Action e-learning: An exploratory case study of action learning applied online

Abstract

Web-based instruction, also called e-learning, is currently one of the most talked-about education and training media. To prepare courses for online delivery and to maintain their effectiveness, the designer must have an understanding of e-learning instructional design principles. Action learning is a proven, effective management development process that has not been implemented to date as an e-learning instructional methodology. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine the impact of the action learning process on the effectiveness of management level web-based instruction (WBI). A leader-led, management-level course using face-to-face delivery was converted to web-based instruction where action learning was the delivery methodology. Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation served as the evaluation tool to determine effectiveness of the intervention. It was found that, though challenging to facilitate, the action learning online method is effective and yields changes in participants' knowledge. However, contrary to expectations, online learning communities did not form.     

量变式学习和质变式学习模型的研究

与基本是根据学习内容(横向、纵向) 和学习结果对组织学习类型进行划分的研究不同,从关系的视角,在国内外首次按照学习投入(经验数量)和学习产出(学习效果)的关系,提出了组织学习分类的新方法,即将组织学习划分为量变式学习和质变式学习两种类型。量变式学习是指随着学习投入的增加,学习产出发生接近线性的变化,是渐进性的、逐步的; 质变式学习是指随着学习投入的增加,学习产出发生接近非线性的变化,是突破性的、大幅度的、本质的,可以表现在认识、行为或两者之上。要实现量变式学习向质变式学习的转化,需要同时满足学习投入接近学习临界经验值和存在学习触发条件两个前提,这是转化能够发生的机制; 为加速这种转化,可以通过从内部改善学习者的心智模式、从外部创造开放的环境等方式,这是转化发生的学习催化剂。主体的学习应该是量变式学习和质变式学习的结合,且量变式学习和质变式学习是个不断交替、动态发展的过程。     

Developmental leisure: why work-related learning takes place outside of working hours

This study is interested in why many professionals engage in work-related learning after formal working hours. It has been argued that in knowledge-intensive work the work/leisure boundaries are blurring. Similarly, the line between work-related and non-work-related learning is harder to draw. In this study, an innovative concept of ‘developmental leisure’ will be introduced and explored. The concept refers to a human resource development (HRD) discourse that makes possible the evaluation of leisure in terms of its benefit to work-related learning. The study investigates how leisure intertwines with HRD and how it is positioned discursively in relation to work-related learning. The analysis is based on life stories from information technology professionals working in a large international organization. The findings of the analysis show that when leisure is discussed within the HRD discourse, it is positioned as a resource for work-related learning. Much of the learning outside of work intertwines with the objectives of HRD and learning at leisure becomes synonymous to learning for work.     

Job resources and emotional exhaustion: The mediating role of learning opportunities

The Job Demands-Resources model predicts that job demands increase and job resources decrease emotional exhaustion in employees. In this study, we investigated one possible mechanism for this, in order to provide a deeper insight into the role of job resources in this energy-depletion process. We assumed that job resources (autonomy and task variety) reduce emotional exhaustion through the promotion of opportunities for personal growth and development, especially workplace learning. Moreover, we expected that job demands (workload, cognitive and emotional demands) would be positively related to work-related learning opportunities. Our research model was tested in a large and heterogeneous sample out of the Dutch working population (N = 4589), following a cross-validation procedure. Multi-group structural equation modelling revealed that autonomy and task variety promoted learning opportunities, which in turn partially mediated between these job resources and emotional exhaustion. With respect to job demands, our study showed mixed results: cognitive demands promoted learning opportunities, workload frustrated such opportunities, and emotional demands were not significantly related to learning opportunities. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between job demands, job resources and learning opportunities in the energy-depletion process, and support the need for the promotion of learning opportunities in the workplace.     

Learning in and from projects: the learning modes and a learning capability model

Abstract

The notion of ‘project delivery’ is well embedded in and across the management and organizational sciences literature – generating a narrative that reflects and recognizes the instrumental nature of projects and programmes in strategy execution. Project management, as a distinct and well-established body of research enquiry, has increasingly sought to focus our attention on the impacts of complexity, risk and uncertainty in projects; the corollary being a desideratum to strengthen our theoretical understanding of how insight and learning from projects may influence improvements to organizational efficiency. The wider literature suggests that organizational learning remains a challenging proposition, particularly in the context of organizations operating in environments of high complexity. In this paper, we enhance the conversation on organizational learning through a series of case studies, generating evidence of thirteen ‘learning modes’. The paper proposes that mature organizations tend to exhibit a greater number of learning modes and that there is a tendency to capture and socialize knowledge with a greater emphasis on the context of the learning situation rather than the learning artefact in isolation. The empirical evidence gathered in this paper forms the basis of a capability model, characterized by the thirteen modes of learning. The model intimates that learning occurs, and is more effective, when knowledge and information are enacted in practice through the learning modes which form a nucleus of the organizational learning capability. The research concludes with a 'call to action' that emphasizes the strategic importance of learning practices and routines in project oriented-organizations.     

