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1 – 10 of 163This paper aims to provide an overview of the development of learning organization concepts from the perspectives of Dr Victoria Marsick and Dr Karen Watkins and presents an…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of the development of learning organization concepts from the perspectives of Dr Victoria Marsick and Dr Karen Watkins and presents an interesting evolution of their work together spanning over three decades.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a conversation with thought-leading scholars Dr Victoria Marsick and Dr Karen Watkins, this paper discussed serval topics pertaining to the evolution of the learning organization debate and provides their unique perspective on the development of their theories.
Findings
The learning organization debate has many foundations that today have led to differing perspectives, which Dr Marsick and Dr Watkins advocate. They developed their learning organization concepts from their particular background, which varies from others. To these thought leaders, cultural aspects are the critical focus of the learning organization.
Originality/value
The discussion with Victoria Marsick and Karen Watkins reveals their understanding of the evolution of the contested discussion around learning organization definition and implications. The understanding of this evolution, in their words, provides context for researchers and practitioners.
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Kyoungshin Kim, Karen E. Watkins and Zhenqiu (Laura) Lu
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among a learning organization, knowledge and financial performance using the Dimensions of the Learning Organization…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among a learning organization, knowledge and financial performance using the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire and its abbreviated version.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a secondary data set and performed second-order factor analysis and structural equation modeling for testing the proposed relationships.
Findings
The study found that a learning organization has a positive effect on knowledge performance; knowledge performance has a positive effect on financial performance; and knowledge performance fully mediates the relationship between a learning organization and financial performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to validating the current dimensionality of the theoretical framework of a learning organization proposed by Watkins and Marsick (1993, 1996) and offers a valid conceptual framework of the relationship among the learning culture and organizational performance dimensions.
Practical implications
This study re-stresses the significance of the learning and knowledge generated by the human resources of an organization and developed by human resource development practitioners.
Originality/value
This study is valuable to human resource development scholars and practitioners interested in improving and measuring organizational performance.
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Karen E. Watkins and Robert T. Golembiewski
This article offers a conception of the learning organization. From this model, we discuss ways in which organizational development can now be used to create learning…
Abstract
This article offers a conception of the learning organization. From this model, we discuss ways in which organizational development can now be used to create learning organizations and ways in which organizational development theory and practice might change to create learning organizations. We consider three ways OD may contribute to the learning organization: supportive systems of interaction, guiding values, and a sense of structural alternatives. We look at contributions learning organizations make to OD, in terms of changing conceptions of dialogue, system diagnosis focused on learning, intervention focused on long term empowerment, and measurement at the macro system level.
Henriette Lundgren, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Casey Morrone, Urvashi Vaid, Ridhima Ghei, Abagayle Bierowski, Karen E. Watkins and Victoria J. Marsick
This study aimed at rethinking ways in which educators from different fields can collaborate to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of health professions education (HPE). The…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed at rethinking ways in which educators from different fields can collaborate to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of health professions education (HPE). The goal was to investigate how a research-to-resources approach can be applied to engage in knowledge translation (KT) of research findings for the benefit of introducing medical students to uncertainty in the clinical learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach
An interdisciplinary team of medical educators, human resource development (HRD) scholars and emergency medicine fellows engaged in iterative cycles of action research (AR) to develop, pilot and refine case-based learning resources on clinical uncertainty. The team leveraged prior research on physicians’ decision-making during COVID-19, experimented with generative AI tools, and collected feedback from medical students to guide resource development.
Findings
The findings of this study are twofold. On the one hand, the authors reflect on the lessons learned of developing case-based learning with the help of generative AI. While student feedback indicated that the case helped normalize and process experiences with uncertainty, key challenges included adapting research data to create relevant, sustainable learning resources and designing effective discussion prompts. On the other hand, the authors provide insights into the opportunities and challenges of our interdisciplinary collaboration. The authors show that knowledge utilization is not simple, but complex, and that more work needs to be done to effectively disseminate resources as part of the desired uncertainty curriculum.
Practical implications
This study attempts to apply a KT framework for bridging the research-practice gap in HPE through interdisciplinary collaboration and AR. It provides lessons learned for developing case-based curricula on complex topics like uncertainty. The findings highlight the need for adaptive KT processes when dealing with rapidly evolving healthcare contexts.
Originality/value
This paper offers a novel example of research-to-resource KT in medical education, integrating perspectives from HRD and leveraging emerging technologies. It contributes to understanding how interdisciplinary teams can collaborate to create timely, evidence-based educational resources for navigating uncertainty in professional practice. The study also provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of translating complex research findings into practical learning tools to tackle real-world challenges in HPE.
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Karen E. Watkins and Ronald M. Cervero
The purpose of this study was to determine whether two different organizational settings of certified public accountancy (CPA) practice produced substantially different or…
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether two different organizational settings of certified public accountancy (CPA) practice produced substantially different or equivalent learning opportunities for a practising CPA. Three sources of data in this research project were examined, including a work history from both firms, interviews, and surveys from the three principal parties. In this study, 31 learning opportunities were identified across three domains of learning in order to compare the learning provided in two organizational contexts. It was found that, indeed, learning occurred in all three domains and at consistently high levels across both organizations. It was concluded that there were no material differences in the learning opportunities available in each firm.
