Penn State News

Workplace Climate: The Key to Learning Organizations

October 16, 2002

University Park, Pa. -- For companies that truly want to be a "learning organization" for their employees, the critical ingredients are commitment, trust and vision, according to a Penn State researcher.

To talk about becoming a "learning organization" without creating a learning atmosphere is an exercise in futility. A workplace learning climate is only favorable when employers have taken specific, carefully planned steps to ensure that their employees learn, says Dr. William J. Rothwell, professor of workforce education and development in the College of Education.

Rothwell enumerates these in his book, "The Workplace Learner: How to Align Training Initiatives with Individual Learning Competencies," recently published by AMACOM, the publishing arm of the American Management Association.

The company first has to commit sufficient financial resources and time for workplace learning, while establishing realistic goals and expectations, Rothwell notes. This commitment has to be matched by middle management, union leaders and the employees themselves.

Next, management has to share a common vision of what it ultimately hopes to achieve through workplace learning. At the same time, the company must inspire sufficient trust in employees that they will participate in workplace learning programs, despite the risks involved in breaking out of one's routine and comfort zone. As always, good communication is absolutely essential, according to Rothwell.

"Individuals must be matched to learning experiences for which they have the appropriate education and background," Rothwell says. "Furthermore, workplace learning should be tied both to actual business needs and employee performance standards. Firms can determine how well their training is paying off by monitoring work performance as well as collecting and analyzing feedback from customers."

"Finally, organizations should give their employees ample incentives and rewards to encourage them to pursue workplace learning and make sure they know `what's in it for them,' " Rothwell says.

Rothwell drew his conclusions from a thorough five-year study of managers, professionals, technicians and workers in five industry categories: health and human services; office, financial services and government; accommodations and personal services; manufacturing, agribusiness, mining and construction; and trade, transportation and communications.

The Penn State researcher focused on ways to measure learning climate. To do that, he asked employees about the conditions in their workplaces that either encourage or discourage their real-time learning efforts to solve work-related problems.

"If employers could transform their workplaces into learning organizations, the reasoning goes, they could be more competitive, more profitable, and more responsive to customers. Unfortunately, `learning organization' is often a term in search of a meaning, Rothwell notes.

"An employer's workplace climate must be conducive to learning if the organization is to realize the promise of the learning organization. The effectiveness of this climate can clearly be measured from the standpoint of all concerned," he adds.