Governance of open source software: state of the art

In this overview of governance mechanisms developed within open source software (OSS) circles, three types of governance are studied: ‘spontaneous’ governance, internal governance, and governance towards outside parties. Moreover, two main ways in which lessons from OSS can be applied elsewhere are explored: peer production of products other than software, and embedding ‘peer-produced’ products and peer processes into existing institutions (‘coupling’).

Accessing local knowledge: action learning and organizational learning in Walsall

This paper addresses a central question in organizational learning, namely: how can local knowledge be accessed to improve organizational direction, performance and learning (Argyris 1957; Argyris and Schon 1978, 1996; Kim 1993)? It is partly provoked by Nonaka and Takeuchi's (1995) claim, via their 'Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation', that the knowledge of individual members can be systematically accessed and harnessed for corporate benefit. A related focus concerns the practice of action learning within a whole systems perspective and how it may serve to support local actors and promote a mutual learning exchange with their organizational leaders. A case study from local government centres on a group of 'neighbourhood facilitators' pioneering community regeneration and local democracy in the Borough of Walsall in the UK's West Midlands. The experiences and learning of this group, together with their interactions and dialogue with the leadership of the initiative and with the wider political system, are used to draw some lessons for facilitating organizational learning. The paper concludes that this is a hard-won and far from predictable accomplishment and questions the apparently reproducible process proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi.     

Open sourced organizational learning: implications and challenges of crowdsourcing for human resource development (HRD) practitioners

As the value of organizational learning as a source of competitive advantage has become increasingly evident, human resource development (HRD) practitioners may face stronger demands to develop training more quickly and efficiently and increase rates of training transfer. One approach is to externally source organizational learning. In using this approach, it may be important for HRD practitioners to both develop training to engage external participants while utilizing organization development solutions to help internal employees adjust to the change. By examining the impact of open sourced and crowdsourced organizational learning on HRD practitioners, it is hoped that HRD practitioners may engage in informed workplace learning practice, even as the nature of the employment contract changes.     

Addressing the challenges of transboundary pollution: Leadership in the state of Maine

Mercury contamination is a classic transboundary pollution problem. In the State of Maine, government leaders played a pivotal role in developing a plan to combat problems with emission sources in the United States and Canada. These transboundary pollution issues are important for policy makers, environmental groups and industry leaders alike. It is crucial that each of these stakeholders provide input regarding any program or policy that attempts to control this type of pollution. This article depicts how, in the state of Maine, the Department of Environmental Protection and governor Angus King orchestrated a regional policy on transboundary pollution issues that included Canadian provinces as well as the U.S.     

Working on professional development of faculty staff in higher education: investigating the relationship between social informal learning activities and employability

In this study, we examined how social informal learning and formal learning of faculty staff in higher education relate to their employability. Data were collected from 209 faculty staff members working at a Dutch university. Results showed that social informal learning was related to the employability of faculty staff. Further analysis revealed that especially external information seeking and acting upon feedback from colleagues and not formal learning predicted the employability of faculty staff. The finding suggests that institutes of higher education should especially foster the professional development of their faculty staff by stimulating exchange of information and seeking and using feedback with colleagues in a proactive manner.     

Educating collaborative planners: strengthening evidence for the learning potential of multi-stakeholder regional learning environments

Abstract

Planning education needs effective learning environments that support students’ boundary crossing competence development. The multi-stakeholder regional learning environment (RLE) is, by its typical design, hypothesized to foster boundary crossing. This quasi-experimental mixed method pre- and post-test study affirms the effectiveness of the RLE for stimulating competence development, and specifically shows the added value of three typical ‘boundary crossing’ RLE design characteristics, i.e. working in multidisciplinary student groups, working intensively with multiple stakeholders, and a high coaching intensity. Results strengthen previous findings, and contribute to the debate in planning education on an evidence-based pedagogical fundament for commonly used authentic learning environments.     

组织学习的过程模型研究

组织学习是当今企业最重要的核心能力之一 .本文对现有的组织学习过程模型进行分析 ,指出其不足并加以改进 ,建立了修正的组织学习模型 .基于此模型 ,本文分阶段讨论了影响组织学习的各种障碍 ,并提出了相应的解决措施 .最后 ,应用该模型对国内外两个实际案例进行了分析 ,以加深读者对组织学习过程模型的理解     

Environmental scanning and forecasting in strategic planning—The state of the art

The objective of this paper is to shed some light on the practical state of the art of the environmental scanning and forecasting function in organizations. Planners were questioned through a multi-faceted survey and the findings supported the conclusion that organizations have not yet widely developed sophisticated systems and integrated their outputs into the strategic planning process.     

