ARTICLE REVIEW 1

Article Review on Siemens: Training and Development as a strategy for growth

Jelissa Edwards

Arthurine Webb

University of the West Indies Open Campus

ARTICLE REVIEW 2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................3

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................4

Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................7

References...................................................................................................................................................8

ARTICLE REVIEW 3

Executive Summary

This article is a student’s paper. The intent was to analyze a given case study that included questions based on an organization called Siemens and its human resource management policies. There were five activities given. These included stating “how does workforce planning enable Siemens to identify its training needs”; Evaluating Siemens entry-level development program; Explaining “five benefits, which Siemens can attain through training and development” ; Explaining “ how Siemens measures the effectiveness of its Training and development” and “Explaining how providing Training and development helps Siemens ensure that it is able to achieve its business objectives”. The student indicated that Siemen’s offers entry leveled trainees apprenticeship, graduate programs and the opportunity to attend its commercial academy for training and development. The student also noted that through training and development Siemens can attain innovative, flexible, adaptable, motivated, satisfied and committed employees, improved productivity, increased revenues as well as it can attract new recruits. Furthermore, the student then draws its focus to performance management and appraisals to explain how Siemens measures its effectiveness of training and development. While last illustrating why training and development helps Siemens achieve its objectives.

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Article Review on Siemens: Training and Development as a strategy for growth

The case study examined components of Training and Development at one of the largest electronic engineering companies in the world- Siemens. The case study ( titled Siemens: Training and Development as a strategy for growth) was performed by a student named Junayed Mustafa who, according to his profile on academia.edu is a graduate student at North-South University of Bangladesh studying a master’s of business administration. The students’ study was posted to academia.edu which is a popular website that allows students and others to share their research papers. Although, Junayed didn’t indicate which university or wither he was a graduate or an undergraduate at the time he completed the case study, it was stated that the study was submitted during the fall of the 2010 semester. Junayed Mustafa responded to questions given with in the case study that was based on pre-written information about Siemens. My interpretation is that his responsibility was to carefully read and analyze the information while relying on literature that will help with answering the questions correctly.

The first component that Mustafa (2010) examined was workforce planning that he believe helps organizations estimate it “future workforce requirements and calculate the numbers nature and sources of potential employees who might meet that demand” (p.1). In response to the question “How does workforce planning enable Siemens to identify its training needs?” through workforce planning was Mustafa’s response. Mustafa (2010) illustrates that workforce planning has a model that Siemens and most organizations incorporate into their strategic plans in a similar manner. The model consisted of (5) five modes which he identified as environmental scanning, current workforce profile, future workforce view, analysis and targeted future and closing the gap. Very similar to this model identified by Mustafa (2010) is Armstrong’s (2012) workforce planning model that included business planning which is the organization intentions on what it plans to do, forecasting activity levels- that is the amount of future activities that might occur which will determine the demand for people, Scenario planning- an evaluation of the business environment for future predictions , Data collection – complete internal and external information about the organization, Analysis that is the collection of all data from the for mentioned that will be used for determining the organizations demand and supply which will be used to , forecast future requirements – plans for managing human resources such as training and development, recruitment and selection , compensation and more, and concludes with implementation, action planning and monitoring and evaluation. Mustafa (2010) emphasizes that workforce planning is an important component of Siemens training and development process because it helps Siemens maintain its competitiveness.

Evaluating Siemens entry-level program Mustafa (2010) mentions that Siemens offer on the job and off the job training to its employees as a part of its entry level development program.

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These are viewed as training methods what’re components of the training and development process. Siemens Apprenticeship program according to Mustafa (2010) is understood to be a combination of on the job and off the job training. Siemens also has what’s called Siemens commercial academy- aimed at business students and Siemens graduates program- that recruits within engineering, information technology and business all described as (3) core areas of the business Mustafa ( 2010).

As the third question Mustafa (2010) was asked to “explain five benefits, which Siemens can attain through training and development?” Of which he responded by stating (5) benefits of training and development where attaining flexible and adaptable employees, improved productivity and higher revenues , employee commitment , confident , satisfied and motived employees as well as newly attracted recruits.

