CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN A LEARNING ORGANIZATION

330 Pages·2010·2.01 MB·English

CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN A LEARNING
ORGANIZATION

By
Zeb Jan

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES
ISLAMABAD

February 2010
Career Development in a Learning Organization

By
Zeb Jan

M. A., Sociology, Peshawar University, 1996

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Human Resource Development

To

FACULTY OF ADVANCED INTEGRATED STUDIES AND RESEARCH

(Management Sciences)

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES, ISLAMABAD

February, 2010

© Zeb Jan, 2010

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES FACULTY OF ADVANCED INTEGRATED STUDIES

& RESEARCH
THESIS/DISSERTATION AND DEFENSE APPROVAL
FORM

The undersigned certify that they have read the following thesis, examined the defence, are satisfied
with the overall exam performance, and recommend the thesis to the Faculty of Advanced Integrated
Studies & Research for acceptance:

Dissertation Title: Career Development in a Learning Organization

Submitted By: __Zeb Jan_______________________________ Registration #: __192-PhD/HRD/2004

Name of Student

_______Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Development_________________________

Degree Name in Full (e.g Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy)

_Managmenet Sciences (HRD)______________________________

Name of Discipline

_Dr. Hamid Rafiq Khattak________ ______________________________
N ame of Research Supervisor Signature of Research Supervisor

__ Dr. Shazra Munawer__________ ______________________________
Name of Dean (FAISR) Signature of Dean (FAISR)

______________________________ ______________________________
Name of Rector Signature of Rector

_______________________

Date

ii
CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM

I _____Zeb Jan_________________________________________

Daughter/ Son of __Lt. Col. Muhammad Shuaib (retd)___________________________

Registration # _______192-PhD/HRD/2004___________________________________

Discipline ___Human Resource Development__________________________________

Candidate of ___Ph. D.___________________________ at the National University of

Modern Languages do hereby declare that the thesis (title) ___Career Development in a
Learning Organization____________________________________________________

submitted by me in partial fulfillment of MPhil/ PhD degree, is my original work, and has
not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future,
be submitted by me for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or
institution.

I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my thesis/dissertation at any
stage, even after the award of a degree, the work may be cancelled and the degree
revoked.

______________________________
______________ Signature of Candidate
Date

____Zeb Jan____________________
Name of Candidate
iii
Thesis Submission Approval Form
(SUPERVISOR)

of a thesis on Career Development in a Learning Organizations in Career Development

submitted by _Zeb Jan__________________________

__192-PhD/HRD/2004__________ _Human Resource Development__
Registration No Discipline

Candidate for the degree of ____Doctor of Philosophy_________________________

This thesis has been read by me and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content,
English usage, format, citations, bibliographic style, and consistency, and thus fulfils the
qualitative requirements of this study. It is ready for submission to the Faculty of
Advanced Integrated Studies and Research for internal and external evaluation.

_____________________________ ____________________________
Name of Supervisor Signature of Supervisor

__________
Date

iv
ABSTRACT

Thesis title: Career Development in a Learning Organization

This study is focused on identifying the facilitating role of the learning organizations in
the process of individuals’ careers development. The research has undertaken the study of
the part of the process of Organizational Development, where capacity development in
terms of Career Development of the staff is carried out to enhance the capabilities of the
organization. The study establishes the fact that if the objectives of the two processes are
merged together then a synergetic effect is created which enhances the pace of both the
process.
The theoretical framework of this study has taken career development as
dependent variable, Organizational Development strategies is the Independent Variable.
This study analyzes the reliance of the introduction of knowledge sharing strategy of OD
on the individual capacity development. The main construct of this study is to see the
significance of the correlation between the processes of career development and
Organizational Development. The theoretical frame work has been studied in two
different context i.e the learning organizations’ and the conventional organization and a
comparative analysis of the two have been carried out establishing certain results.
Keeping in view the qualitative nature of the study, three different tools have been
employed by this study including Participant Observation, Questionnaire and Structured
interviews.
The conclusion of the study indicated that the Learning Organizations context is
more supportive to the process of career development as compared to the Conventional
context. It was also concluded that the management of both the organizations are
undoubtedly clear about the positive contribution of the capacity development process to
organization’s benefit but the role performed by the management in these two different
context is different from each other. The recommendations of this study include a model
for integrating HR activities of the organization with the career development process.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Pg.

THESIS/DISSERTATION AND DEFENCE APPROVAL FORM…….... ii

CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM...................................................... iii

ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………. v

LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………........... x

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS …………………………………………… xvii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…….……………………………… ………….. xviii

1. INTRODUCTION.………………………………………………………….. 1
1.1. A Preview of Senge’s Learning Organization’s Model………. 4
1.1.1. Who should be responsible for
development of employee’s career……………........ 8
1.2. Significance of the study…………………………………........ 9
1.2.1. Contribution towards other common
practices……………………………………. 9
1.2.2. Importance of career development in the
process of organizational development……. 9
1.2.3. Importance in Pakistani context…………… 10
1.2.4. Importance of study in strategic HR planning
and development…………………………… 11
1.3. Scope of the study…………………………………………...... 13
1.4. Limitations of the Study ……………………………………… 18

