Femke Jansink, Kitty Kwakman and Jan Streumer
In this paper the concept of knowledge production is used as a framework to study Dutch corporate universities. Knowledge production serves not simply as a desirable aim of…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper the concept of knowledge production is used as a framework to study Dutch corporate universities. Knowledge production serves not simply as a desirable aim of corporate universities, as the concept also offers guidelines for the design of corporate universities. The purpose is to clarify the extent to which corporate universities fulfil this aim of knowledge production and the way they produce new knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
From different theoretical perspectives 11 design characteristics have been extracted that help corporate universities to be knowledge‐productive. Two empirical studies were carried out to find out to what extent corporate universities meet those features required for knowledge production. The first study implies an exploration of opinions of key actors within 12 Dutch corporate universities, in which data were gathered through interviews and analysis of documents. The second study can be characterised as a case study of a concrete training practice within one corporate university. Data were gathered by interviews, evaluative questionnaires, and observation.
Findings
Results reveal that knowledge production is viewed as important, but that concrete measures to stimulate it are often absent. Moreover, corporate universities need to pay more attention to the working environment of their employees in order to achieve their own goals.
Originality/value
Analysing the corporate university from the perspective of knowledge production may stimulate corporate universities to rethink their own goals as well as their position within the organisation.
Details
Keywords
Yoonhee Park, Heajung Woo, Mi-Rae Oh and Sunyoung Park
The purpose of this study is to review the definition, perspective, measurement and context of workplace learning and explored workplace learning to identify its role in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review the definition, perspective, measurement and context of workplace learning and explored workplace learning to identify its role in quantitative research.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an integrative review of the literature, the following four roles that workplace learning has played in these studies were identified: workplace learning as an antecedent, a mediator, a moderator and an outcome.
Findings
This paper synthesized results for workplace learning in 45 studies. A total of 88 variables related to workplace learning were identified after four overlapped variables (autonomy, social support, work engagement and workload) in multiples areas were excluded from a total of 92 variables (56 antecedents, 8 mediators, 7 moderators and 21 outcomes).
Research limitations/implications
Because this study identified four roles of workplace learning (as antecedent, mediator, moderator and outcome), this study did not focus on the process of learning in the workplace. Additional study is needed to investigate how workplace learning can lead to outcomes and how this process can link workplace learning and its consequences.
Originality/value
This paper synthesized the antecedents, mediators, moderators and outcomes for workplace learning by integrating the findings in this study. This provided a comprehensive framework that could be used by researchers to continue the empirical research on this topic to develop the dynamics between individual, group, job and organizational variables on the one hand and workplace learning on the other.