniques to address these changing challenges. Traditional leadership development practices typically executive workshops, formal mentoring, or promotion by performance no longer adequately prepare leaders to thrive in the fast changing, globalized, and ethically complex business environment of today. Such practices...