Continuous Learning and Development on Organisation Competitiveness

This report examines the critical role of continuous professional learning and development (CPD) in maintaining and enhancing organizational competitiveness. It begins with an introduction outlining the research aim, objectives, rationale, structure, and research question, followed by a comprehensive literature review exploring the concept of CPD, various program types, its impact on employee motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention, performance, and its relationship to industry competitiveness. The report then details the research methodology employed and concludes by summarizing the key findings and their implications. The research emphasizes that organizations investing in CPD programs experience increased employee skills, reduced costs, improved productivity, and a stronger competitive edge. The report underscores the importance of aligning HR strategies with CPD to foster employee satisfaction, motivation, and ultimately, organizational success.

Impact of Continuous learning
and Development on
Organisation Competitiveness

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
Background to Research.........................................................................................................1
Research Aim.........................................................................................................................2
Research Objectives...............................................................................................................2
Research Rationale and Personal Rational.............................................................................2
Research structure..................................................................................................................3
Research Question..................................................................................................................4
Research Methods..................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................5
Introduction............................................................................................................................5
The concept of continuous professional learning and development......................................5
The various types of continuous professional learning and development program implemented
in organisation........................................................................................................................5
The role of continuous professional learning and development program in driving employee
motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention and performance...................................6
Relationship between continuous professional learning and development program and
competitiveness of association in industry.............................................................................7
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..........................................................................10
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION......................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................17
Gantt Chart...........................................................................................................................17

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background to Research
The business environment is constantly changing, and research shows that human
resource management (HRM) function plays an important role in developing the workforce and
maintaining a competitive advantage. Moreover, continuous learning is important for individual
working within organisation because it result in their professional development. For this there is
requirement of training and development session on timely basis so, individual personal as well
as professional both need will get fulfil. According to Davies and Preston (2002), companies that
provide continuous professional development (CPD) programmes for employees can impact their
employees positively and strengthen their interest to work in the company (Gibson, et al., 2010).
CPD is the term used to describe the learning activities that professionals engage in as part of
their organisational roles. Organisations develop CPD programmes in order to enhance the skills
and expertise of the employees. Rossi (2015), in a study on IT staff, describes CPD as a good
investment for organisations. The motivational level of the employees is increased when they get
involved in such programmes as they develop a perception in their minds that this development
will serve them in the future. With the help of CPD, they can easily apply for the higher jobs
within the company as well as in other companies in the industry (Shaw & Green, 1999).
The role of HR is to develop and support business strategy in the organisation to achieve
the business goals and to gain a competitive advantage. Also, human resources management
constitutes a vital role in strategic management, formulating the decision-making process,
recognising the problem, coaching, and development plus employee’s incentives (Rasim, 2008).
Therefore, it is imperative for an organisation to have a solid human resources
management team which will embark on the employee's development and training. The quality
of an organisation’s CPD offerings can enhance the positivity of the staff, and this will result in
the improvement of employee's productivity and growth in the workforce (Ichniowski, et al.,
1995). Analysed the business environment as developing companies that encourage the
employee to adjust and grow continually with the organisation will give a competitive edge to
staff retention (Lengnick-Hall, et al., 2009).
The organisation focus remains on the learning, training and making people fit for the
organisation and its profile. The major aim of the learning organisation is to make people fully
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adaptive to the company and its changing nature and environment. The focus in organisational
learning should be on the individual skills and capacities rather than existing company image
and its policy (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009).
It is evident that the learning organisation aims for the continuous learning of its
adaptation and mainly change. For the small business, the creation of culture and its learning in
continuous training develops the change that system organisation adapts throughout its system.
Viewing the learning organisation as root for the change leads to the change in the organisation
(Opfer & Pedder, 2010).
Research Aim
This research will evaluate the relevance of continuous professional learning and development
program in maintaining organisational competitiveness.
Research Objectives
 To understand the concept of continuous professional learning and development.
 To investigate the various types of continuous professional learning and development
program implemented in organisation.
 To understand the role of continuous professional learning and development program in
driving employee motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention and performance.
 To evaluate relationship between continuous professional learning and development
program and competitiveness of association in industry.
Research Rationale and Personal Rational
Reason behind conducting research on this topic is to understand importance of
continuous professional learning and development program in current market. These days
changes are taking place in external environment, so trend for continuous professional learning
and development is improving. Apart from this there is personal reason as well to conduct
research on this topic. i.e. researcher belongs to HR field, so he wants to enhance knowledge
about factors which motivates and make workforce retain in organisation.
