Goal Rationalities as a Framework for Evaluating the Learning Potential of the Workplace

There is conflicting empirical evidence regarding the learning potential of the workplace. Some studies conclude that workplaces should be seen as strong learning environments, whereas others show evidence of the ineffectiveness of the workplace as a learning environment. In this article, we argue t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human resource development review 2007-03, Vol.6 (1), p.64-83
Main Authors: Nieuwenhuis, Loek F. M., Van Woerkom, Marianne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Education
Education Work Relationship
Educational Environment
Educational Objectives
Educational Principles
Employees
Evaluation Criteria
Human Resources
Informal Education
Knowledge
Knowledge economy
Learning Strategies
Objectives
Organizational learning
Organizational Objectives
Participation
Professional development
Rationality
Role of Education
School environment
Staff Development
Training Objectives
Work Environment
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Summary:There is conflicting empirical evidence regarding the learning potential of the workplace. Some studies conclude that workplaces should be seen as strong learning environments, whereas others show evidence of the ineffectiveness of the workplace as a learning environment. In this article, we argue that this disagreement might be caused by different goal rationalities in relation to the institutions that are involved in workplace learning. For economic reasons, societies have organized learning in a preparatory rationality: education as preparation for work. The learning potential of the workplace is often discussed from this goal rationality. In this article, this preparatory goal rationality is challenged by arguing that other rationalities in workplace learning should also be taken into account. Rationalities of optimizing goals, transformative goals, and personal goals are discussed. The model of goal rationalities that is developed in this article must be kept in mind when evaluating the learning potential of the workplace: different goals imply different evaluation criteria.
ISSN:1534-4843
1552-6712
DOI:10.1177/1534484306296432