SM 5 Respuest

Sm 5 Disc Replies

2 replies of at least 100 words each reply students must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current APA format. The citations must each be from a different source and cannot be the same as those used in their original thread. All 6 sources cited must have been published within the last five years unless the student is citing classic or historical theoretical information. Acceptable sources include the course textbook, scholarly peer-reviewed sources, and/or the Bible, in current APA format.

Feedback from the teacher: For the discussion board replies the thought is to continue building on the conversation, adding only new information that has not yet been touched on about the topic of the prompt.

Avoid repeating what you or your classmate have already stated. Statements that merely agree with or restate what you or your classmate has already said adds nothing new to the conversation.

Reply 1 Bishop

Development programs are beneficial for every company, not just Wegmans. Personalized development plans allow for employees to have clear objectives that they desire to achieve, and supervisors have a way to measure the success of the learned objectives (Aguinis, 2019). At Wegmans specifically, they addressed an issue with turnover that was costing them money each year (The Aspen Institute, 2017). To combat the turnover rate and to improve the workforce in their local community, Wegmans implemented a program to mentor the upcoming workforce and provide programs to upskill and train employees (The Aspen Institute, 2017). The result created benefits for Wegmans as they were retaining more employees, and benefits for the young adults in the program as they had a higher rate of graduation and continuing their education (The Aspen Institute, 2017). 

 

Wegmans hired a professional to act as a mentor to around 30 students (The Aspen Institute, 2017). The mentor was to provide job readiness training, assist with enlisting academic support, and provide additional soft skills training (The Aspen Institute, 2017). The objective was for Wegmans to retain these employees and also for the students to see academic success (The Aspen Institute, 2017). While this was a pilot period for Wegmans, research supports a significant relationship between employee development and organizational commitment (Jehanzeb, 2020). Working with students who do not have prior work experience can be challenging because while they are learning their job roles, they are also learning professionalism. The upfront investment required can be a gamble for Wegmans because they may or may not see the reward once the pilot employees graduate. Their objectives were to reduce turnover and increase the graduation rate in the urban area which was accomplished at the end of the 4 year test period. 

 

As part of the upskill plan, training was included for soft skills, job readiness, and necessary job functions. Research demonstrates the importance of training when it comes to job performance (Agboola et al., 2020). Results indicate that training has a positive relationship with job performance, therefore making it a necessary component of seeing desired results (Agboola et al., 2020). Because of the experience gained in the high school setting, these individuals are gearing up for a future management track. 

 

Personal growth and development are a part of our human nature. I know that I personally have different views and beliefs than I did 10 years ago, and I expect that these will change even more as I experience the world. We are encouraged to identify and use our gifts so that others may see our growth (English Standard Version, 2018, 1 Tim 4:14-15). For Christians, personal development should focus on how we can use our gifts to glorify God. We shouldn’t be striving to please man, but remembering to put the Lord first in everything we do. I find this to be hard to differentiate in my own development, but these verses serve as a great reminder that our work is meaningless without turning our eyes to God. 

 

References

Agboola, O., Aremu, M. O., Eze, B. U., & Wahab, N. O. (2020). Effect of training and career development on bank employees’ performance: Evidence from selected banks in nigeria. Emerging Markets Journal, 10(2), 56-62.  https://doi.org/10.5195/emaj.2020.204 (Links to an external site.)

Aguinis, H. (2019). Performance management. (4th ed.). Chicago Business Press.

English Standard Version. (2018). Crossway. https://www.esv.org/

Jehanzeb, K. (2020). Does perceived organizational support and employee development influence organizational citizenship behavior?: Person–organization fit as moderator. European Journal of Training and Development, 44(6/7), 637-657.  https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-02-2020-0032 (Links to an external site.)

The Aspen Institute (2017, February 21). How Wegmans's upskilling program benefited employees, the company, and the community [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Ad8l4u2jU

Reply 2 - Janelle

1. Reply Why are developmental programs important at Wegman’s? What were some of the benefits for Wegman’s?

For Wegman, a third of their employees were under the age of 21 and on the frontline, so development programs were critical to ensuring that their workforce was equipped with the skills they needed to perform well (The Aspen Institute, 2017). Employee development is a critical talent development initiative and can be a challenge for companies such as Wegman's, as the process involves preparing and developing the skills and capabilities of the next generation's workers (Dachner et al., 2021). According to Dachner et al. (2021), development programs equip employees to be better capable of accomplishing human capital needs, as well as contribute to significant employee growth.

 

2. What are some of the objectives of the development programs at Wegman’s?

Wegman's was facing 100% turnover among high school students in their urban stores, and the community had a graduation rate of only 28% (The Aspen Institute, 2021). Wegman also had recently launched a scholarship program where they didn't receive enough applications to truly make an impact. Therefore, the objectives of the development program were to increase graduation rates in the community and equip students with the job readiness skills they would need to enter the workforce and be successful. These skills would also assist in reducing the high turnover rates at Wegman's. Employees who participate in development programs are more likely to feel valued, cared for, and reciprocate these feelings through hard work, delivering high-quality results, as well as staying at the company rather than leaving or seeking alternative employment (Nerstad et al., 2018).

 

3. What are some of the developmental activities included in “Upskilling” at Wegman’s?

Developmental activities chosen by an organization are typically determined by the organization's strategic goals and objectives (Aguinis, 2019). Popular developmental activities include on-the-job training, courses, self-guided studying, and mentoring, attending conferences, mixing with the best, enrolling in a degree program, job rotation, temporary assignments, and association or trade memberships (Aguinis, 2019). To maintain their scholarship program, increase community graduation rates, as well as job readiness, Wegman included mentoring, academic and tutoring support, job readiness training, and paid employment experience to upskill the students (The Aspen Institute, 2021). Mentoring programs, specifically, teach employees what needs to be done to be successful, as the mentor serves as a role model and teacher for employees (Aguinis, 2019). From this mentorship program, as well as the other developmental activities, 29 out of the 30 students enrolled in their program graduated from high school and 28 to 30 continued to work at Wegman's (The Aspen Institute, 2019).

 

4. Do you think developmental programs/activities are important from a Christian worldview perspective? Why/Why not? 

Developmental programs remind me a lot of the sanctification process. During the sanctification process, the renewal of our minds is necessary so we can live as new creations, becoming and thinking more like Christ. To do this, we must grow in the grace as well as the knowledge of Christ (Christian Standard Bible, 2017/2020, 2 Peter 3:18). Similarly, developmental programs and activities help us to grow and develop into better versions of ourselves. By learning and expanding our skillset, we can grow in knowledge and use it for bettering ourselves and the lives of others. While learning doesn't make us become new people, it makes us improved people who are equipped and capable to do God's work. This contributes to the purpose of work, which is to bring God glory and contribute to human flourishing.

 

References

 

Aguinis, H. (2019). Performance management (4th ed). Chicago Business Press

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). Christian Standard Bible Online. https://csbible.com (Original work published 2017)

Dachner, A.M., Ellingson, J.E., Noe, R.A., & Saxton, B.M. (2021). The future of employee development. Human Resource Management Review, 31(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100732

Nerstad, C.G.L., Dysvik, A., Kuvass, B., & Buch, R. (2018). Negative and positive synergies: On employee development practices, motivational climate, and employee outcomes. Human Resource Management, 57(5), 1285-1302. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1002/hrm.21904

The Aspen Institute. (2017, February 21). How Wegman's upskilling program benefited employees, the company, and the community. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/q2Ad8l4u2jU

2 Janelle