The Issue within the Context of Singapore Workforce

Question:

Discuss about the Knowledge Management for National Population and Talent.

This essay would be taking into account the exploration on the ways companies can re-design on the systems of HRM along with practices making use of Knowledge Management and principles of Organizational Learning in increasing innovation and competitive advantage over the period of next five years. This essay would first be discussing on the issue within the context of Singapore workforce, it would then be providing the functions of Human Resource Management (HRM), Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management.

Singapore boasts of a rapid workforce with the National Population and Talent Division stating that there would e approximately 9, 00,000 baby-boomers leaving the workforce of Singapore between at this instant and 2030. According to Hislop, the Population White Paper that has been published in 2013 January (National Population and Talent Division), the projected entrants number into the workforce of Singapore in the year 2030 alone stands at 1, 70,000 while the projected retirement number stands at 2, 58,000.

The shift within the demographics indicates a probability of shortage in labor in the coming years. It is significant for the organizations and their department for human resources in foreseeing such trend presently and starting to plan for the potential recruitment, training for retention of knowledge along with starting their program for succession planning. The Human Resources Management generally refers to the activities taking in recruitment, development and training along with compensation for all sorts of personnel.

Even though the HRM sits in the analysis of Michael Porter’s Value Chain as an activity of support along with the infrastructure of the firm, procurement and technology, it should be distinguished unlike the respite of the activities (Holsapple). The factors of human resource are stated to be the only intangible source of an organization that cannot be easily simulated.

According to Hasanali, Knowledge Management (KM) can be defined as the efficient processes of learning connected with the factors of exploration, utilization along with sharing of knowledge for humans using the appropriate cultural environments and technology in enhancing an organization’s rational capital and presentation. The processes of Knowledge Management takes into account on the ways the knowledge has been acquired, generated, stored, refined and used. Based on the presented issue, the factor of knowledge management has been a pressing matter for the organizations.

It is significant for the soon-to-retire employees imparting their skills along with knowledge to the new and existing employees in ensuring the fact of stability and retaining the competitive advantage within the business environment. Companies might also require coming across for ways in redesigning the process of work in coping with the shortage of labor.

Functions of HRM, Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management

As per Manev, Gjorgji, and Jorde Jakimovski, Organizational Learning can be defined as the procedure of developing the actions of the organizations through better knowledge along with understanding. Organizational learning is generally been seen as a knowledge management goal that might be obtained through good strategies of knowledge management and procedures.

Through the motivation of the creation, propagation along with knowledge application, KM initiatives have been paying off by assisting the organization implant knowledge into the process of organization for it to regularly develop the behaviors and practices along with pursuing the attainment of its goals. Organization learning and Knowledge Management in the training and development can be defined as a incessant effort in designing the development of the competency of employees and performance of organizations. Training offers the trainees with relevant information along with skills required for their present job, while the improvement arms them with the required knowledge for their future role.

Training and development helps employees with the skills and required knowledge in keeping up with the modifications and growth of the company. It can also help in developing and improving the culture of the corporate, effectiveness along with assisting in generating of the learning culture within the organization. In a conventional setting of the company, the Human Resource Department (HRD) would focus on programs of training for the employees while the employees would be looking for the developmental programs in upgrading and submitting their requests for approval to the supervisors and HRD. It is for the HRD to review their requests with the supervisor and commend or rebuff the application.

This process can generally be seen as the learning of single-loop nature whereby the HRD is conscious that the employees are generally interested in definite courses for development. In the scenario of double-loop learning, the HRD can review the improvement course that is being requested by the employees and assessing on the selection of that particular course, on the ways it helps in developing the employee and the significant competencies it would be equipping the employees with after attending the program for the development. As per Najjaran et al., the HRD can then be monitoring the programs of its training and decide on whether to integrate the new programs into the existing portfolio of training.

The HRM is required to generate a culture that would be supporting the process of active learning along with encouraging of the creation of knowledge. The dimension of knowledge creation that has been introduced by Nonaka and Hirotaka implies the ways knowledge is been generated and transferred within an organization (Najjaran et al.). Using the principles of knowledge management along with that of knowledge creation would provide the companies with opportunities in creating and maintaining of a culture that promotes innovation. The promotion of innovation is through providing the employees with an environment that welcomes new ideas, association between the employees are being encouraged and rewarding of the employees for showcasing their effort in creating and sharing of the knowledge.

Knowledge Management in HRM and Organizational Learning

In an environment that is being boasted by OL and KM, the HRD needs to work enthusiastically with several functions in the organization for evaluating and reviewing of the training materials for advocating regular learning. Explicit knowledge can be shared easily through the formal methods of training along with development, tacit knowledge, though, is difficult in sharing. However, it is complex than the process of sharing of the same. Therefore, a culture taking into account the tacit knowledge sharing from the expert to novice needs proper encouragement too.

