Review by: Seufert, Sabine (2008-05-05)

The whitepaper contains the results of a study initiated by the Chartered Management Institute, carried out by the Centre for Applied HR Research at Oxford Brookes Business School. The purpose of the study was to analyse the value from on-line learning in management development. In the context of multi-method research design, the study focused on the following three interested groups and research methods:

- Employers: in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 major public companies, a public sector employer and a charity,- Users /employees: survey results from 998 individual managers,- Suppliers: interviews were conducted with three suppliers of on-line learning.In terms of the research objects – what does "on-line learning" mean – the study defines on-line delivery methods to support the full range of learning experiences covering:- Structured learning: formal learning methods including taught courses and qualifications- Self-directed, personal learning: informal learning where managers access resources to provide practical sup-port for their regular management role- Experiental learning: on-the-job learning through different work experiences and sharing experiences with other managers.

Although the research focuses on On-line Learning for Management Development (as the title of the study im-plies), the results of the study show the current situation in respect of on-line learning in general:- On-line learning is now well established, particularly where employers need to distribute knowledge to large numbers of employees, especially if they are geographically dispersed.- The increase in compliance training has been a major driver for on-line learning.- Technical challenges still exist, especially in terms of keeping internal Learning Management Systems up-to-date with technological developments.

The major issue of the research study is devoted to on-line In relation to the use of on-line learning for manage-ment development the research identified:- Most organisations do not see unsupported on-line learning as suitable for soft skill training.- Only a small proportion of management training is conducted on-line. Self-directed learning is a key area where on-line learning is expanding:- Managers use search tools to discover the information or knowledge they need to carry out their roles effec-tively. Improved search engines and credible data sources are required to make this learning quicker and more effective.- Organisations are beginning to support this personal learning by the proactive dissemination of on-line articles, videos, case studies etc. to their managers in order to provide useful additional elements in the management development toolbox. People and management attitudes are probably the biggest barrier to using on-line tech-nology to support delivery of structured learning:- Employees report that it is difficult finding time to take the programmes.- A lack of motivation to complete programmes is seen as a significant barrier.- Management support and active encouragement of employees to participate in on-line learning is often missing. The future direction for on-line learning will include:- Richer content combined with increased interactivity, especially in support of selfdirected learning- Increasing acceptance and adoption of new technologies enabling these improved programmes to be more widely used- Further expansion of on-line training for managers will come from more fully integrated ‘Blended Learning’ where on-line learning and traditional face-to-face training are integrated into a complete learning experience. Self-directed learning through managers accessing on-line information and researching the knowledge they need through search engines is likely to be the first area of learning to expand further. There is no doubt that on-line learning has much to offer in terms of management development. However, changing the learning technology does not automatically change attitudes. The challenge of making development an important priority for manag-ers still remains and in the end will determine the success of any management development, however it is deliv-ered.

Overall, the results of the research study are not surprising at all since it is a quite common phenomenon that on-line learning and eLearning are not widespread yet for management development. However, it is an interesting approach to broaden the scope of on-line learning for personal, more informal learning and the study gives an interesting overview of the current status. The main and interesting question of "how to integrate on-line learning and traditional face-to-face training into a complete learning experience" is still open.