MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SEMESTER MAY 2020

BMHR5103

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANISATION...................................................................1

2.0 THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF MALCOLM KNOWLES (1984).........................................3

3.0 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: DESIGN TRAINING FOR ADULT LEARNERS.....5

3.1 DESIGN THE TRAINING..........................................................................................6

3.2 THE IMPLEMENTATION.........................................................................................8

4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................................10

5.0 THE SUMMARY..............................................................................................................12

6.0 REFERENCES LIST.........................................................................................................13

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANISATION

Exact is an international company and one of the leading software companies in the
Netherlands. They also offer accounting, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and other
software for small and medium-sized businesses. Exact develops on-site and cloud-based
software for accounting, wholesale distribution, professional services, and production.
Serving more than 1,400,000 companies. (Exact, n.d.)

More than 100 countries worldwide rely on Exact software for their business organisations.
Exact embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs). Accurate wants people to benefit
optimally from the power of artificial intelligence (AI) so that, in the future, people in the
world will not have to enter anything manually at all. (Exact, n.d.)

In

line Figure 1 : Company V2MOMs with

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company values and methods, Exact encourages their employees to envision their future and
be a role models. Employees are assets to the company. To achieve the company vision,
Exact need to ensure that employees always enhance their skills and have the right career
path and development.

Human Resource Department plays an essential role in Exact to ensure employees have the
right career path. The Human Resource Department's vision is to enable employees to focus
on their job and success by providing service and Human Resource expertise as a reliable
partner. Their values are Services, Reliability and Expertise. For the services, they must
enable and support the employees by providing straightforward advice, policies and
procedures. Reliability is to create trust by being consistent and compliant towards the
employees. Expertise, they need to develop, gain and maintain up to date with their
knowledge and skills in the team. The human Resource department set up a dedicated
training team to design, implement and analyse the training programs. To create the training
courses, they need to identify the training goals and how to conduct them. 321

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2.0 THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF MALCOLM KNOWLES (1984)

Malcolm Shepherd Knowles was an American educator well-known for using the term
Andragogy. The time Andragogy is synonymous with adult education. According to Malcolm
Knowles, Andragogy is the art and science of adult learning, and Andragogy refers to any
form of adult learning. (Pappas, 2013)

The term andragogy could be said to be equivalent to the term pedagogy. Andragogy in
Greek means man-leading compared to pedagogy, which means child-leading. However, the
term pedagogy has been used since ancient Greek times, while Alexander Kapp, a German
educator, used the term andragogy for the first time in 1833.

Figure 2: Malcolm Knowles Principles - Andragogy

In 1984, Malcolm Knowles developed five principles for designing training for adults.
Knowles assumed that adults learned differently from children, providing the basis for a
specific field of inquiry. His earlier work on informal adult education highlighted several
elements of the process and setting.

The first principle of adult learners is that they need to know. Adults must plan the design
training and evaluate the training instructions. They need information about the training or

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learning experiences to value the activity. They will learn more efficiently when the adult
learner is motivated to develop new skills or acquire specific knowledge. The second
principle is that the adult learner needs to be self-directed. Since adults are self-directed, the
instruction should allow learners to discover things and learn for themselves without
depending on others ad provide guidance and help when they make mistakes.

Experience is the third principle of Malcolm Knowles for designing training for adults
learner. This principle shows that adults have a diverse collection of complicated and more
complex interactions than children. Such experiences could be beneficial or harmful to the
learning experience, but they are always a factor. Accepting the complexities of adult
experiences will help create a vibrant learning environment, but it needs to be more efficient
to maintain it within the boundaries of the training.

The fourth element is the orientation to learn. Adult learners are life-centric, problem-centric,
or task-centric in their learning approach. These three orientations have been suggested over
the years but are the same. Besides, they are likely to build on each other, and the task-
centred would consider most successful if the task were to apply to both massive and
problem-centred would be more motivating.

