Human Resource and Knowledge Management

According to Pilbeam and Corbridge Human Resource Development can be defined as the activities involved in organizing individual and collective learning processes aimed at the development of both employees and the organization. This is concerned with the provision of learning, development and training opportunities in order to improve individual, team and organizational performance. The Human Resource Development process main intention is to improve employees’ career goals and achieve the organization’s objectives in the long run. Organizational learning and development is defined as, the organizational process of developing people which involves the integration of learning and development processes. This process involves enhancing personal competence, adaptability and employability. Human Resource Development seeks to improve the skills of the workforce which would positively contribute to the overall success of the organization.

A Learning style refers to an individual’s habitual and preferred way of perceiving, organizing, and retaining knowledge and it explains individual differences for stimuli recognition and processing. The learning styles preferred and adopted by individuals often differ therefore, HR must be aware of individual preferences in learning, employee training and development programs in order to design and implement effective programs. The two learning style models that has the most relevance in management are Kolb (1984) and Honey and Mumford (1986).

David Kolb a leading researcher in learning strategies and learning processes developed the Kolb’s experiential learning theory and the learning style inventory which utilizes the Lewin Cycle of adult learning. Kolb states that learning occurs in a cycle that is made up of four stages. The initial stage Concrete Experience is where the learner experiences something directly. This is followed by Reflective Observation, where the learner reflects on the experience, comparing it to what he/she