Beyond training: reconceptualising learning at work

Abstract

Radical shifts are taking place in management theory; equivalent shifts need to occur, we argue, in the theory of training and development. The move towards a knowledge economy makes such a shift particularly urgent. Notions of training tend to foreclose on outcomes; typically they are short‐term and assume transferability of skills. Notions of personal development may be insufficiently focused on the workplace. We argue for a conception of workplace learning that foregrounds the dialectical relationship between persons and their organisations. Crucial in that relationship are notions of openness, uncertainty, complexity, relationships, reflection, reframing and restoration.

Citation

Bryans, P. and Smith, R. (2000), "Beyond training: reconceptualising learning at work", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 12 No. 6, pp. 228-235. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665620010343497