Creating an organizational learning culture: The perspective of workplace learning

1. Creating an organizational learning culture: The perspective of workplace learning Iris Ai-Tzu Li Assistant Professor Graduate Institute of Adult & Continuing Education National Chung Cheng University

2. Introduction 1/3 • Environmental change: technology, knowledge economy, globalization, demographic change • Learning is inevitable and increasingly important to survive changes in today’s workplace • Many researches have paid attention on formal educational training • Informal learning as one of the most important training strategies to form the learning organization in enterprises

3. Introduction 2/3 • A broader perspective: integrate high-leverage training and continuous learning into the learning practice. • It aims to create a learning culture which in turn links training and learning to performance improvement.

4. Introduction 3/3 • The purposes of the paper • describe what organizational learning culture is • discuss the meaning and approaches of workplace learning • provide a case to explain how the company established a learning culture through different venues of workplace learning and achieve the competitive advantage .

5. What is Organizational Learning Culture? 1/4 • A culture is the way we do things around here • Organizational culture has a number of basic elements that provide a guide to what is important, what attitudes are appropriate, and how to behave within an organization. • These elements are beliefs, values, assumptions, attitudes, and behavioral norms (shared expectations).

6. What is Organizational Learning Culture? 2/4 • An organizational learning culture was defined as the existence of a set of attitudes, values and practices with in an organization which support and encourage a continuing process of learning for the organization and/or its member

7. What is Organizational Learning Culture? 3/4 • Schein’s framework (2004) tacit assumptions regarding learning of the group espoused values day-to-day behavior or artifacts

8. What is Organizational Learning Culture? 4/4 • a learning organization could also be seen as indicators of an organizational with a culture of learning or a commitment to learning • a learning strategy (learning becomes a deliberate and conscious part of the strategy) • a flexible structure with reduced bureaucracy and restrictive job descriptions and which encourages cross function co-operation • a blame-free culture in which learning is valued and encouraged and the environment itself is blame-free

9. Implication • Fostering learning in the organizational context extend beyond the concept of a well-established orthodox training system • But link closely to the behaviors, attitudes, values, and structures operating in organizations.

10. The Meaning of Workplace Learning 1/3 • interactively used with training and human resources development. 1700 apprenticeship 1800 workers’ education 1872 a school for employees

11. The Meaning of Workplace Learning 2/3 1900 Westinghouse, General Electric, and Ford organizationally provided educational training for employees. 1945 ASTD was established HRD was replaced by Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP), and shifted the focus of workplace training from “Teaching” to ”Learning” and “the results of learning”. 1900s

12. A systemic view of workplace learning Environmental factors such as competitiveness, globalization, knowledge economy, technological change and government policy The workplace learning community Networks and partnerships Supply chains Government Community Professional societies Other enterprises Formal VET The enterprise Culture of learning Technology Training Plans Access to networks The workgroup and individual Skills and capability Innovative capacity Workplace learning for increased competitiveness and innovative capacity ANTA (Australian National Training Authority) (2003). What makes for good workplace learning?.

13. The Meaning of Workplace Learning 3/3 formal learning Workplace learning informal learning incidental learning

14. A case report 1/4 • STAR company • The rationale of choosing this case: • A multinational organization • identified itself as having a commitment to learning/learning culture. • The analysis focused on the elements of characteristics of a learning culture and the ways to build a learning culture.

15. A case report 2/4 • Characteristics of the company • Founded in 1940s • Multinational information technology corporation • $104 billion in 2007 • Organizational structure • 3 business units • Matrix structure

16. A case report 3/4 • Approaches to building an organizational learning culture • The headquarter develops a standardized training system (competence-based) • The development of the training courses suits local circumstance • Training and informal learning integrated • Mobile learning system • Mentoring

17. A case report 4/4 • Training and informal learning integrated • Seed “instructor” • Training and learning assessment systems • Self-responsibility for learning • Knowledge sharing mechanism • Changing roles of learning consultant • Management system • Flexible organizational structures • Team work job design • Performance review system

18. Organizational structure Work system Management system Training system Motivated employee Organizational Learning Culture

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