Review by: Seufert, Sabine (2007-08-27)

The purpose of the article is to analyse the impact of the wider organisational process on workplace learning. The starting argument of David Ashton is that most of the research concentrates on efforts to identify the charac-teristics of workplace learning as experienced by the learners, so individual learning is dominant. The factors of wider organisational factors is often neglected. Therefore, the author develops and validates a model for work-place learning with considering the organisational structures on the process of learning.

The methodology of his research consists of two main streams:- it is based on the research of Koike (2002) and Darrah (1996) who already analysed independently from each other on the impact of wider organisational structures on learning and skill formation in the workplace. How-ever, the findings of the two studies are quite similar even though the two studies are carried out in different parts of the world (Koike in Japan, Darrah in the US),- the model has been further developed and validated within the research design of a case study conducted in a major multinational corporation in South-East Asia. The methodology involved face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with the main purpose to understand how the organisational structure impacted on learning at work. These in-depth interviews were designed to explore the issues with all levels of staff and were conducted with a sample of 195 employees (approx. 10% of the employee). The interviews lasted between 40 to 100 min. and took place over a five-month period. Additional data on the company and its organisational practices could be ex-tracted from documentary sources and informal interviews with managers and employees.

The Findings: The model for workplace learningThe model identifies four main areas where organisational structure and culture impact on the learning process. At first, the individual's motivation to engage in the process of learning is regarded as a prerequisite and influ-encing the four main organisational areas. Furthermore, at an individual level previous experiences have a major impact on the learning process. The four main areas of organisational structure are the following:- Distribution of knowledge and information: the extent to which the organisation facilitates access to knowledge and information, e. g. in team-briefings, sharing financial information- Opportunities to practice: the opportunity a company provides to practice and develop new skills, e. g. work design, delegation of authority- Supports for learning: the provision of effective support for the learning process, e. g. feedback, training in how to support learning- Rewards for learning: the extent to which a company rewards learning, e. g. pay, promotion

The author comes to the conclusion in her article that the decisions taken about the structure of the organisation, and the design of work within it, have a high impact on the individual's learning effectiveness and hence the level of skill individuals can gain. Based on findings of his case study the author describes details in the four different areas and derives further hypotheses which have to be tested in future research.

Overall, the research study provides interesting findings which might be transferred to the design of workplace learning. As the author himself stated (p. 44) the outcome of his research is a kind of simple model focusing on main impact factors on workplace learning and at the same time by reducing complexity. However, it is a move in the right direction and tries to bridge the gap between the impact on individual and organisational learning aspects. The visualisation of the model is a bit vague and indeed simple since the four areas are just written down with areas indicating that every factor influences every other factor. Furthermore, the research carried out on analysing and shaping an organisation's learning culture should be considered for future research.

Koike, K. (2002). Intellectual Skills and Competitive Strength: is a radical change necessary? Journal of Educa-tion and Work, 14, 4, 390-408Darrah, C. N. (1996). Learning and Work: An Exploration in Industrial Ethnograph. Garland: London.