Learner Log Book for documenting achievements and progress in learning process

The Learner's Log Book (LLB) is a monitoring tool used by e-tutors to report on individual learners' progress and document their achievements in a central repository. It helps learners engage in their learning process, experiment with tasks, avoid plagiarism, and provides e-tutors with the opportunity to evaluate and mentor them properly. The article discusses the implementation of process management in organizations and the need for co-existence of functional and process outlook. It identifies key learning points and relevant statements to the session, and provides critical analysis and practical implications for real business cases.

Learner Log Book
LLB
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I. INSTRUCTIONS
The purpose of the Learner's Log Book (LLB) is to document the
achievements of the learner in a central repository that will be considered as
evidence on the effectiveness of the learning process. It is a 'monitoring tool'
that e-tutors use to report on individual learners' progress and it is a way of
ensuring that learners:
 Are engaged in their learning process.
 They are experimenting by doing the tasks subscribed to them by the
e-tutor.
 Avoid plagiarism because learners have to be engaged on a continuous
basis and the informal assessment can therefore be used to ensure
consistency with the main formal assessment.
 Provide e-Tutors with the opportunity to get to know the learners
evaluate them and mentor them properly.
 There are templates which will reflect whether learners read, whether
they understand, whether they assimilate the knowledge, whether they
develop enquiry ability, whether they have the potential to conduct critical
thinking and whether they can reflect on the knowledge accumulated by
relating to real situations.
The onus is mainly on learners to furnish the required information in the
templates after each unit based on the Read and Analyze Activity. After
filling the information in the template they need to e-mail it back to the e-
Tutor.
e-Tutor will then comments on the work done and the involvement that takes
place and give overall impressions on the learners at the end of the module.
II. GENERAL INFORMATION
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Learner Name:
ID Number:
Course Title:
Article Title:
Date of Submission: ---------------------------------------------------------
Date of Received Feedback: ------------------------------------------------
III. SUMMARY (100-200 words)
Provide a summary in your own words on the article you requested to read
and analyze in the following space.
The article is about project management which has become an integral element of
contemporary companies across all industries. Here the authors have explored and
described the implication within firms during implementation of process management
and have investigated relationship amid functional firms and process perception as
well as role of managers, teams and individuals. The article has contributed in two
aspects i.e. first on empirical description and evaluation of process management
implementations beneficiation to knowledge and interpretations between
practitioners and researchers and the second one is identification of need for co-
existence of process and functional prospect and implication that difficultly is
generated instead of reduction within firms. In this article three organizations were
selected for case analysis and it was inferred that usage of process management was
not just an approach for improvement of single process rather it also involved aspect
of managing the organization and its capabilities.
In context to purpose of implementation of process management within an
organization it was found from article that process management helped to enhance
understanding of staffs in terms of strategies and customer needs, made the work
process more standardized thus ensuring cost savings, increased effective use of
employees, supported in economic control and drove easier improvement. In context
to experience encountered during implementation of process management it was
found that people in the three firms studied expressed enhancement in well being
and that employees found process management as positive. Along with it there also
emerged a concern about risk of stress generated due to enhanced individual
responsibility amongst the employees during process management implementations.
While in context to ability to support improvement during implementation of process
management it was derived that in all three firms studied the process of
organizational structure involved process owners and leaders as promoters and for
process improvement there were teams to initiate change that had supported in
strengthening of organization’s capacities to change and improve. Lastly in context
to implication of process management implementation over structures, roles and
responsibilities it was derived that all the three organizations that were studied had
introduced process management structure within their functional structure as well as
introduced new managerial positions like process owners and leaders for better
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management and relationship between process organization and functional
organization though varied amongst all three case organizations had alignment.
IV. KEY LEARNING POINTS
Identify the key learning points in the read and analyze assigned activity.
The first learning point in the article is definition of the concept of process
management that was developed to initiate product control within the process of
organization. Earlier in 70’s period these processes were named as just-in time and
lean product methods, but between 80-90’s the possibility of process control
extended over entire corporate involving entire functions of organizations, where
large focus was over business process re-engineering. Later after 80’s interest on
process management was high unlike other management conceptualizations. In the
learning of article it was identified that process is defined as horizontal sequence of
activities that changes input (needs) into output (result) to fulfill need of
stakeholders. While process management was defined with two movements i.e. first
focusing on management and betterment of single process that is outlined as
structured systematic approach to evaluate and continuously improve the process,
while second movement focuses on holistic outlook of process management as part
of managing overall organisation which is defined as holistic approach to deal with
entire dimensions of business and as a worthy outlook to adopt measures for
improving organizational effectiveness.
Other learning has been on purpose of implementation of process management
which included removal of barriers between functional groups to develop bonding in
organization so as to improve quality of product/services; identification of
outsourcing possibilities and utilization of technology to improve business;
improvement of quality of collective learning within firms and its environment to
align business process with strategic goals and customer needs; improvement of
organizational effectiveness and business performances. Other learning from article
was identification of process maturity model, structures and roles. The first model
identified was proposed by Goncalves which describes five stages (A-E) for firms to
move towards process base from stringent functional model and model was used t
recognize process maturity level. Second model identified was proposed by Lockamy
and McCormack which describes stages from adhoc to extended maturity level while
third model was proposed during empirical research at Volvo Company during 1994-
2000 which presented three level model by combining orientation (Production, cost
and network) with organizational focus (functional, project and process). The model
proposed by Goncalves and Lockamy & McCormack supports full change from
traditional functional firm to organization based on process.
