Report: Skills, Learning, and Development in Organizations (Arcadia)

This report explores the critical aspects of developing individuals, teams, and organizations within the context of Arcadia, a global retail organization. It begins by outlining the essential skills and knowledge required of HR professionals, including communication, coordination, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, along with the importance of training, development, and knowledge of relevant legislation and compensation strategies. The report then presents a personal skills audit and a corresponding development plan, identifying strengths and areas for improvement in key HR competencies. Furthermore, it differentiates between organizational and individual learning, training, and development, emphasizing their roles in driving sustainable business performance. The report also examines the contribution of High-Performance Work (HPW) systems to employee engagement and competitive advantage, as well as different approaches to performance management. By analyzing these elements, the report provides a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of individual, team, and organizational development within a business environment.

Developing
Individuals,
Teams and
Organisations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
P.1 Skills and knowledge of HR professional.............................................................................1
P.2 Personal skills audit and personal development plan............................................................2
M1 reflection and evaluation.......................................................................................................6
P.3 Difference between organizational and individual learning, training and development.......6
P.4 Continue learning to drive sustainable business performance..............................................8
D.1 Learning cycle theories.........................................................................................................9
P. 5 HPW contribute in employee engagement and competitive advantage...............................9
M.3 HPW benefits in specific situation.....................................................................................10
D.2 HPW improve competitive advantage and employees engagement...................................11
P6 Evaluate different approaches to performance management with specific examples..........11
M4..............................................................................................................................................13
D2..............................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Development of team, individual and organization is necessary for improve performance
and increase profitability in organization. All these interrelate with each other because if
individual knowledge and skills are developed that group also develop because set of individuals
make group and group are make organization (Lacerenza, 2018). Through development
organization increase their productivity and profitability through increase performance of teams.
All are work for single objective with different department. Arcadia is a British retail
organization that work on global level. It was founded in 1903 and headquarter situated in
London. 22000 employees are engaged in organization. This report will be cover skills and
knowledge of HR professionals, professional development plan, organizational and individual
learning and training.
P.1 Skills and knowledge of HR professional.
Many types of skills and knowledge are required in HR professionals because they have work of
hire candidates and manage all works and issue related to employees and workplace so they have
to need of knowledge and skills. Following skills are required :-
Communication skills :- it is very important skill that need of human resource
professional because they interact with many types of people for hire them and attract as well.
HR of Arcadia has these skills so candidate attract because they listen to them with full attention
and communicate in effective manner. These skills help in motivate to people for do job and they
feel belonging with organization.
Coordination skill :- coordination is very important in Arcadia because it works at huge
level and global level so many departments are present in organization. Human resource only
department that coordinate to people because through this all employees work together and
increase understanding among them. This helps in decrease conflict between them.
Problem solving skills :- these skills helps in provide satisfaction to employees of
Arcadia so it is important skill because in organization many types of issue create that effect on
performance of organization. Through this skill human resource professional listen and
understand to employees and then take decision and solve conflict and disputes.
Decision making skills :- these skills is very important because through this skill they
recruit and take right decision about candidate and their skills and knowledge. These things help
in hire right candidate for right position. So it very important skills (Nikitenko, 2017).
1

Knowledge is also important for HR because they have to update their knowledge day by day
according to changes and learn many things. It knowledge helps in manage employees and their
work. They also improve and develop organization through performance of members and hire
skills and efficient candidates that they create new ideas.
Training and development :- this knowledge play vital role because it helps in increase
performance and skills of employees in Arcadia. HR professional has required knowledge about
training for work with new technologies that organization adopt and establish new innovations.
This knowledge helps in increase skill of them and they get motivation as well.
Legislation :- HR professional also has to keep knowledge about all types of legislation
that helps in provide protection to employees of Arcadia like health and safety law,
discrimination law. Through these laws they provide knowledge about health and use of safety
tools at workplace That helps in reduce risk. They also have need of knowledge about prevent
discrimination and hire people according to their capabilities not bases on religious, color and
caste (Xue, 2017 ).
Compensation and rewards :- it also has need of knowledge about compensation and
reward. So time to time evaluate and analyze performance of employees and give reward and
benefits according top their performance. These things help in increase performance and workers
of Arcadia do work with their full efforts. They also motivate through this knowledge of HR.
P.2 Personal skills audit and personal development plan.
Personal skill audit is very best way for know and understand own skills and knowledge,
strength and weakness as well. Through this process members of Arcadia like manager and
entrepreneur evaluate and analyze knowledge and skills. So I audit my skills and knopwledge for
HR professional. Following are my personal skills audit and indicators like:-
1 – poor, 2 – not bad, 3 – average, 4 – good, 5 – very good
Skills Personal audit
circumstances
1 2 3 4 5
Manageme
nt skills
 Time management
and work complete
under given time.
 Coordinate to
employees and make
*
2

