Employees' Development plan supporting individual and organizational Research Paper

Employees' Development plan supporting individual and organizational effectiveness in an organisation - Research Paper Example Introduction The global financial crisis has turned some companies to scrimp on their budgets just keep them afloat in these difficult times. Many people have lost their jobs as a result of the budget cuts. For employees left to work to help their companies rise above the economic crunch, training and development are ensured in the expectation that it will contribute towards the betterment of not only the individual employee but of the whole organization as well. Employee development has been identified as key to improving overall organizational effectiveness. Jacobs and Washington (2003) have defined it as: â€Å"Employee development refers to an integrated set of planned programs, provided over a period of time, to help assure that all individuals have the competence necessary to perform to their fullest potential in support of the organization’s goals† ( 344). One organization that continues to reap success in spite of the economic crisis is McDonald’s Food Co rporation. This company has gained a reputation for excellent standards in food and service. Recently, it is also being known as a supportive employer offering a remarkable employee development program. Background of the Organisation McDonald’s was first developed by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in 1940. They concentrated on just a few products with their juicy hamburgers as their main seller. In 1954, Ray Kroc was appointed by the brothers to be the first franchisee in San Bernardino, California. He opened his first restaurant the following year in Des Plaines, Illinois and the McDonald’s Corporation was created (McSpotlight.org, 2010). The company upheld the highest quality in food, service, cleanliness and value that Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (Q.S.C. & V.) became the company motto since 1957. In 1961, Ray Kroc bought all rights to the McDonald’s concept from the McDonald brothers (mcspotlight.org). He also opened the Hamburger University in El k Grove, near Chicago where people intending to be in the business were given high quality training and development. Since then, McDonald’s kept growing in terms of business and innovative products and concepts that attracted the international market to acquire franchise stores in their countries. The awards reaped by the company throughout the years prove that McDonald’s is one company committed not only to the highest standards of excellence in the food service industry but also to being a great employer that motivates its employees to strive for their best performance. Literature Review on Learning and Employee Development Nowadays, people have more access to learning. More and more training courses are developed and offered in schools and online for people who want to go further in what they know to gain skills and knowledge in their own areas of interest. The term learning may be defined in a myriad of ways. â€Å"Learning is the act or process by which behaviora l change, knowledge, skills and attitudes are acquired† (Boyd, Apps, et al., 1980:100-101). Learning is not limited to schooling, especially for adult learners who seek knowledge from many sources other than schools. Knowles et al. (2007) theorizes that adult learning is organized around the notion that adults learn best in informal, comfortable, flexible and nonthreatening settings. Employees who engage in further learning have their own motivations that urge them to carry on. The motivation to learn is affected by the