2. LITRATURE REVIEW……..…………………………………………......... 19

2.1. Learning Organization (The context).………..………..……… 19

2.2. The Five Ruling Concepts of Learning Organizations……....... 22
2.2.1. Personal Mastery……………………………………. 22
2.2.2. Shifting Mental Models…..…………………………. 26
2.2.3. Building a Shared Vision……………………………. 30
2.2.3.1. Manager’s formula for building a
shared vision……………………………… 32
2.2.4. Team Building………………………………….…… 33
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2.2.4.1. The learning tools………………….……… 36
2.2.5. System Thinking…………………………………...... 37
2.3. Leadership Role in a Learning Organization………………...... 40
2.4. Characteristics of a Learning Organizations……………….…. 43
2.5. Educational Institute as Learning Organizations……………... 48
2.5.1. Leadership in Educational Institute………………… 50
2.6. Development …………………..……………………………... 51
2.6.1. Human Resource Development(HRD)……………... 52
2.6.2 HRD, Learning and Organizational Processes……..... 52
2.6.2.1. Information flow during learning activity… 56
2.6.2.2. Information management and HR………… 57
2.6.2.3. HRD and Flow of Knowledge…………….. 59
2.6.2.4. Common methods of
Knowledge Management…………………... 61

2.6.2.5. Impediments in harnessing the
power of knowledge and HRD…………….. 63
2.6.2.6. The Learning Culture……………………… 65
2.6.2.7. Types of Organizational learning………….. 67

2.6.3. Strategic HRD…………………………….................. 71
2.6.4.Gaining competitive edge through HRD…………….. 74
2.7. Organizational Commitment ….………………………………. 76
2.7.1. Why we need Organizational Commitment…………. 78
2.7.2. Strategies to enhance Organizational Commitment..... 79
2.7.3. Organization’s Commitment……………………….... 80
2.8. Employee Turnover…………………………………………… 81
2.8.1. Types of turnover…………………………………..... 82
2.8.2. Situation that causes the employee turnover……….... 83
2.9. Quality from HR Perspective..………………………………… 85
2.9.1. Kaizen as Quality Intervention……………………… 86
2.9.1.1. Management Oriented Kaizen…………….. 87
2.9.1.2. Group Oriented Kaizen……………………. 88
2.9.1.3. Individual Oriented Kaizen………………... 89
2.9.2. HRD interventions for quality improvement…….….. 87
2.10. Sustainability Through HRD………………………….….….. 90
2.10.1. Factors that ensures Sustainability…………. 91
2.11. Career Development…………………………………….…… 93
2.11.1.Stages of Career Development……………... 99
2.11.2. Career Management Model………………... 102
2.11.3. Importance of Career Development
for an Organization………………………… 104
2.11.4. Career Development-
A Shared Responsibility…………………… 106
2.11.5. Harrison Six Step Model………………….. 108
vii
2.11.6. Enabling Environment for Two Way
Development-
Individuals and Organizations…………….. 113
2.11.7. Issues Related to Career Development…… 118

3. STUDY METHODS.…………………………………………….…………... 122
3.1. Study Questions…………………………….…….………….. 122
3.2. Theoretical framework……………………….……….….…... 123
3.2.1. List of Variables…………………….…….….…….. 123
3.2.2. Definition of Variables……………………............... 123
3.2.3. Theoretical Framework Diagram………….…….…. 125
3.2.2. Hypotheses…………………………………………. 126
3.3. Sampling……………………………………………….……... 126
3.4. Target population……………………………………….…….. 128

3.5. Data Collection Tools………………………………….……… 129
3.5.1. Participants Observation……………………………. 129
3.5.2. Questionnaire……………………………………..… 130
3.5.3. Structured Interview………………………………... 130

3.6. Analysis………………………………………….……………. 131
3.6.1. Quantitative…………………………………..….….. 131
3.6.2. Qualitative………………………………………....... 132
3.7. Study Ethics…………………………………………………... 132

4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION……………………………………..….. 134

4.1.Section I: Qualitative Analysis……………………………….... 136
4.1.1 Part I- Senior Management Opinion……….……….. 138
4.1.2. Part II- Employee Understanding and
Expectations…..………………………….………... 151

4.2 Section II: Quantitative Analysis………........……….………… 161

4.2.1 Part I- Senior Management Opinion……….……...... 162
4.2.2. Part II- Employee Understanding and
Expectations……………………………….………. 186

4.3. Discussion for Quantitative Analysis………………….……… 248
4.3.1. Part I: Senior Management………………….………. 248
4.3.2. Part II: Employee Understanding and Expectations... 252

4.4.Hypotheses Tests Through
Non-parametric Correlation Tables……………………………. 259
4.4.1. Hypotheses Test…………….………………………. 270
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5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECCOMMENDATIONS……………………… 272
5.1. Conclusion of the Study………………………………………. 272
5.2. Recommendation……………………………..……………….. 279
5.3. Career Management Model…………………..……………….. 279
.
APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………….. 285
REFFERENCES………………………………………………………................... 304

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