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Continuous professional learning is the process of tracking and documenting the skills,
knowledge and experience that an individual can gain both formally and informally while
working, beyond any initial training. It's a record of what a person has experienced, learn and
then applied in their practical life. The world of continuing professional development (CPD) is
changing, driven by digital enablement and the changing demands of employers and workers
alike. Demand is now generated in part by careerist professionals who see CPD as an extra way
to gain advantage in a competitive jobs market, while other trends are turning CPD into a means
of validating citizens’ expectations of public sector practitioner standards.
Research structure
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION
Background to Research
Research Aim
Research Objectives
Research Rationale and
Personal Rational
Research structure
Research Question
Research Methods
Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
The concept of continuous professional learning and development
The various types of continuous professional learning and development program implemented in
organisation
The role of continuous professional learning and development program in driving employee
motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention and performance
Relationship between continuous professional learning and development program and
competitiveness of association in industry
Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Chapter 4 CONCLUSION
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Research Question
Does continuous professional learning and development increase an organization’s competitive
advantage?
Research Methods
Research methods are the tool which utilise for conducting research and there are three
research methods i.e., qualitative, quantitative and mixed. Where, Quantitative methods
examines numerical data and often requires the use of statistical tools to analyse data collected.
On the other hand, Qualitative data is non-numerical and focuses on establishing patterns.
Mixed methods are composed of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Secondary data is best utilized through the development of literature that analyses,
recounts and critiques the researches and information noted by other researchers on the topic.
The concept of continuous professional learning and development
According to Filipe (2014) continuous professional development is the process of
tracking and recording the skills of employees and developing a program which can assist them
to perform their business duties with higher capabilities and expertise. According to research
conducted by Sexton (2017), the individual who works in the IT industry is required to keep up
to date concerning the latest technologies. There are a diverse range of products and services
which are provided to the customers of the company, and if the IT department of the company
does not update their skills and expertise, then the company fail badly to satisfy the needs and
demands of the customers. To remain effective in their role they have to play special
consideration to information technology by knowing the trends and changes in the technology
(Olakulehin, 2007). The IT professional when keeping them updated when they become able to
fulfil all the needs and demands of customers of the company. Moreover, their performance of
the duty is also improved which enables them to grow in the company as well as in industry in
the future (Anvari, 2007).
The various types of continuous professional learning and development program implemented in
organisation
According to Burton (2017) the companies which make the investment in CPD enhances the
expertise of employees which in return decreases the expenses and costs of the companies. The
more competent and capable employees of the company work with higher efficiency and
productivity and do not find difficulty in dealing with the pertaining problems. In the special
issues, the companies also do not have to hire the external specialist to deal with the issues or to
perform the specific task. In this way, the cost of hiring experts is also reduced. As the
productivity and efficiency of the employees are increased, they tend to work more in the
limited time which transforms the goals of the company into reality and assists the company to
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achieve the corporate objective. The highly productive companies save cost and become more
profitable as compared to competitors. The cost-saving leads towards achieving a competitive
advantage in the long run (Steadfast, 2017).
The companies make the HR strategy which deals with the management of the employees of the
company. The effective strategy of the company assists the management of the company in
satisfying their employees and provoking them to work with high devotion and motivation. As
per research conducted by researcher the highly motivated employees of the company work
harder and leads towards the development and growth of the company. The higher satisfaction
develops, the higher the motivation to work in the company in the long run. The continuous
professional development also increases the level of motivation in the employees. The
employees of the company who get involved in the CPD programs initiated by management are
satisfied to a greater extent as they perceive that they will grow easily in future due to developed
skills and expertise (Nereida, 2013).
The role of continuous professional learning and development program in driving employee
motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention and performance
The human resource strategy of the company is developed to manage the employees of the
company. As per Priya & Eshwar, 2014 The employees of the company want the HR strategy in
their favour concerning pay scales, promotion plans, reward schemes, development of skills and
expertise as well as other non-monetary rewards. The companies which develop human
resources policies and strategy to motivate the employees and retain them for a longer period of
time give special consideration to all these factors of motivation (Marinucci, et al., 2013). The
highly motivated employees’ works in the best interest of the company and perform their duties
with full devotion and productivity.
According to Sexton, A., 2017 the training and development are an important and
appreciable approach which can be used by the company to motivate their employees. The
training and development are incorporated within the organisation with the help of a continuous
professional development program (Khan, et al., 2011). As the skills are increased when they
find a way to deal with the issues of the work. In some situations, the employees get stuck
specifically at the time when the new technology or new approaches to work are introduced
within an entity. The training and development resolve these issues.