Last but not least, the fifth principle of Malcolm Knowles is motivation to learn. Adults are
motivated to learn from internal factors. Knowles (1984) believed that adults were best
motivated to learn primarily from internal factors such as increased self-esteem, self-
actualisation, or recognition. Knowles concluded that adults were most inspired to pursue
their learning objectives when they were respected and appreciated for their training
achievements. 465

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3.0 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: DESIGN TRAINING FOR ADULT

Education has no end. You do not read a book, have an exam and finish your studies.
The entire life from you born until you die is a learning process." – Jiddu Krishnamurti
(2017)

Designing the training program for the adult learner is a challenging job. A few problems
need to be considered before coming up with the programs, like age limitation, the level of
difficulty of the educational program and because of the main objective of the training
program. The trainers need to consider tyro health factors as they are adult learner who has
aged. This could be quite a huge concern. Throughout the training program, the tyro that
joined would possibly vary in age. Thus, the training results would possibly dissent because
of the age limitation. For a tyro who has quite an age, their bodies and mind may not match
because of the young tyro. Besides the health concern, the trainers must also be compelled to
consider the training methodology supporting their limitations. If there were trainees of quite
an age, they would avoid any activity that does not fit with them; hence the objective is not
reached. This is why the trainers need to lay out a distinct purpose and list of activities
throughout the training program so that the adult learners will have a clear vision of what
they will face during training and what will they will eve by the end of the program. With a
transparent objective of the training program, the tyro can see; however, this training
programme could improve their future. They need to realise training in area units that are
relevant to them. However, they additionally gain much encouragement to boost their
knowledge and a stronger sense of accomplishment once they have an interest in recognition
of training desires. (P.Smith, 2017)

Besides that, trainers need to apprehend the training program’s purpose. Most adult learners
have enough expertise in their field. In alternative problems, adult learners typically have
experiences in their life, as well as travels, family and health problems, etc. Therefore, the
trainers need to encourage them to hitch the training and convey work-related issues into the
sessions, as this is the best way to make the material more relevant.

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A comprehensive way of training methods could use, as well as classroom sessions, virtual
live sessions and self-paced e-learning sessions. Several organisations have embraced e-
learning tools attributable to their secure development, lower prices and redoubled
accessibility for adult learners. E-learning is one of the best ways to learn new knowledge by
using computer network technologies that mainly use the internet or intranet. E-learning is
well-known as electronic learning and can easily access anywhere and anytime. (Welsh,
2003)

Even though this system succeeds in designing better training, there are a few things the
training team need to do. There are three things that they need to analyse to create the best
exercise for the employees. First, they have to explore the training purpose and desires. The
training must be based on the duty scope and the person. The manager has to set out what
training they arrange for their groups. For example, What entire training is best for email-
promoting specialists? The second is coming up with the training program. At the same time
the third is implementing the training by analysis. Supported the team's research, they
realised that the only effective way to deliver data is by participating and encouraging adult
learners in learning and problem-solving activities. By conducting dynamic activities, the
training is more practical than straightforward reading or passive listening towards the
problems that evolve around them. The training team should permit adult learners to hold out
their job-related tasks as part of the training module.

3.1 DESIGN THE TRAINING.

Creating the best training for adult learners involves selecting the proper methods and
integrating employees into the learning process. Managers must discuss with the training
team and design the overall training program using their analysis results. It also includes the
training objective, delivery methods and programme evaluations. There are a few steps that
Exact used to design the training programme. Firstly, setting the training objectives for adult
learners. Create a motivational training environment and make the training more meaningful
for them. Exact ensure that the skills can be transferred quickly and understandably. The
training team must confirm that adult learners apply the knowledge they gain from the
training to their jobs. They should be able to address the performance deficiencies while
setting up the training objectives. Training and development objectives must be defined in

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measurable terms on what adult learners should be able to achieve after completing the
training session. The training team also needs to come out with the training cost issues.

In Malcolm Knowles‘s principles, the learning process arrangement must consider both
ability and motivation. Adult learners are usually self-directed. They have years of
experience, and also they are goal-oriented. They learn better when adequately motivated and
want to feel respected as well. They want to be engaged and believe the material is valuable
to their skill. They also prefer to be trained by an expert. At the same time, they want to be
trusted to read and learn on their own.

Training shall include codified requirements and the perceived training needs of adult
learners. When designing the training deliverables for adult learners, the training team always
ensures that the content is relevant, or else adult learners will not be able to see the actual
learning experience Exact provides.

A few years back, one of the training teams planned to create an e-learning course for all
Exact employees, including adult learners. They developed an e-learning course that met
Exact's criteria and requirements. They build and develop an e-learning system called
"Exademy" and offer the adult learning course leading to an online training certificate. They
provide all the online training courses for all employees, from newbies to top management,
and recommend that they take the online training.

There are a few things that the training team consider while creating e-learning for Exact
adult learners and how the content will serve the main learning objectives, which are the
content material of the e-learning, the interaction of the program, and the goal of the e-
learning itself. They prefer adult learners who are actively involved in the learning process so
that they can stay connected to the course. Interactivity and interactions play a primary role in
engaging adult learners, as interaction creates a more significant impact between the learner
and the e-learning course. Allowing two-way communication in the training program,
whenever possible, will eventually create a better outcome. They are also considering giving
adult learners control over the learning process, which will keep them motivated and
engaged.

