Decades of research on workplace learning has reinforced that professionals learn through work; however, organisational learning practices have often not shifted to recognise or facilitate this learning. This article presents findings from an interview-based study of professionals in Australia that investigated their experiences of work and…

Studies relating to reflection and reflective practice in learning, specifically workplace learning, have gradually emerged from within the professional education literature. Evidence has seen a shift from an individualistic to a more collective approach to reflection, in an attempt to move away from viewing learning as an individual action.…

In this paper, academic developers from universities in three countries explore underlying assumptions about what we as developers do and why we do it in relation to evaluating development programs. Through addressing three questions, key ideas emerge that highlight what is often overlooked in day-to-day practice: the fact that academic…

In search of methods that improve the efficiency of teaching and training in organizations, several authors point out that mass customization (MC) is a principle that covers individual needs of knowledge and skills and, at the same time limits the development costs of customized training to those of mass training. MC is proven and established in…

Defines the learning company as an organization that facilitates the learning of its members and continually transforms itself in order to meet strategic goals. Supports the concept with a study of personnel directors in eight public and private organizations in the United Kingdom. Proposes guidelines for developing learning companies. (SK)

Themes of the 1980s affecting human resource development (HRD) include customer service, the total organization, lack of definition of the field, the bottom line, globalization, and workforce productivity. Future directions include defining the field, the learning organization, and the size of the HRD operation in an organization. (SK)

Any organized activity centered on human development could legitimately be seen as human resource development (HRD). A more holistic view defines HRD as a wide range of integrating processes aimed at developing greater purpose and meaning, higher performance, and greater capacity to respond to change, leading to more effective individuals, teams,…

This paper is concerned with the relationship between trade unions and learning in the workplace, particularly in relation to the enhancement of worker employability profiles. With the restructuring and modernising of the European steel industry as its context, this paper argues that the organisational and structural features of a sector have a…

Human resource development is more than training; it fosters the ability to see the big picture--the organization's place in the global environment--and the ability to change in response to environmental changes. (SK)

Human resource development practice extends beyond training to the broader and more visionary role of facilitating learning for individuals, teams, and organizations. Designers of learning organizations seek to increase overall learning capacity, create ongoing adaptive capacity, and build autonomy and empowerment. (SK)

The systems model of team learning grew out of a case study of one company. The model's four phases are fragmented, pooled, synergistic, and continuous learning. (SK)

Effective organizational learning must build on individual learning. Continuous work-centered learning is a sequential process of interaction, implementation, integration, and iteration. A learning organization should aim to improve individual capacity to recognize and use learning opportunities. (SK)