200 ANALYSING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
individuals occupying roles titled: manufacturing manager, manager–young
people development, project manager, training manager, IT advisor, learning
media manager, skills development manager, open learning centre manager,
learning and development manager, leadership development manager, dealer
training manager, and change management leader.
In the telecommunications company, the network studied was twice the size
of the one in the automobile company. Twenty-seven employees, training and
development specialists, and influential line managers, were interviewed in
the organization. They held positions within a broad range of the company’s
HR training and development function related to TBL. The sample of inter-
viewees included: sponsors (individuals who are instrumental in identifying
and meeting training opportunities and most often are responsible for budget
allocation and authorization), internal customers (employees using training
products via different media), and suppliers (training and design and deliv-
ery). All were either specialists or held key responsibilities for training and
employee development. Six were based at a major technical training centre;
two were based in the London headquarters; one in a major research installa-
tion, and the remainder were working in a training and development centre
based in the Midlands.
Results
EMPLOYEE-CENTRED LEADERSHIP STYLE IN AN
AUTOMOBILE COMPANY
Managers in the Group Training and Development Unit often spoke about
three issues of employee development. First, encouraging employee devel-
opment through an innovative leadership style incorporating a flexible
training system approach. Second, taking a long-term view on employee
development and using up-to-date training technologies, and third, dealing
with the recurrent obstacles to employees being released from production
tasks and other related problems of low attendance in the open learning
centres.
The consensus to adopt a facilitative leadership style towards employees’
development was supported by the general expressed aim of encouraging
employees to have a greater desire for learning. The company’s strategy iden-
tified employee development as necessary for achieving its vision and targets.
... But one of the things we have got to do is to create a desire to learn within the
organization. Because you can have as much technology arrange as you want, if people