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Adult learners usually are interested in problem-centred learning and the practicals towards
their working environment. There is a massive difference between what to know and what to
do. The team must develop environmental practices that help adult learners play their roles
better and encourage them never to stop improving themselves by learning. Even though
adults have an extensive range of experienced, they also have doubts and d care about the
tasks and activities they are concerned about. Besides that, Exact finds that memorisation
tasks are only suitable for some adults. Instead, training with real-life scenarios has a more
significant impact on the adult learner. Adults prefer to avoid linear courses that require them
to explore the system in a manner that makes them meaningful. Adult learners prefer to learn
based on real-life implementations.

In Exact, besides the e-learning course, the training team designed one training session for
employees: Top Gun sessions. An expert will conduct the training in this session and share
their knowledge. It is similar to workshop training, but the difference is how adult learners
are approached. Since Exact is a software company, they can design a few e-learning courses
for adult learners.

3.2 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DESIGN TRAINING FOR ADULT LEARNERS

In the training session, by involving adult learners in the assessment of needs, the
impact is more, rather than having a session without any participation from the adult learners.
The trainers will provide the training materials suitable to meet the needs of long-term
employees and younger employees who may have less-developed skills. Like programming
training, the trainer must provide a simulator system for adult learners to test. The simulator
system used in training was created similarly to the system they always used in their work
routine. It will help adult learners learn more efficiently by using similar tools to practice
programming training.

Some adults need help with resuming their training. They have an inbuilt attitude that
challenges their desire to learn. (Pappas, eLearning For Adult Learners: 6 Obstacles To
Overcome, 2018) The advantages of e-learning courses are that they are secure. Adult
learners should learn in the privacy of their workplace or at home. They could also work at

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their own pace and do not need to compete with others. Exact also uses e-learning tools for
their employees. The most popular e-learning tools nowadays are LinkedIn Learning.

After the training sessions, all employees, especially adult learners, should be able to
implement their new skills in their daily tasks. For example, in Exact, Trailhead is an e-
learning course for email marketers. There are three levels altogether. The first level is for a
beginner. The second level is for intermediate, while the third is for an advanced experts. In
this trailhead training session, Exact used a few methods of engagement, such as using
interactive videos, details explanations about the topics, salesforce programming tools
simulator and last but not least, the quiz for all topics. When marketers complete one topic,
they get marks and individual badges for their achievements. After completing an
intermediate level and above, they could also go for an online examination on Salesforce, and
the company will sponsor the cost of the study. They will get a certificate for their excellent
achievement if they pass the extent with the certification, and the marketer skills will become
knowledgeable for the system and valuable to that marketer. They must apply their
knowledge and skills to the Salesforce system daily. 1754

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4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE ADULT TRAINING PRINCIPLES IN THE

Regardless of adult learners‘ ages, they have different learning preferences. Adults think
differently from children and teenagers. They have other expectations of the learning process
and specific needs as learners. Besides, many of them have difficulty concentrating on the
learning course. For this reason, e-learning courses must use short bursts of text and many
diagrams effectively. Adult learners learn the necessary information until their focus is
impaired. Some adults are having a hard time resuming their training. They have an inbuilt
attitude that challenges their desire to learn new things and gain more knowledge. The
advantage of e-learning classes is that they are very discreet. Adult learners take their time to
study. They work at their own pace as well. They hardly have the desire to compete with their
classmates. For example, if trainers offer a sales training course, they could pair up the adult
learners and choose one to be a salesperson and the other to be a customer. Then, the trainers
could give them a scenario, play out the situation and present it to the trainers and others.
They could also switch roles to see what they are like on the opposite side. One important
thing to remember about group activities like this is to discuss them as a class. This activity
helps adult learners experience situations from different sides of the spectrum. However, the
activity analysis shows them lessons to be learned and allows them to take away some key
points. (The application of the adult learning principles, 2018)

Adult learners take time to absorb knowledge during class. It could be difficult for adult
learners, as well. Adult learners take time to recall the information. That is why they learn
best from presentations and a hands-on approach. The memory problem could be overcome
with illustrations. Group discussion, case study and presentation would significantly impact
the learners. Acquiring knowledge during the group discussion would inspire them to pursue
other avenues of self-study and online education. It would become more fully engaged in the
e-learning environment.

