The Usefulness of Cognitive Theories of Learning for Human Resource Essay

The Usefulness of Cognitive Theories of Learning for Human Resource Practitioner - Essay Example The paper tells that nowadays, senior managers tend to invest more money, time, and thought in the learning of their employees, and consider learning and development a strategic HR function Thus, it would be important to comprehend how and why learning takes place. Theories of workplace learning are placed into three main categories; these are psychological, socio-cultural and postmodern theories. Each view has different focus and contribution to different contexts. Various cognitive theories have been put forward including the Piaget developmental stage theory, the Bandura social cognitive theory, and Vysotsky and the Zone of proximal development. All these have a contribution to the development of employees and have been implemented at different levels. Cognitive theories of learning have enhanced employee productivity and effectiveness in most of the areas that they have been applied. Learning is a very important aspect of both individuals as well as organizational development. Le arning is a wide concept that has attracted several definitions from different individuals in different contexts. According to Wilson, learning is the process whereby knowledge, attitude or behavior is changed as a result of formal training and development, or transformation of informal experiences. Many assumptions have been proposed over the years to explain different cognitive approaches. The theories of three outstanding cognitive theorists including Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bandura explain some of the cognitive aspects that are very important when it comes to influencing the workforce in an organization. The development of a person has been a subject of intensive research by psychologists all across the world. One of the outstanding theories in this area is the Piaget developmental stage theory that helps us to understand behavioral development, especially at a young age. According to Piaget’s findings, there are four developmental stages that individuals go through, both o f which are relative to cognitive development. The first is the sensory-motor period in about the first two years when the child can only focus on physical interactions with their immediate environment. Next is the preoperational period from two to seven years old. During this stage, the child develops language skills and is able to think symbolically though still cannot think completely logical and empathetically. The period from seven to eleven years old is called concrete operational stage when the child becomes more rational to solve a simple problem and develops logical thought. The formal operational stage from adolescence through adulthood was Piaget’s fourth stage of cognitive development in children. The child/ adult develop the ability to think theoretically and formulate hypotheses. This theory was immensely influential on education research and policy during the 20th century.