In order to determine the benefits of a training and development program it is important to measure its effectiveness. Evaluation of the training and development program is also a component of the training and development process and is considered a vital step. The statement here was “explain how Siemens measures the effectiveness of its training and development”. According to Mustafa (2010) Siemens evaluates its training and development program with performance appraisals that’s apart of performance management. Dessler (2013) illustrates that performance management is “evaluating an employee’s current and/or past performance relative to his or her performance standards” (p. 284). The process is explained by the student as beginning with the agreed objectives between employees and line mangers, secondly monitored formally and informally, the third step starts the annual meeting that discuss results and returns feedback, fourth being the linkage or appraisals to pay reviews which he then indicated in the fifth step can motivate employees to perform better and six mentioning the final evaluation after all staff seems up to date. Although this wasn’t stated in the case study the use of performance appraisals can benefit Siemens. Dessler (2013) indicates that appraisals facilitate career planning, identify performance gaps, ensures that employees performance are aligned with the company’s’ goals as well as it helps better plan for the correction of deficiencies found in performance.

“Explain how providing Training and development helps Siemens ensure that it is able to achieve its business objectives.” This was the last question in the case study to which Mustafa (2010) responded by indicating Siemens ensures this through increased performance. His explanation was that when employees feel valued they perform better and their motivation and confidence increases. Most organizations objective is to double its profits and according to Mustafa (2010) providing training and development to employees can help the organization achieve this objective.

Junayed Mustafa did an exceptional job answering the questions regarding Siemens. His knowledge in the field of training development was well displayed in the case study. The author carefully analyzed the information provided and utilized his personal knowledge to answer the questions. After doing some research and finding articles similar to the case study. My

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interpretation was that the case study it’s self is a part of a text book that provided the questions answered as an end assignment. Nonetheless, the author has concisely responded to the questions provided in a manner that displayed accuracy about the organization – Siemens.

Apart from that the case study has some flaws such as grammatical errors. Junayed Mustafa is a student at North-South University of Bangladesh. The private university is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh and has been established since 1992. Dhaka, Bangladesh is, according to Virtual Bangladesh, located “southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India” (Geography of Bangladesh, para.4). Dhaka is a major city located within Bangladesh and its native language is Bangla (Bengali) – stated by Virtual Bangladesh to be an “Indo-Aryan language …evolved from Sanskrit” (Languages of Bangladesh, para.1). Although, it was noted that English is used as a second language and that it is more common in the upper middle class and the educational systems; I do believe that the case study was written in Bangla and translated into English that resulted in translation errors. Junayed has proved his intelligence and seems to be one who is intellect and an honoree in his studies. Therefore, I have no doubts that had he written the case study in English that there would be many errors.

The study titled “Siemens: Training and Development as a strategy for growth” due to his responses seemed more like a class assignment or homework for one of his courses rather than a case study. The responses to the questions were “to the point” and directly from the text. The website Business Case Studies and other international sites depicted information that was very similar to his responses. In doing so the author has not listed any references that supported his findings. Therefore, his readers had very little guidance following up on the case study and his research. However, positively the author has gained over 16, 309 views on academia.edu which is renowned recognition that can possibly have an impact on his educational future in terms of scholarships and even his career.

Junayed Mustafa did a great job with the case study on Siemens despite grammatical errors which made it rather difficult to read. However, some might consider that the case study wasn’t written in English and perhaps translated. Although, the case study lacked referencing which helped guide readers Junayed has managed to gain a great number of views on his case study listed on academia.edu which might have a positive impact on his future someday.

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Conclusion

The article concisely identified some training and development components such as training methods, workforce planning, and performance management. It also identifies the benefits of training and development and how it can be aligned with training objectives; using Siemens as an example. Although, it was postulated that Siemens has an effective training and development program without any literature of proof based on the extensive information given regarding Siemens entry-level development program one can assume that it is reliable if not effective.

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References

Armstrong, M. (2012).Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice.

London, Kogan Page.

Business Case Studies (n.d). Training and development as a strategy for growth: A Siemens case

study. Businesscasestudies.co.uk. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/3nJxpk

Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management. New Jersey, Pearson.

Mustafa, J. (2010). Siemens: Training and Development as a strategy for growth. Academia.edu.

Retrieved from http://goo.gl/JiVnQx

Virtual Bangladesh (n.d). Languages of Bangladesh. Virtualbangladesh.com. Retrieved from

http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/culture/bangla-bengali/

Virtual Bangladesh (n.d). Geography of Bangladesh. Virtualbangladesh.com. Retrieved from

http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/the-basics/geography/