relationship between
them.
*
Communic
ation skills
 Effective interaction
with different types of
people.
 Listen to employees
and their feeling.
*
*
Problem
solving
 Solve problem after
evaluation all things.
 Take decision with
impartiality.
 Good in handle
situation. *
*
*
Decision
making
skills
 Decision make after
discussion with
employees.
 Follow democratic
style for making
decision.
*
*
Legislation  All knowledge about
legislation that
provide protection to
employees.
*
Employees
satisfaction
 Employees
satisfaction
knowledge like
reward and
compensation.
 Knowledge of
evaluation work of
*
3

employees.
*
Recruitmen
t
 Making payroll.
 Hire skilled and
efficient employees.
 Full knowledge about
organization rules and
regulations.
*
*
*
Technologi
cal
knowledge
 Knowledge about
operate computer.
 Other innovations that
helps in improve
performance.
 Advertise about
vacancies through
social media.
*
*
*
Motivation
skills
 Motivate to
employees.
 Evaluation of work of
employees. *
*
Personal development plan :- it is a plan that make by individual for improve and development
of their skills and knowledge. This plan helps in achieve organizational goals and improve skills.
This plan prepare after audit of all knowledge and behavior. Following steps are followed in this
plan:-
Skills Current
proficiency
Target
proficiency
Development
proficiency
Criteria for judging
success
Time scale
Communic
ation skill
Communicati
on with
people OK
Remove
nervousness
during
Interact with
people and
friends in
Achieve attraction of
candidates from me
and it judges by my
Six months.
4

but feel
nervousness.
communicat
e with other.
English. head of department.
Problem
solving
skills
I can't
evaluate both
parties and
also handle
situation.
Evaluation
of both
mistakes
and listen to
them for
handle
situation.
Solve problem
of all
employees and
handle tough
situation for
prevent
conflicts.
It is evaluated and
judge by my seniors
and employees that in
solve problem in
effective manner.
4 months.
Technologi
cal
knowledge
I have
knowledge
about social
media but I
have an issue
in innovation
and
technologies.
Improve
new
technologic
al
knowledge
and give
attractive
advertiseme
nt about
vacant post.
Advertise with
different
technology
and share all
information
about
positions.
It judges through
record of recruitment
and attraction of
people after improve
my knowledge.
6 months.
Employees
satisfaction
This
knowledge in
OK but I can't
proper
evaluate
performance
of employees
and give
reward
according to
them.
Provide
satisfaction
through
reward and
incentive
and
motivate
them.
Time to time
evaluate and
analyze site
and
departments
and notice
their works.
It is judge by all head
of departments
through increase
performance and
productivity and
profitability of
organization.
Five months.
5

