Organizations worldwide spend large amounts of money and resources on developing their employees, yet the money invested in professional learning (PL) yields low to moderate results at best. Because culture is a predominant force in people’s life, multinational corporations and other institutions should take culture into account at every stage of the PL process or they will not obtain the desired return on their investments. Despite the numerous studies on learning transfer, practitioners continue to experience challenges when it comes to altering their practices and generate better outcomes. Scholars have not yet fully taken into consideration culture when developing learning transfer models. Although some learning transfer models address transfer climate as an enhancer or a hindrance to learning transfer, none have considered the overall influence of culture on the transfer phenomenon. This article proposes a culturally grounded multidimensional model of learning transfer (MMLT). The MMLT is designed to assist practitioners and PL organizers before, during, and after the PL event. This innovative model aims at enhancing the implementation of new knowledge, skills, or behaviors in the workplace. The MMLT is based on qualitative data collected and analyzed over 6 years in educational institutions in five African nations. The model is relevant to any organizations across sectors whose aspirations are to maximize learning transfer and obtain a return on their investments that would in turn positively affect organizations’ outcomes.

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This case study illustrates the perspectives of leaders and teachers regarding professional development and learning transfer as they relate to school improvement. The case study is set in a Midwestern middle school that is representative of many other American schools. It encourages future administrators to participate in meaningful conversations about effective professional development and learning transfer. The hope is to better understand how school leaders can plan, assess, and follow up post professional development events using a Multidimensional Model of Learning Transfer (MMLT). The case poses questions designed to prepare educational leaders to provide effective professional development for their teachers.

PurposeThis study examined how cultural factors positively or negatively influenced women's access to the principal role and influenced their leadership experiences. The researchers used Hofstede (2011) six dimensions of national culture as a conceptual framework. The Hofstede (2011) model of national culture consists of six dimensions (6D) that the investigators utilized to interpret and code the data. This framework allowed the researchers to comprehend the impact of cultural norms and values on women leaders and how women leaders work within those behavioral patterns. Utilizing this framework to map women educational leaders' experiences provided nuances in the dimensions within this region.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative research paradigm and a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of 12 women principals in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District (KEEA) of the Central Region of Ghana. The phenomenological approach is represented in cultural and social experiences. It enables researchers to describe the meaning of individuals' experiences (Creswell, 2007). This approach helped the researchers describe the participants' perceptions and experiences as Ghanaian women school leaders. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of women principals in Ghanaian K-12 public schools? What challenges do these women encounter in their work as principals? What support exists for these women to effectively execute their leadership roles? A criterion sampling was used to select principals. Data collection included one-on-one in-depth interviews and field notes.FindingsFindings revealed that these women navigated cultural norms and beliefs in order to exercise their own leadership style and pursue their careers in education. These women leaders were also able to gradually change the teachers' and community members' mindsets on women and leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThis study took place with 12 women within one district in one region of Ghana. While this is a limited sample, this study is significant because it increased one's understanding of how women leaders in patriarchal societies navigate cultural beliefs and norms in order to execute their responsibilities. This study informs educational reforms on gender equity and leadership preparation programmes and sheds light on culturally informed leadership practices unique to women.Practical implicationsBased on the study's findings, the researchers offer some recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and scholars.Social implicationsGiven the global call to promote equity in all aspects of social, economic and public life, the question is not whether we should support women educational leaders but rather how we can better support these professionals navigate cultural norms embedded in patriarchal and traditional societies.Originality/valueCurrently, majority of scholarly articles written on the experiences of women educational leaders come from South Africa (Diko, 2014; Mestry and Schmidt, 2012; Moorosi, 2010). In Ghana, quantitative studies have focused on factors accounting for gender disparity in education leadership in specific districts (Segkulu and Gyimah, 2016) and stereotypical perceptions of women principals (Pwadura, 2016). However, there are a limited number of qualitative studies that explore the experiences of women principals. This study is designed to fill this knowledge gap by employing a qualitative design to explore the experiences of 12 women school principals located in the KEEA municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Thus, the gap in knowledge that this study seeks to bridge is both methodological – in terms of the use of a qualitative approach – and topical – in terms of exploring the experiences of female principals.

Organizations interested in raising their performance and results spend large sums of money on training their employees, but unless the resultant learning is transferred to the work situation that investment will not yield a return. This study's initial premise is that national cultures may play a part in the transfer process. The study's purpose is to identify national cultural factors which may influence training and learning transfer. Leadership training among school leaders in Ghana and Burkina Faso, West Africa was observed and recorded using Hofstede et al. Six Cultural Dimensions model as a framework of analysis. Some cultural factors, which may have influenced transfer, are identified and the author provides a practical checklist that training organizers can use to ensure that they account for cultural factors before, during and after training.