It was analyzed that most firms overlay new process on functional firms with
negative outcomes as traditional firms with jib definition, performance measurement
approaches and managerial hierarchies do not always support performance of
process. This is due to the fact that horizontal process pulls people in one direction
and traditional vertical management systems pull them to another. Hence there is
possibility of risk if efforts are made too hard to build prominent process
management structure within firms when a new hierarchical structure going
horizontally can be developed. Another learning was on roles and responsibilities
where process owner on one hand must have authority over process aims and
resources while on other hand process managers had no formal authority. Process
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owners have permanent role and responsibility for and over designing of process,
measurement of performance and training workers. The fourth kind of maturity
model was proposed by Hammer who described features of process as enables and
enterprise capabilities, where process enablers determine the manner a single
process is capable to function over time and are presented as design, performers,
owners, infrastructure and metrics. While enterprise capabilities are attained from
leadership, culture, expertise and governance.
V. RELEVANT STATEMENTS TO THE SESSION
While you reading, identify the relevant statements to the session and
insert them in order in the following space.
From the article various statements were identified such as change on organizational
structure, roles and responsibilities and experienced outcomes from implementation
of process management. In all the three firms that were studied matrix structure was
selected over functional structure and then new positions to process overlay was
superimposed and they selected various manner for implementations. Moreover all
three firms applied internal recruitment for position of process owners and have
reshaped its status and responsibilities. While team leader had responsibility to
manage regular support work for employees and this was les impacted by
reorganization within the firms though change in role names and titles were seen.
However daily support and direction responsibilities were given to senior employees
regardless of organization types. The different ways that was selected by each of the
three firms during implementation of process management resulted to different
outcomes. It was also identified that maturity model as proposed by Lockamy &
McCormack was used for all three firms and it placed them into third Linked stage
where process management was employed with strategic goals and process
structure were put in place outside traditional functions. While none of the three
firms used other two maturity models thus stating the fact that process management
is not all or there is no such thing as absence of functional firms and that process
structures can be matrixed into functional structure. Also in all three firms a difficulty
was identified to balance matrix between functional and process perspectives. Hence
it was stated that matrix structure separates control over work from management of
people who do the work and hence divides authority which makes cooperation
impossible while traditional management styles have no existence in process
enterprise as managers are unable to command, control and have to bargain and
collaborate.
VI. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is the most important section in your analysis. To complete it
sucessfully, learner is to consider the following guiding steps:
 Present arguments coherently, supported by evidence and facts to
substantiate on why you may take a particular stance and/ or
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position towards a particular approach whether against or in support
of it;
 Capable of bridging the gap between the theory and conceptual work
with the application under consideration.
I support the author’s viewpoint of co-existence of functional and process outlook as
change can be either complete move from functional to process base or moderate
change with co-existence of functional and process outlook. This is because full
transformation of process in organization is complex and confusing that can result
into serious implications on business process and negatively affect performance to
attain goals as desired. Moreover whenever complete transition is attempted there is
increase in reluctant behavior of employees and support to accept overall changes.
So the feasible approach according to me is matrix or hybrid existence where both
functional and process management can exist in collaboration.
This kind of moderate change is more acceptable and less complex to be understood
by employees thus chances of reluctance also is fairly less, so co-existence of
functional and process structure is more realistic and constructive approach as it
does not result to unnecessary difficulties and managers should know to tackle
challenges so as to direct effective management as along with relative benefits
matrix arrangement as its own share of risk or challenges which requires better
identification, realization and redressal through pro-active management
VII. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
How could you apply the subject matter from the article in a real business case?
In real business case the process management can be implemented effectively within
organization through realization of co-existence of process and functional outlook so
that complexity that emerges is reduced during its implementations. Also in real case
the managers of business should attempt to collaborate and negotiate between
functional and process outlook rather than trying to exert control over both of them
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separately, thus it means that in real business scenario there is nothing like
functional or process management instead these should be combined to exist
together as functional and process management. This can be attained with
betterment of management approaches in context to leadership and culture.
So for co-existence of functional and process outlook the management need to focus
on collaboration and better negotiation to get buy-in for change or transformation of
process from employees, rather than attempting to force control or authority to
accept change without willingness as this would result into unnecessary complexities.
Hence better management approaches with focus on leadership and culture,
knowledge adaptive systems with continued learning efforts amongst employees can
help to accept process transitions with better alignment between functional,
organisational outlook, their structure and roles both theoretically and practically.
VIII. LEARNING REFLECTIONS
What have you learnt? Critical thinking is about lessons learnt to be drawn
from the analysis.
From this article I have learnt that for any process management it is essential to get
acceptance from employees so that the transformation can be well managed and
executed without creation of unnecessary reluctance and conflict of interest as these
hampers business process and has negative impact on desirable performances. So
the best approach is to establish collaboration with mutual discussion so that
employees can give their support to drive implementation of process management as
this will create a sense of significance as well as understanding of goals for process
management which will help to accept the new change through effective managerial
and tactical approach driven with better leadership. Moreover a supportive culture
and knowledge learning environment better supports implementation of process
management.
Reference
Palmberg., K (2010). Experiences of implementing process management: A multiple
case-study. Business Process Management Journal, Vol 16. No. 1, pp 93-113. Emerald
Group Publishing Limited Available: DOI 10.1108/14637151011017967 [Accessed 15
Oct. 2018]
IX. e-TUTOR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK
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Mark:
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