Legislation I have full
knowledge
about
legislation but
can't use them
at workplace.
Apply all
rules and
laws like
health and
safety and
anti
discriminati
on laws.
Establish
different tools
for safety of
employees and
give training
about health.
Judge by head of
organization and
evaluate through
decrease risk and
illness and motivation
of employees.
6 months.
M1 reflection and evaluation.
Through personal audit I evaluate that many types of improvement that I have need
because I feel nervousness during communicate with peoples. I develop these skills through
interact with all types of people. I also get that I not gather information for problem solving. For
solve problem I gather proper information from employees and listen their feelings after that I
take decision. So behavior, skills and knowledge is very important for maintain all things.
P.3 Difference between organizational and individual learning, training and development.
Organization and individual learning :-
Organization success is fully depended on their learning because through this it easily
gains knowledge about sociology, psychology, philosophy, management and all discipline that is
necessary for Arcadia. It learns many things through its experience and it also transfers and
retain their knowledge in organization. It helps in prevent and detect errors that present in
organization and create barriers in achieve goals and moot objective. So through learning it gains
their knowledge and improve work that helps in make more innovative and it easily faces to
competition.
Individual learning is a process that helps in gain knowledge and skills of individual.
That helps in make active for participate in Arcadia. Through this learning individuals increase
their capabilities and do work efficiently that provide motivation to them and it also effects on
organization because all things that they learn improve performance and productivity and
profitability increase. So learning is a need of everyone for make career and set future ( Lo,
Macky and Pio, 2015).
Organizational and individual training:-
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Organizational training is a process of improve skills and knowledge of teams and
employees of Arcadia that is provided to all members for improve performance and give
motivation to them. It provides training for increase profitability and productivity. Through this
supervision reduce because all become perfect so they have no need of supervision. It mainly
focuses on aware about new technologies and innovation that are adopted by organizations. So it
provides training use of technology and increase productivity.
Individual training is take by individual for personal development through this individual
fulfill their own knowledge. That means they take training for improve to own and fill gap of
require and available knowledge and skills. This training take by individuals through anywhere
like school, colleges and any institute for gain knowledge in particular and specific field. That
helps in make perfect to them (Park, Bae and Hong, 2017).
Organization and individual development:-
Organizational development is a technique that helps in change all things in organization
for improve performance and increase productivity and profitability in Arcadia. It also changes
beliefs, attitudes, values and structure of organization for develop. It is very essential for develop
all things improve according to change in environment. This process is complete through
implement change in organization for efficiently and effectively work. It also helps in solve
problem and make long term strategy through collect data and take feedback and survey. Then
evaluate and analyze of collect information and data and taken decision for prevent mistakes and
loopholes for development.
Individual development also strategy and helps in change some things that present in
own. So individual evaluate and do audit of their skills and knowledge than develop all
loopholes. This process is lifelong because individual has always needed of development
according to their goal. For achieve their goal and satisfy of desire it develops. So for
development it evaluates their strength and weakness, then set deadline that means it fixes time
scale for improve work and complete task. It is very important for improve new skills and it very
essential in growth and maturity of individual that boost confidence and motivate to them
(Navimipour, 2015).
P.4 Continue learning to drive sustainable business performance.
Continue learning:-
7

Continue learning is a process of expanding skills and knowledge that helps in change all
things according to time and new developments. Technology is also increasing day by day that
affect to learning way of peoples and Arcadia and they learn continue. Organization also learn
continue about market and its products and services as well as competition so that helps in
prepare for phase situation. It is a lifelong process and this process helps in increase profitability
of organization. It also attracts customers by provide unique things and satisfaction through
fulfill their needs. Employees of organization motivate through this process because it helps ion
increase confidence (Long, Kowang and Chin, 2017).
People has major needs of continue learning because without learning they do not
improve and growth in their life. Business of Arcadia do work at global level so it has need
changing their operations with time and so for that it provide training and development to
employees and it is only thing that maintain high performance of organization. They also have to
evaluate and analyze for learn about the latest trend, fashion and choice of customers in market
and learn about competition in market. All things help in drive sustainable development of
business.
Professional development:-
It is a process that helps in develop professionalism through academic degrees, attend
seminar and formal education. Its area is very wide and it uses in increase professional things in
employees of Arcadia. Organization majorly focus on training and development program for
improve performance of employees and they use all these professional skills in future and career.
Business increase from it because if professionalism increase so management of all things occur
in effective manner. Risk is reduced and decrease through this development and it helps in make
strategy in effective manner after evaluation to loopholes and achievement of current and
previous years.
Professional development focuses on expand business for increase productivity and
profitability so Arcadia adopt these things and organization has many types of benefits like cost
save that means through this they increase their business and attract more and more customers.
Furthermore, popularity also develop with it. professional of organization always take feedback
and conduct surveys for know about customers and peoples feeling and thinking about products
and services that helps in improve business and profitability. So professionals solve problems
8