Furthermore, show the adult learners the value of the training and attending the learning
course. The training should give practical approaches relevant to the participants‘ work. For
example, Exact offers sales training for a new product and might first teach employees how
to use it and encourage them to check it on their own. Employees will have practical
experience and more product knowledge when selling the product.

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On the other hand, adult learners have gained much work-related and personal experience,
and allowing them to share this experience helps them and other participants. The trainers can
do some talking, but adult learners could also learn from each other. Also, using the
discussion questions to get learners to share instances when dealing with a particular problem
or process and then sharing different experiences can make learning easier and keep everyone
engaged. For example, if the trainers are talking about a protocol that avoids legal
implications, one of the adult learners might have had a specific experience on the subject
that could provide the adult learners with a practical and relatable approach to dealing with
situations. Sometimes, trainers may include common examples, but the examples that
learners experience in their research will reinforce the content.

To build and sustain a positive training environment, trainers should maintain a professional
yet friendly atmosphere and respectfully treat adult learners. A supportive environment of
encouragement would allow learners to express their views and experiences. Additionally,
allowing errors gives learners more flexibility and incentive to participate. There is generally
a way of putting a positive spin on an incorrect answer and transforming it into a lesson by
using appropriate examples and supporting explications.

Besides that, the e-learning materials and how trainers conduct the training also need to
improve by developing the tasks or assignments that allow them to discuss the subject
independently and learn from their own experience. The teaching materials also must be
exciting and readable. Adult learners could do their training while on the go, which means
they can access e-learning deliverables on their mobile devices. The trainer allows them to
learn and retain information at any time, wherever and whenever they need it most, by
designing e-learning deliverables that could have accomplished quickly and efficiently.760

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5.0 THE SUMMARY

To summarise the adult learner, the principles of adult learning relate to several theories
of education, social, philosophical, and psychological theories. Knowles grouped these most
accessibly and named "andragogy," which explained how adults learn best and their attitude
towards learning. A simple method was proposed, which considered different aspects of adult
learning principles and their implications for the role of the adult learner and the part of the
trainers.

Many factors would influence the adult learners in all aspects, such as the mission and
vision of the organisation, like Exact, the training session, outcomes, implementation and
process evaluations. Furthermore, the mindset of an adult towards learning will shift, which
means that they are likely to respond differently to approaches over time and at various stages
of the decision-making cycle.

Adult learners need to know why they need to go for the training courses, what the
advantages of doing it are and what they are at risk of not knowing. They tend to take charge
of their learning process. Training has to build on the knowledge of the learner himself. It has
to be prompt and essential and to concentrate on what is helpful in their circumstances. The
adult curriculum is life-centred and centres on activities and challenges rather than topics. We
ought to be inspired to learn. It may be extrinsic, but it is most likely to be intrinsic.

Other than that, the trainers must focus on assessing adult learning styles, motivation,
past experiences and the adult learner‘s willingness to apply the learning. A joint effort
between the trainers and adult learners will achieve the most success and benefit everyone
involved in the activity. 280 (3,580)

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6.0 REFERENCES LIST

Chappelow, J. (n.d). Baby Boomers. (B. Barnier, Herausgeber) Retrieved July 27, 2020 from
Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/baby_boomer.asp

Exact. (n.d). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from Wikipedia:

Exact. (n.d). About Exact. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from Exact:
https://www.exact.com/about-us

PP. Smith S. (2017). Adult Learners: Effective Training Methods. Professional Safety.
62(12), 22. Retrieved July 20, 2020

Pappas, C. (9. May 2013). The Adult Learning Theory. Retrieved July 18, 2020, from
eLearning Industry: https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-
andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles

Pappas, C. (2. February 2018). eLearning For Adult Learners: 6 Obstacles To Overcome.
Retrieved July 18, 2020, from eLearning Industry:
https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-adult-learners-obstacles-overcome

Quotes To Get You Thinking About Adult Learning. (18. January 2017). Retrieved July 24,
July 2020 from Bay Area Medical Academy:
https://www.bamasf.com/adult-learner/20-inspirational-quotes-to-get-you-thinking-
about-adult-learning/

Stouffer, R. A. (39. Oct 2015). IST 110: Introduction to Information Sciences and
Technology. from https://sites.psu.edu/ist110pursel/author/rxs5456/ Retrieved July 20,
2020.

The application of the adult learning principles. (2018). Retrieved July 23, 2020, from
UKEssays: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/the-application-of-the-
principles-of-adult-learning-education-essay.php?vref=1

Welsh, E. a. (2003). E-learning: Emerging uses, empirical results and future. 7, 245-258.
DOI:10.1046/j.1360-3736.2003.00184.x

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