领导个人学习对组织学习成效的影响：基于情境型双元平衡的视角

已有研究重点关注了领导在组织学习过程中所发挥的支持性作用,忽视了领导个人学习对组织学习成效的直接影响。为了明确领导个人学习对组织学习成效影响的内在机制,本研究提出领导可以根据组织学习情境特征,采取与之相适应的探索式学习或利用式学习,调整组织内部的纵向知识流动和横向知识流动,从而在领导个人层面实现两种学习方式的双元平衡,在组织整体层面提高组织学习成效。基于智能体的计算机仿真实验表明,当组织处于弱学习情境时,领导应采取探索式学习应对与下属之间的纵向知识流动,采取利用式学习应对与其他领导之间的横向知识流动;当组织处于强学习情境时,无论是与下属之间的纵向知识流动,还是与其他领导之间的横向知识流动,领导均应采取探索式学习,这样才有助于提高组织整体的学习成效。     

The healthcare supply network: current state of the literature and research opportunities

Abstract

This literature review maps recent studies addressing supply chain management (SCM) in the healthcare sector through a systematic approach that synthesises 74 empirical studies (2006–2016). Our approach adopts a network lens to map the literature and offers key contributions to the field. First, we show that there is a lack of network level studies. Second, there is an imbalance of research attention regarding the various types of supply, namely health services, medicines, medical supplies and blood supply. Third, we underline the advantages of the network lens, indicating network actors and flows between those actors that need further research. Fourth, we show an alarming lack of theoretical lens in healthcare SCM studies and draw attention to the fact that even when explicitly adopting a theory, some studies show inconsistencies between theoretical lens and level of analysis. Ultimately, we offer a map of future research for healthcare SCM through a network lens in order to improve the understanding the complexities of the healthcare sector.     

Cross-cultural influences on organizational learning in MNCS: The case of Japanese companies in China

This paper draws on the social construction perspective and on social learning theory to examine the cross-cultural influences on organizational learning in MNCs. Social learning theory suggests that constructive engagement and member solidarity are key constituents of organization-based collective learning. Literature suggests, however, that cross-cultural differences in assumptions about social participation by organization members may impair organizational learning. The paper also reports a qualitative study, conducted at five Japanese-invested manufacturing companies in the Pearl River Delta, China. The research found that managers perceived Chinese frontline workers as lacking constructive engagement and member solidarity as compared with their Japanese counterparts, thus limiting organizational learning, and attributed these perceived differences to deep-seated cultural values. Attempts in two of the companies to ‘Japanize’ the workforces were reported to have had some impact, but appeared not to have substantially changed this picture. Urging caution regarding cross-cultural stereotyping and home country bias, we consider the implications for organizations with international manufacturing operations.     

Organizational learning and knowledge in public service organizations: A systematic review of the literature

This paper is a systematic review of the literature on organizational learning and knowledge with relevance to public service organizations. Organizational learning and knowledge are important to public sector organizations, which share complex external challenges with private organizations, but have different drivers and goals for knowledge. The evidence shows that the concepts of organizational learning and knowledge are under-researched in relation to the public sector and, importantly, this raises wider questions about the extent to which context is taken into consideration in terms of learning and knowledge more generally across all sectors. A dynamic model of organizational learning within and across organizational boundaries is developed that depends on four sets of factors: features of the source organization; features of the recipient organization; the characteristics of the relationship between organizations; and the environmental context. The review concludes, first, that defining 'organization' is an important element of understanding organizational learning and knowledge. Second, public organizations constitute an important, distinctive context for the study of organizational learning and knowledge. Third, there continues to be an over-reliance on the private sector as the principal source of theoretical understanding and empirical research and this is conceptually limiting for the understanding of organizational learning and knowledge. Fourth, differences as well as similarities between organizational sectors require conceptualization and research that acknowledge sector-specific aims, values and structures. Finally, it is concluded that frameworks for explaining processes of organizational learning at different levels need to be sufficiently dynamic and complex to accommodate public organizations.     

社会危机背景下的联结行动说服策略研究 ——基于社交媒体中的用户生成内容文本分析

近年来的社会危机事件表明,社交媒体平台已成为传播信息、开展联结行动的主流社会报道工具。基于决策与推理的双系统说服模型—启发式与系统式处理,本文通过微博平台定量地探讨了联结行动中积极分子的用户生成内容(UGC)与公众参与间的复杂关系。借鉴道德判断和认知加工文献,视道德呼吁内容为启发式线索,功利呼吁内容为系统式线索,考察其重要性,并从情绪唤醒的角度研究了社会危机中常见的两种消极离散情感:焦虑和悲伤。利用两个不同社会危机期间(2016年魏则西事件和2018年泰国沉船事件)的数据集,结合机器学习算法与负二项回归模型,发现两类呼吁性内容均可刺激普通用户作为扩散者参与联结行动。同时,嵌入在UGC中的悲伤情绪增加了道德呼吁的重要性,而焦虑情绪则促进了功利呼吁的正向影响。实证结果对联结行动的行动者、危机管理者和应急救援部门都具有重要的现实意义。     

Psychological empowerment and organizational commitment: the moderating effect of organizational learning culture

This paper examines the influence of psychological empowerment on organizational commitment and the moderating effect of organizational learning culture on the relationship. The results suggest that psychological empowerment, organizational learning culture, and demographic variables had a significant impact on organizational commitment for employees in the public sector of Korea. Employees showed higher organizational commitment when they perceived high psychological empowerment and a high organizational learning culture. In addition, the moderating effect of organizational learning culture on the relationship between psychological empowerment and organizational commitment was found to be significant. Among the demographic variables, only educational level turned out to be significant. Finally, implications, limitations and research recommendations are discussed.