Creation of knowledge, transfer, regular learning along with innovation are stated to be important components for the organization in gaining competitive advantage over their rivals. For achieving the competitive advantage, HRM needs to view employees as resources and human capital, the main objective been harvesting the potential of employees through offering of an environment and resources for leaning in helping create inimitable ideas (Manev, Gjorgji, and Jorde Jakimovski).

Conventionally, as per Birasnav, the organizations have always been reviewing succession planning as an obligation in preparing for exiting of the high-level personnel. With the obstructing of the shortage of labor, it might have become significant for the organizations in implementing the strategy for succession planning for all positions. At the time when an employee shifts from an older role to a new one or leave the present company, the tacit knowledge that the employees have on team norms, communication ways along with other factors generally move alongside with employees (Ing-Long, and Jian-Liang Chen). This budge generates a knowledge gap in the organization that has been improved with the experience of the employees.

Employees who are new have little time in learning these tacit knowledge and have to commence from the scratch on the ways to perform his new duties. In most of the companies, the present role of HRD while encountering the exiting employees of the organization might comprise collection of the belongings from the employees, conducting of the exit interviews along with preparation of the final payroll. However, with the shortage of labor, organizations would find immense gap in knowledge within the next five years if they do not commence their program for succession planning. In Organizational learning and Knowledge management environment, the HRD has the ability in incorporating program for succession planning flanking with the programs of development and training (Hotho et al.). The organization needs to take a dynamic role in evaluating the employees’ number who would be attaining the age for retirement over the period of next year and recognizing the roles performed and the required knowledge for performing such roles.

Succession Planning and Knowledge Management

The systems for support along with team management can be implemented for supporting of the knowledge. Analytical skills along with technological aspects can be put to great use in in understanding the previous knowledge obtainable from the organizational activities and developing of the fresh strategies for Knowledge Management (Linda and Jerry Guo). The business organizations existing in Singapore requires implementing the infrastructures of improved networking with the community of the organizations in supporting the knowledge embedding.

The application of the pioneering technology can be supportive in allowing the knowledge management in the organizations in Singapore. A better strategy of knowledge management can be utilized in improving the efficiency and efficacy of the scheduled training and development programs. The present practices of the ‘handover’ session where the worker who would be exiting imparts their knowledge through verbal instructions along with written one that have been deemed helpful for the regular tasks that are being performed on repeated basis. The HRM in Singapore can plan ahead for the process of succession planning in preventing and minimizing the gap of knowledge. It has been revealed previously that the organizations and HRD needs to recognize the number, roles within the jobs and the required skills of the impending retirees (Edwards). Next in line should be the identification for the alternates for the jobs either within the organization or on external basis. For the internal candidates, the Human Resource Development needs to examine if the candidate is good enough to fit into the new role.

If there exists any sort of gap in the competency extent, whether the candidate is willing to instruct and learn in reducing the gap. For the external candidates, other than assessing their fitting into the role, the Human Resource Development needs to assess if the candidate has enough in him to fit into the culture of the company. Following that the HRD would then be communicating the soon-to-retire employees along with the probable replacement on the program of succession planning. It has been stated that the resistance to the change is unavoidable, it can however, be minimized through the use of the Lewin’s change model.

The HRD along with the leaders of the company should communicate the urgency on the change factor, informing the employees on the imminent shortage and the requirement in retaining the knowledge factor (Jain and Ana Moreno). Generating of a conducive environment for the transfer of the knowledge is often symbolized by ‘ba’ in the SECI model of Nonaka. This would be forming the unfreezing element of the Lewin’s model. Utilizing the SECI model in implementing the change part in Lewin’s change model is where the replaced employee shadows the presented employee in the aspect of their job.

Supporting Knowledge in Organizations

Due to the ageing workforce and population, it is being estimated that Singapore companies would be encountering shortage in labor over the period of next few years. In order to stay aggressive along with maintaining the competitive advantage over its rivals, companies need to focus on the ways in re-focusing on the programs for training and development. The focus should also be on the succession planning in preventing the loss of the key knowledge and knowledge opening that would materialize when the generation of the baby boomers head towards the age of retirement. Through the adoption of the organizational learning and knowledge management along with strategies, companies would need to encourage and motivate the creation of new and fresh knowledge.

Companies can also acquire important knowledge on the roles of the jobs and the processes and evaluate whether they would be remaining pertinent in the years to come. Organizational leaning and knowledge management advocates that for maintaining of the competitive advantage. Companies need to support creation of knowledge, regular learning and innovation process. It can be concluded that if the management of human resources keep upgrading their program for training and development along with providing a favorable environment for learning that encourages innovation and planning early for the employees who would be retiring.

Reference:

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