and prevent and detect all loopholes that evaluate on time of feedback and survey (Namada,
2018).
D.1 Learning cycle theories.
Kolb's Learning cycle theory is very best that refers everyone learn through their day to day
experience and activities. This theory has four stages.
Experience :- it shows concrete to experience that means peoples has much experience
so they easily learn from these. It provides opportunities to peoples for start learning and develop
skills and knowledge.
Reflect :- it involves thinking of peoples that they evaluate about experience. So many
peoples have good and well experience and other peoples trained themselves through gain
experience and increase skills.
Conceptualize :- through this stage employees and peoples evaluate of experience and
knowledge that means peoples analyze all experience and make hypothesis about experience.
That helps in knows about need of improvement.
Plan :- it is last stage of learning cycle through this they make image for new experience
and evalaute about strength and weakness of new experience than make plan for take and learn
new things and gain experience.
P. 5 HPW contribute in employee engagement and competitive advantage.
High performance work is very important of organization and Arcadia follow this
framework. This is use by management of organization because it is very effective things.
Through this it motivates to people and give rewards and incentives to employees according to
their performance. That increase performance of employees and productivity and profitability as
well. HPW helps in increase performance and they focus on goal of organization.
For high performance work organization clear goals and responsibilities of all members
of organization because all are work for common goal like short term and long term. So if roles
are clearly defined to all employees that effect on performance and they work with their full
efforts because if roles and responsibilities are clear so they work effectively and efficiently for
fulfil their targets and achieve target.
High performance work increase through hire skilled and efficient workers that they have
more talent and it helps in create new ideas in organization. It helps in replace low performing
9

members and they find work for them. Potential employees has many skills like problem solving,
decision making and communication skills and these all skills improve performance of them.
HPW increase employees engagement:-
Employee engagement is very important term that maintain through HPW because high
performance work helps in make positive image of organization and provide employees
satisfaction that helps in employees engagement. Its main purpose is reduced staff turnover that
means if organization provide employee satisfaction through conduct appraisal and give
promotion and also give reward and incentives according to their performance so it reduces
turnover. It also reduces by if management of organization listen and understand all things of
employees that provide satisfaction and they stable with organization for long term (Dhar,
2015).
Customers increase and attract automatically through high performance working. All
these things helps in make happy to employees and employees engagement increase performance
through give full efforts to work. Engagement of employees reduce and decrease conflicts at
workplace because all workers are engaged in some work so rumours are not spread. So HPW
contribute in employees engagement (Bjorklund and Causey, 2017).
High performance working contribute in competitive advantage:-
This framework give advantage in competitive situation. HPW include satisfaction to
employees and produce products and services to customers according to their needs and
demands. So it evaluates and analyse of market for collect information about performance and
tactics of other organization that present in market with same products and same size. If
competitor available in market so it reduces and decrease performance and divide customers. So
high performance work of organization helps for face competition because Arcadia employees
satisfied so they create different ideas for improve products and increase supply of products with
reasonable rates. It is helpful in face situation of competition (van Breda-Verduijn and Heijboer,
2016).
M.3 HPW benefits in specific situation.
Arcadia has many benefit through high performance working because if management of
Arcadia want to change rules and regulations so employees follow and easily accept because
high performance work present in organization and it only possible through employee's
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satisfaction through reward and incentives and provide motivations through apply laws and
regulations.
D.2 HPW improve competitive advantage and employees engagement.
Employee engagement increase through this framework and productivity also improve
because high work performance helps in improve productivity and profitability of organization
because employees stable with organization for long time so organization do not has to provide
training. All skilled and experienced employees engaged in it so they produce products and
services at higher rate in effective manner.
High work performance also helps in increase motivation for face competition because
employees work with their full efforts and they also research time to time of market and provide
products to customers according to their demand. That helps in attract to them and competition
situation also evaluate through employees that helps in face competition.
P6 Evaluate different approaches to performance management with specific examples
There are various approaches of Performance management. Some of them will be
discussed below as :
Collaborative working
A collaborative working is when more than two people or group works together by
sharing their ideas and accomplish a common group goal. Teamwork is often follows in the
organisation such as Arcadia group.
The Arcadia group is following this approach of performance management by working in
team which impacts their performance as well as help them in achieving their objective
efficiently. Also, the company follows this approach to maintain coordination and good relation
among their employees. The company attain synergy by following collaborative working in their
organisation. Workforce of Arcadia group promotes self analysis of employees working with
them. By collaborative working, Arcadia group achieves big targets with an ease because of
sharing of ideas and suggestion between employees and open communication between
management personnel and employees. This lead them towards achievement of big targets.
Collaborative working also includes brain storming among workforce for the achievement of
common goal and equal contribution of all employees towards accomplishment of common goal.
This way Arcadia group is able to achieve big targets by including synergy in their working. The
company is working with cost efficiency and effectively accomplish their target. Arcadia group
11

