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CfP Special Issue on „Learning and transfer in organizations" in EJWOP – European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology

  • 1.  CfP Special Issue on „Learning and transfer in organizations" in EJWOP – European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology

    Posted 12-09-2022 10:08

    Dear colleagues,

    in our role as EJWOP guest editors, Simone Kauffeld, Carolin Graßmann and I would like to draw your attention to the CfP on "Learning and transfer in organizations: How it works and can be supported" (Special Issue) in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology". Deadline is 01.05.2023. Please find all further information below.

    SPECIAL ISSUE CALL FOR PAPERS

    Learning and transfer in organizations: How it works and can be supported

    Guest Editors
    Simone Kauffeld (TU Braunschweig)

    Julian Decius (University of Bremen)

    Carolin Graßmann (VICTORIA International University of Applied Sciences, Berlin)


    Organizations and their employees need to learn continuously to adapt to market changes, as well as to societal and technological advancements (Cascio & Montealegre, 2016; Kraiger & Ford, 2021). Alongside these external forces, learning in organizations has undergone some shifts over the last decades regarding which learning approaches best reflects the current needs of the organization (Noe et al., 2014). Employees are on individual learning paths with individual learning goals and topics for which they need to build and maintain a motivation to change and learn. Formal, informal, and self-regulated learning opportunities are interrelated throughout individuals' learning paths, which take place in the social and organizational context (Decius et al., 2022; Poell, 2017; Richter et al., 2020). In terms of work-related learning, the three learning approaches of formal, informal, and self-regulated learning must be distinguished. Formal learning is highly structured learning in terms of learning location, learning time, and learning support (e.g., training and education; Kyndt & Baert, 2013). However, only 10 to 15% of what is learned in training is transferred to the work context by training participants (Ford et al., 2018). Informal learning involves learning which is directly integrated into the work process and often used for problem solving and occurs through own trial and error, feedback, and reflection (Cerasoli et al, 2018; Tannenbaum et al, 2010). Self-regulated learning is characterized by the learner setting their own learning goals and independently observing and monitoring the learning process (Sitzmann & Ely, 2011)-in contrast to informal learning, the focus here is on the learning intention rather than on the work-integrated problem-solving intention.

    Continuing education, including formal learning, is often not only chronically delayed but is also not considered particularly effective in terms of transfer. The transfer of what is learned into the everyday work context depends on factors of the participant (e.g., transfer motivation and volition), on the training (e.g., transfer design, work-training congruence, training atmosphere), and on the work environment. Factors in the work environment are primarily responsible for whether or not the transfer into everyday work succeeds (Massenberg et al., 2017). Support from colleagues and supervisors, the possibility of applying knowledge, time resources, or feedback are relevant factors (e.g., Richter & Kauffeld, 2021). Therefore, it is important to design the learning transfer system and, in particular the organizational working environment, the learning network in the run-up to and during a training measure and thus to create conditions that enable the transfer.

    With this special issue, we aim to strongly advance scientific knowledge on learning and transfer in organizations. Research questions could include, but are certainly not limited to:

    • How can different learning approaches-especially formal, self-regulated, and informal learning-be integrated for learning in organizations?
    • How do different learning approaches interact with each other to explain learning outcomes?
    • What is the unique contribution of different learning approaches on learning outcomes?
    • How can employees be developed so that organizations can initiate and implement change?
    • What factors influence the transfer of learning and learning outcomes (e.g., knowledge, skills)?
    • How can social networks support work-related learning and learning transfer in the organization?
    • What factors influence people's learning networks and their impact on change in the organization
    • How is individual learning connected to organizational learning?
    • How does digitalization changes work-related learning (e.g., frequency, duration, or selection of learning approaches) and learning transfer?

    We welcome papers which make a substantial empirical contribution to understanding how effective learning in organizations works. Submitted papers should explicitly focus on learning outcomes and the processes that lead to the corresponding outcome. Papers that link two of the three levels-individual, team, and organization-are particularly welcome. In addition, papers that combine and connect different learning approaches are of particular interest. Papers also may examine different target groups (e.g., personal and organizational factors as boundary conditions). Methodologically, this includes original empirical papers, meta-analyses, and systematic literature reviews, as well as mixed-method studies.

    Manuscripts should be submitted by 01.05.2023 through the journal's online submissions system via http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pewo, as a submission for this Special Issue. Please note that the regular author guidelines of EJWOP apply. The call for papers can be found here.



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    Julian Decius
    Head of Organizational Psychology (Tenure Track)
    University of Bremen
    Bremen (Germany)
    www.linkedin.com/in/julian-decius/
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