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Relationship between continuous professional learning and development program and
competitiveness of association in industry
The companies which align their HR strategy with CPD motivates their employees
highly as their satisfaction level towards the job is increased. The companies can motivate their
employees by increasing the pay and finding out the method to motivate the employees. The
continuous professional development also finds out the way to know the issues with which the
employees suffer and train them. The HR strategy is also developed in this regard which aligns
with CPD and both leads towards the betterment of the company. In the HR strategies, the
issues are also identified which are faced by the employees of the company and these issues are
resolved with the help of continuous professional development. The issues faced in doing the
daily activities of a business can be easily resolved by CPD which is beneficial for the
employees of the company as well as for the entity.
In an ever-increasing globalized and competitive society, the importance of Continuing
Professional Development cannot be overstated. The world’s industries are forever evolving,
which creates exciting opportunities but which also comes with challenges. CPD enables an
individual to regularly apply attention to important areas of development and takes appropriate
action to diminish any shortfalls in knowledge. Equally, an individual must see continuing
professional development as a way to remain competitive with their rivalries and as an
opportunity to differentiate themselves at moments where this may be required, such as in job
interviews or in tenders for new work and business acquisition. According to Luke, H., 2016 as
more people become professionally qualified with similar qualifications, CPD becomes more
important as a means of separating yourself from the pack.
In the words of Rossi, B., 2015 Providing CPD recognized learning benefits to the
organization through recognition and increased brand perception. Internal use of continuing
professional development aspires and promotes a healthy learning culture for organization,
leading to a more fulfilled workforce and retaining valuable staff.
Many organizations have staff with CPD obligations as members of professional bodies.
In circumstances where internal CPD training resources are low, organizations use outsourced
CPD training providers to meet staff requirements. Ethical values are the set of established
principles governing righteous behavior. This also assures that the company maintains a good
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business reputation. As per Rossi, B., 2015 Majority of the managers are concerned about
developing public relation which will encourage and promote a set of appropriate ethical values
for staff within the company which to be undertaken by the company while doing business with
the customers.
As CIPD, the expert body for HR and individual’s advancement, advises in its paper
about the advantages of CPD, being given preparing and improvement openings empowers
representatives to create on existing aptitudes and learn new ones, helping them accomplish
their vocation objectives. As CIPD composes, CPD enables representatives, "To adapt
emphatically to change by always refreshing your aptitudes set." By creating and adapting new
aptitudes, being presented to proceed with advancement in the work environment will enable
people to enhance their execution at work, which means they are in a superior position for
advancement, all the more difficult duties and conceivably a compensation rise. As per Nereida,
2013 Knowing they are being resourced through preparing and seeing the self-improvement
increases of such preparing, including winning a more noteworthy range of abilities and
enhancing execution, will unavoidably make more noteworthy occupation fulfilment.
As CIPD, the master body for HR and people progression prompts in its paper about the
benefits of CPD, being given planning and change openings engage agents in making on
existing aptitudes and learning new ones, helping them achieve their livelihood goals. As CIPD
makes, CPD empowers delegates, "To adjust determinedly to change by continually reviving
your aptitudes set." (Luke, 2016). Knowing they are being placed assets into through planning
and seeing the self-change increments of such getting ready, including winning an essential
scope of capacities and improving execution, will unavoidably make more important occupation
fulfilment. According to Sexton, A., 2017 high levels of staff turnover can be devastating for a
business. It is inside each organisation's enthusiasm to hold tight to their most esteemed
individuals from staff. According to Burton, L., 2017 Offering CPD can be a viable method to
support confidence in the working environment and in this way guarantee prized people are
more averse to search for work somewhere else, in this manner enhancing degrees of
consistency.
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Conclusion
According to literature, the human resource policies, HR strategies as well as other
training program are considered essential for the companies. The companies which align the
continuous professional development with the HR strategies motivate the employees to a greater
extent, and their satisfaction level is also increased. The training and development and
continuous development for the employees also enhance the productivity of employees at
workplaces. The cost and other expenses of the company are with the help of continuous
professional development as the productivity and efficiency of employees are increased
significantly. The HR strategies for motivation are used by the management of the company in
which the pay scale and promotional objectives are provided to employees. The companies
which initiate such programs within their entities also get assurance to achieve a competitive
advantage in the industry.
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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This section explains the research strategy and system of the study for this thesis.
Particularly, this section highlights the exploration logic, methodology, system and information
accumulation systems. Research philosophy is a situated of an organized set of rules or
exercises to support in producing substantial and solid exploration results (Mingers, 2001,
p.242). The exploration process has adaptability taking after the recommendation of Saunders et
al. (2003) which is an onion model (figure 1).
