16
Learning and development
strategy
Learning and development strategies enable activities to be planned and
implemented that ensure that the organization has the talented and skilled
people it needs and that individuals are given the opportunity to enhance
their knowledge and skills and levels of competency. They are the active
components of an overall approach to strategic human resources devel-
opment (strategic HRD) as described below. Learning and development
strategies are concerned with developing a learning culture, promoting orga-
nizational learning, establishing a learning organization and providing for
individual learning as also described in this chapter.
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRD)
SHRD is defined by Walton (1999) as follows: ‘Strategic human resource
development involves introducing, eliminating, modifying, directing, and
guiding processes in such a way that all individuals and teams are equipped
with the skills, knowledge and competences they require to undertake
current and future tasks required by the organization.’
As described by Harrison (2000), strategic HRD is ‘development that
arises from a clear vision about people’s abilities and potential and operates
175