is supporting collaborative working in their organisation in order to attain high performance
culture and to attain organizational commitment in time (Cioara, 2018).
Ranking method
This is the traditional method of performance management, in this the employees of an
organisation are compared with all others. Then the employees are ranked according to their
capability of working from the best to the worst.
Arcadia can follow this approach to measure performance of their employees. They can
compare their employees according to their working capability and rank accordingly. This help
company to segregate employees capabilities matching with the organisation goals. High
employees' morale leads to high performance of employees as well as accomplishment of goals
of the Arcadia. The employees in the best category of this approach stay motivated and work for
their company and the employees at worst category get inspires by those employees which are at
best category. This enables the company like Arcadia towards less conflict at workplace and also
employees turnover ratio of the employees in Arcadia will decrease. This approach can also
improve profitability and productivity of Arcadia group because employees knows their
deficiencies and improves their working in order to increase their rank in their organisation.
Management by objective (MBO)
It is also a traditional method of performance management. The company Arcadia group
follows this approach which begins with setting of goals. Each individual need to accomplish
that set goal. This helps the company in accomplishment their goals with efficiency and
effectively. The employees working in the company gets training for accomplishing their goals
and this leads to goal achievement in efficient manner for the organisation. In this approach,
employees performance measured by actual interpreted performance. This helps the Arcadia in
figuring out the deficiency and improvement regarding it is implemented by the organisation.
This approach is beneficial for both employees and the organisation because by training
programme, employees personal skills developed. Therefore, this approach helps the company in
raising their productivity as well as decrease employees turnover.
360 degree feedback appraisal
Arcadia group follows this 360 degree feedback of performance management. This
approach is beneficial for teams, individual and leaderships. This enables leaders of Arcadia with
knowledge and proper feedback so that they can improve and perform their best to contribute
12

their company. This enables self awareness of individuals and teams working in Arcadia group.
It also provides guidelines for accomplishing particular task. 360 degree feedback improves the
relationship between employees and the management. This leads to effective performance of the
Arcadia group. They are successfully accomplishing their goals within set period. This approach
enhances the performance of employees working in Arcadia. Also, by feedback program
company is gaining employees engagement and therefore, this improves performance of Arcadia
and boost interest of employees. The flexible and open culture attracts employees to retain
working with Arcadia. Also, employees shares their ideas and suggestions freely to the
management team of the company as they appreciate their ideas and value them (Van De Voorde
and Beijer, 2015.).
Grading method
Grading method is another most effective method of performance management. In this
employee of the company get segregated into different categories like Outstanding, satisfactory
and Unsatisfactory. The employees of Arcadia group are compared with their performance of
working and accomplishing of task. This help the Arcadia towards success and growth. The
employees' performance are measured by this method and they make improvement to
compensate deficiency regarding it. Also, the company benefited by employees' performance and
successfully accomplish their goals which enhances their productivity and profitability.
M4
In relation with enhancing the operational practices, workforce efficiency and efforts made
by the organisation on which there would be consideration of collaborative working techniques.
Thus, the justification for selection of such method is for enhancing the operational goals and
motivating the workforce for better team work and qualitative effort.
D2
In order to manage and enhance the level of performance done by employees on which there
must be use of HPW techniques. However, in relation with such method there would be proper
records and ascertainment of the level of efforts done by them which articulates the requirement
of training as well as appraising them accordingly
Conclusion
From above study it has been summarized that development of organization and
individual is very important for improve performance and profitability of business. Human
13

resource professional has many types of skills and knowledge like communication skills,
decision making skills and problem solving skills. So they have to keep all types of knowledge
for provide protection of employees. This report also covered that organizational learning and
individual learning's is continued process that update knowledge and skills of them. Taring of
organization and individual is provided and take for improve skills and knowledge in particular
field and through training both are developed heir skills and performance in organization.
Continue learning is need of all employees and organization and it is lifelong process through
this they update to them. Professional development helps in evaluation of business and take
feedback about gods and services from customers and peoples and then improve according to
survey and feedback. This report lastly covered high performance working and it is very
important in organization because through this employee's engagement maintain and
organization easily face and beat competitive advantage because this framework make stability
of employees with organization for long term.
14

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