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Karen E. Watkins, Andrea D. Ellinger, Boyung Suh, Joseph C. Brenes-Dawsey and Lisa C. Oliver
The critical incident technique (CIT) is widely used in many disciplines; however, scholars have acknowledged challenges associated with analyzing qualitative data when using this…
Abstract
Purpose
The critical incident technique (CIT) is widely used in many disciplines; however, scholars have acknowledged challenges associated with analyzing qualitative data when using this technique. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to address the data analysis issues that have been raised by introducing some different contemporary ways of analyzing qualitative critical incident data drawn from recent dissertations conducted in the human resource development (HRD) field.
Design/methodology/approach
This article describes and illustrates different contemporary qualitative re-storying and cross-incident analysis approaches with examples drawn from previously and recently conducted qualitative HRD dissertations that have used the CIT.
Findings
Qualitative CIT analysis comprises two processes: re-storying and cross-incident analysis. The narrative inquiry–based re-storying approaches the authors illustrate include poetic narrative and dramatic emplotting. The analytical approaches we illustrate for cross-incident analysis include thematic assertion, grounded theory, and post-structural analysis/assemblages. The use of the aforementioned approaches offers researchers contemporary tools that can deepen meaning and understanding of qualitative CIT data, which address challenges that have been acknowledged regarding the difficulty of analyzing CIT data.
Research limitations/implications
The different contemporary qualitative approaches that we have introduced and illustrated in this study provide researchers using the CIT with additional tools to address the challenges of analyzing qualitative CIT data, specifically with regard to data reduction of lengthy narrative transcripts through re-storying as well as cross-incident analyses that can substantially deepen meaning, as well as build new theory and problematize the data through existing theory.
Practical implications
A strength of the CIT is its focus on actual events that have occurred from which reasoning, behaviors, and decision-making can be examined to develop more informed practices.
Originality/value
The CIT is a very popular and flexible method for collecting data that is widely used in many disciplines. However, data analysis can be especially difficult given the volume of narrative qualitative data that can result from data collection. This paper describes and illustrates different contemporary approaches analyzing qualitative CIT data, specifically the processes of re-storying and cross-incident analysis, to address these concerns in the literature as well as to enhance and further evolve the use of the CIT method.
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Victoria J. Marsick and Karen E. Watkins
The authors describe learning strategies that are being used successfully to benefit both individuals and organizations. They also speak about the shadow side: a culture of fear…
Abstract
The authors describe learning strategies that are being used successfully to benefit both individuals and organizations. They also speak about the shadow side: a culture of fear, the negative impact of constant change, and inappropriate exploitation of employee knowledge. They elaborate on what can happen when an idea as powerful as the learning organization ends up being used for purposes that were not originally intended.
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Michael Grant Wofford, Andrea D. Ellinger and Karen E. Watkins
This study aims to examine the process of informal learning of aviation instructors.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the process of informal learning of aviation instructors.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative instrumental case study design was used for this study. In‐depth, multiple semi‐structured interviews and document review were the primary approaches to data collection and the data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. The Marsick, Watkins, Callahan, and Volpe reconceptualized model of informal and incidental learning underpinned this study.
Findings
Findings support prior research on the catalysts, strategies, and lessons learned that are associated with informal learning. However, a key finding of this study was capturing the complexity of the informal learning process for aviation instructors as they faced the daily challenges associated with facilitating their students' learning which served as the catalyst for their learning.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study are not intended to be generalizable to populations beyond this specific study due to limitations associated with the site selection, purposeful sample selection criteria, and sample size. Additionally, the unique nature of the aviation field and temporal considerations prevent the generalizability of the results of this study.
Originality/value
Despite the growing base of research on informal learning, calls for research that continues to examine how certain characteristics of workers and their work environment influence informal learning, and research that provides more holistic understandings of this type of learning have been requested. This research responds to these calls by exploring the process of informal learning among aviation instructors. The catalysts for informal learning, the strategies used, and lessons learned are identified. More importantly, unlike previous research, the complexity of the process of informal learning is captured and illustrated as a cyclical, non‐linear, non‐sequential process that is highly intertwined with teaching in this aviation context. The careful documentation of the actual learning process provides thick, rich data to deepen our understanding of what this kind of learning actually looks like.
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Brandon A. Smith and Karen E. Watkins
The purpose of this review is to evaluate existing learning agility measures and offer recommendations for their use in organizational and scholarly contexts.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this review is to evaluate existing learning agility measures and offer recommendations for their use in organizational and scholarly contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a general review paper assessing the psychometric qualities of prevalent learning agility measures. Measures were selected based on their predominance and use in the learning agility literature and organizational settings.
Findings
Learning agility measurement is an area requiring further research. Multiple conceptualizations of learning agility exist, making the true structure of learning agility unclear. The learning agility measures in the academic literature deviate from learning agility’s traditional conceptualization and require further validation and convergent validity studies. Commercial measures of learning agility exist, but their development procedures are not subjected to peer review and are not widely used in academic research, given the cost associated with their use.
Practical implications
Learning agility is prevalently used in organizational settings and is receiving increased scholarly attention. Various conceptualizations and measurement tools exist, and it is unclear how these theories and measures relate and differ. This paper contributes to practice by providing practical guidelines and limitations for measuring learning agility.
Originality/value
Learning agility was initially conceived as a multidimensional construct comprising people agility, results agility, change agility and mental agility. As the construct has evolved, the dimension structure of the measure has evolved as well. This study addresses a gap in our current understanding of how to conceptualize and measure learning agility.
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