Integrative Review of Workplace Learning and Its Outcomes

Research

Scope of Workplace Learning

Measures

Assessment

Doornbos, Simons, & Denessen

(2008)

Informal work-related learning

Frequency of engagement in learning activities based on Learner’s perception of work-related learning; A seven-point Likert-type rating scale ranging from never (0) to everyday (6); respondents were asked to rate the frequency in which they engaged in learning activities

1. Individually (Individual)
2. Together (Together)
3. From expert colleagues (Expert)
4. From peer colleagues (Peer)
5. From new and less experienced-colleagues (New)
6. From outsiders (Outsider)

They categorized workplace learning into 6 types in terms of intentionality of learning (spontaneous learning, deliberate learning), developmental relatedness (individual learning, learning together, and learning from others), and interaction (partner’s professional practice and hierarchical position (within: high, within: peer, within: low, outside, expert, new, peer, outsider)

Self-report

Noe & Wilk (1993)

Development activity focused on classroom programs (e.g. courses, programs, seminars, workshops offered both in-house and externally offered)

1. The number of courses: respondents had taken in the past year (over the 12 months before the date they received the survey)
2. The number of hours: how much time respondents spend in training and development activities per year
3. The number of courses for future activities: the number of professional and personal development courses that the respondents planned on taking

1. Self-report; the number of courses taken, the number of hours spent in training and development per year, and the number of course for future activities
2. Objective measures; the total number of internal and external activities attended since date of hire and the number of activities attended the previous year

** Little convergence between self-report and objective measures of development activity

Birdi, Allan, & Warr (1997)

Training and development

Frequency of participation in the previous 12 months; how many times a person had undertaken each activity in the previous 12 months, such as training, personal projects, college or university courses -tuition reimbursement

Self-report; Employees were asked to describe their level of participation in 13 separate activities over the preceding 12-month period.

Maurer, Weiss, & Barbeite (2003)

Learning and development activities

Frequency of participation; both activities performed during work hours or job time (where most work-related development likely occurs) and  activities completed during non-work hours, including participation in college or continuing education courses, taking different job assignments, using prerecorded audio or video tapes, reading relevant books, consulting with career counselors, and asking for feedback

Self-report

Maurer & Tarulli (1994)

Voluntary employee development activity

Frequency of participation

1. Past participation in terms of total, in-house, and external participation; how frequently they had participated in the career-related learning from 1 (never) to 5 (more than 6 times)
2. Current interest in and motivation for general learning and development activity
3. Future intentions for participation; how frequently they intended to participate in the coming year

Self-report

Enos, Kehrhahn, & Bell (2003)

Formal and informal learning activities

Perceived extent of informal learning based on each managerial skill; for each managerial skills, participants rated the extent to which they perceived they learned the skills through informal learning activities, measuring on a four-point scale (1= learned only from formal learning activities, 2= learned mostly from formal learning activities, 3= learned mostly from informal learning activities, 4= learned only from informal learning activities)

Self-report

Bartlett (2001)

Training

Employee attitudes toward training

1. Participation in training

• Frequency of training: the number of training events attended during the past year

• Duration of training: the number of hours spent in training during the past year

• Perceived access to training

1. Perceived support for training

• Perceived support for training from colleagues
• Perceived support from senior staff

1. Motivation to learn from training
2. Perceived benefits of training

• Person-related benefits of training
• Career-related benefits of training
• Job-related benefits of training

Self-report

Rowden (2002)

Formal and informal learning

Measures

1. Formal learning (planned, organized training activities) (e.g. I sometimes attend professional conferences or workshops related to my job or profession)
2. Informal learning (unstructured activities or spontaneous demonstrations) (e.g. I sometimes have the opportunity to work closely with coworkers with different skills)
3. Incidental learning (normal workplace activities that resulted in learning even though that was not the purpose of the activity) (e.g. When I make a mistake, my boss or a coworker helps me to identify what to do to avoid making the mistake again)

Self-report

Respondents’ perceptions of each learning with 6-point Likert scale based on the degree of agreement

Tannenbaum & Yukl (1992)

Training

(Participation in training)

Employees’ participation in making pre-training decisions

Self-report

Whether employees have the choice of attending or not attending training programs, or whether or not they have choices in selection of training contents.

Tsai & Tai (2003)

Training

(Participation in training)

Training assignment

Self-report

Whether trainees are forced to attend training or attend the training program voluntarily. One item was used to assess training assignment; Is your attendance of the training program to be mandatory or voluntary?