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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2005

Laura Servage

The purpose of this work is twofold. First, the vagueness of e‐learning terminology is explored as a premise that the uncritical use of language reflects uncritical approaches to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this work is twofold. First, the vagueness of e‐learning terminology is explored as a premise that the uncritical use of language reflects uncritical approaches to e‐learning. North American practitioner literature is then reviewed to examine the way(s) in which e‐learning vocabulary and metaphors reveal the attitudes and values that executive decision‐makers and analysts bring to bear on organizational e‐learning strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Trade and industry publications related to e‐learning in the workplace are written both by and for executives and e‐learning analysts. A swath of these publications and web sites, along with three major white papers from the OECD, Canada Conference Board and NGA/ASTD were analyzed for major themes.

Findings

This review finds practitioner literature dominated by concerns about cost and technology in strategizing and implementation to the near exclusion of learner considerations. It is argued that a broader conceptualizing of e‐learning's impact is required for effective analysis.

Originality/value

This review lends perspective to the values and priorities of executive decision makers in practice, showing that a broader understanding of workers' learning and affective needs is required if e‐learning is to be applied effectively toward developing creative, productive, satisfying and sustainable learning organizations. Organizational decision makers should seek the input and perspective of multiple stakeholders to ensure that e‐learning strategies are appropriate not only in terms of financial and technological feasibility but also in the interests of lasting positive effects on employees and organizational culture.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 17 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

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Article
Publication date: 24 April 2023

Sara E. Cavallo, Laura E. Cruz, Jamie Kim and Chas Brua

The purpose of this study is to explore how the phenomenon of academic professional development looks through the eyes of graduate students navigating the increasing complexity of…

181

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore how the phenomenon of academic professional development looks through the eyes of graduate students navigating the increasing complexity of postgraduate careers. This study pays particular attention to how current students navigate the interplay between their beliefs, intentions and behaviors when it comes to making choices regarding their engagement in professional development.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative study, based on a phenomenological analysis of seven in-depth interviews with advanced PhD students from the earth sciences college at a large, public, research-intensive university located in the mid-Atlantic area of the USA (Penn State).

Findings

Framed in the Theory of Planned Behavior, the findings of this study suggest that the interviewees varied across all aspects of Theory of Planned Behavior: in their beliefs about valued career paths, in their convergence or divergence from the departmental or institutional norms they perceived and in their sense of control over their career pathways. They all shared, however, a strong desire to successfully navigate the widening array of possibilities to achieve a range of personal and professional goals, but they often lacked the ability to align those intentions with actions related to professional development.

Originality/value

This study suggests that institutions may wish to rethink their positionality in the professional development of graduate students, moving away from centralized models of direct support and towards more indirect, informal and co-created means of exerting influence and building community.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

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Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Frankie J. Weinberg, Jay P. Mulki and Melenie J. Lankau

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of mentor beliefs about effort related to the knowledge and learning process on their extent of mentoring at work, and to…

632

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of mentor beliefs about effort related to the knowledge and learning process on their extent of mentoring at work, and to determine the role that the mentor’s perception of psychological safety plays in tempering this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted at an 820-member organization maintenance and operations organization consisting of a number of professions in which apprenticeship-style learning is prevalent. Data collection resulted in 570 members self-identifying as having mentored a less experienced colleague. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm that the measurement instrument represents one unified factor, and a structural equation modelling approach was used to assess the relationships among the study’s latent variables.

Findings

Results reveal that mentors who hold sophisticated effort-oriented beliefs are more likely to offer psychosocial support to their protégés. Further, although the relationship between effort-oriented beliefs and vocational support is not significant, the mentor’s perception of a psychologically safe work environment significantly moderates both sets of relationships.

Research limitations/implications

As approximately 88 per cent of respondents work in service, as opposed to administrative groups, caution should be exercised in generalizing this study’s findings to the general workforce population. Further, the present study did not differentiate mentors who identified a current or previous subordinate as their protégé from those whose protégés were not a subordinate, nor did the authors differentiate formal from informal mentoring relationships. Thus, further investigation is needed to determine whether our hypothesized relationships differ in any unique manifestations of mentoring relationships at work.

Practical implications

By providing a better understanding of the relationship between effort-oriented beliefs and mentoring at work, this study may help in the design of more effective mentoring relationships and ultimately enhance knowledge management and workplace learning.

Originality/value

There is no previous research that investigates how one’s cognitions about the effort associated with the knowledge and learning process, in particular, influence mentoring at work. This study provides a model for understanding and developing enhanced mentoring relationships, which are considered a critical element of organizational learning.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

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