Figure 1 - The research process ‘onion’ (Saunders et al., 2003)
This research will adopt a systematic review of the literature on continuous professional
development in order to understand its role in improving competitive advantage. The stages of
this systematic review will begin with the defining of the research questions. Research methods
are the tool which help researcher in conducting research. There are three type of research
methods i.e., qualitative, quantitative and mixed each have their merits as well as demerits.
Qualitative research method is non-numerical and focuses on establishing patterns. It
have some merits and demerits :-
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 It analyse area of risk within minimum time as well as without much expenses. Thus, it is
easy as well as cheap.
 It doesn't allow for determination of probabilities as well as result using numerical
measures.
Quantitative methods examines numerical data and often requires the use of statistical
tools to analyse data collected. This allows for the measurement of variables and relationships
between them can then be established. This type of data can be represented using graphs and
tables. Merits and demerits are as follows:-
 One of the main merits is quantitative method obtain accurate image of risk as well as it
is more valuable
 This also have some demerits also such as more expensive because demand greater
experience as well as advance tools.
This research is going to use qualitative research method because it is easy and not
require much funds for overall process.
Research Questions
 Do you understand the concept of continuous professional learning and development?
 What are the various types of continuous professional learning and development program
implemented in organisation?
 What is the role of continuous professional learning and development program in driving
employee motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, retention and performance?
 What type of relationship occurs between continuous professional learning and
development program and competitiveness of association in industry?
In order to address these research questions, a search for relevant data will be carried out
using the online library resource, Athens. The results for the different searches will be refined to
focus on the variables in the research objectives. The literature will be analysed into categories
and themes in order to establish common patterns or results for CPD in organisations.
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Research Philosophy: A research philosophy can be referred to as the belief related to
the manner in which data about a specific phenomenon must be collected analysed as well as
used. There are two types of research philosophies, namely, positivism and intepretivism.
Positivist research philosophy believes that reality is stable and that it can be described from an
objective point of view. On the other hand, interpretivist research philosophy is keen on
subjective interpretation of an intervention in reality. In this research, interpretivism approach
has been used because this will help in gaining a deep insight into the topic that is being studied
within this research.
Research approach: Research approach is the way through which information which is
important and relevant according to research topic is collected. There are two types of research
approach: deductive and inductive. In this research, deductive approach is used because this
covers relevant aspects which affects research topic.
Sampling: Sampling is the process in which some number of respondents are selected to
collect and evaluated view, opinion about research topic. It is not possible to collect information
from whole crowd, so some candidates are selected. There are two types of research sampling:
random and non random sampling. Random sampling is best because in this there is equal and
possible chances of being selected. Hence with this method, there is less possibilities of getting
bias data.
Pilot Study- Pilot study refers to small scale study which is conducted in order to
evaluate feasibility, cost and time to conduct research activities. This helps to conduct full
project in more reliable and better manner.
Data collection- Data collection is the process to collect information from different
sources to give correct and authentic recommendation, and conclusion. There are two sources of
collecting data i.e. primary and secondary source. Primary source is the way in which
information is collected by research from respondents. While in secondary source information is
collected from online source, books, journals, etc. Both the sources are good because in primary
source information is collected on one to one basis. While in secondary source large number of
data is collected or overview of specific opinion is known. Hence secondary information is
collected from authentic and reliable source.
Data analysis- Data analysis is the way through which collected information is
interpreted. This is important because this is base for providing conclusion and recommendations
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for future benefits. Thematic approach is used because in this research questions are converted
into themes in discussion part.
Research Ethics- Research is the study to gain in- depth knowledge about specific topic.
Information is collected from authentic sources, data is stored and transferred with confidential
sources.
Time horizon: Research is the study to in-depth investigation about some specific
research topic. There are many activities such as introduction, setting aims and objectives,
literature review, etc. which helps to conduct research in more better and effective manner.
Hence Gantt Chart is the technique which is used to analyse time required to conduct research
activities. In Gantt Chart activities are pictorial shown with their respective time. In order to
conduct this research, there is requirement of around 12 weeks.
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CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that the research work will enable the companies to know how
continuous professional development can help the companies to achieve competitive advantage
in the long run. The research conducted can also be used by different researchers to conduct
further research work (Priya and Eshwar, 2014). The research work was done using secondary
research and a case study and it will be assured that the research work did comply with all the
ethics of research work.
This research is aimed at ensuring that developing organizations must develop a culture
of competitiveness and continuous growth and improvement through developing their staff
continuous training and development. Learning organizations have been demonstrated to
facilitate adaptability and to enhance further understanding of shareholder in the business
environments (Khan, Khan and Khan, 2011). In the next chapter of my research, the literature
collected through secondary and primary data collection tools and classified as literature review
is analysed along with different models and theories that will be used to aid the analysis.
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REFERENCES
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APPENDIX
Gantt Chart
17