Learning & Development in Times of Digital Transformation: Facilitating a Culture of Change and Innovation

Abstract

Abstract-The digital transformation is the very heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is about to change our understanding of doing business, of learning & development in a fundamental way -and with unrivaled speed. However, many companies and individuals hesitate to acknowledge the depth and impact of current developments. We suggest to distinguish four reasons: the striking impact of advanced digitization is not yet fully recognized (1); there is a lack of imagination and strategy, coupled with increasing unpredictability (2); a lack of agility and insufficient encouragement towards innovation (3); and a lack of pertinent competencies and insufficient innovation culture (4). New roles and action areas for Learning & Development (L&D) professionals enable possibilities to overcome these innovation barriers: change agent & consultant; designer of an enriched learning portfolio of products and services; shaper of innovation culture. Also facilitating a learning friendly culture by using different pillars is a way to generate innovation and to secure the existence of organizations in times of digital transformation.

Impact of Leadership on Digital Transformation

“…It is important for an organization's core leadership to support this type of change and to have the vision that is required to accomplish related goals and objectives, even if the technical knowledge is not readily available (Vey et al, 2017). In this capacity, it is important for leaders to accomplish the following: "Handling such a fundamental change requires lots of imagination.…”

“…A digital transformation requires a significant shift in processes and procedures within an organization and necessitates that employees understand how this change may impact their ISSN 2162-4860 2018 roles and responsibilities (Vey, Fandel-Meyer, Zipp, & Schneider, 2017). It is important for an organization's core leadership to support this type of change and to have the vision that is required to accomplish related goals and objectives, even if the technical knowledge is not readily available (Vey et al, 2017).…”

“…Assume a company's leaders fully recognize the current development and can even imagine a vision to react to it" (Vey et al, 2017, p. 25). These conditions require leaders who can embrace change and can inspire others to view the change in a positive light (Vey et al, 2017), such as transformative leaders with a vision for the future which includes employee empowerment and creativity among other characteristics. At the same time, antithetic leadership is a term which should be considered because it combines the concepts of business (operations and transformation) with design (innovation and idea development), both of which are essential to a successful digital transformation within an organization (von Kutzschebach, Mittemeyer, & Wagner, 2017).…”

A Model for Librarians to Assess the Digital Capability of Research Teams

“…• access to the right level of computation resources and software tools to process and analyse data • the right level of technology platforms in place to process and manage data with minimal manual intervention • the right level of cybersecurity in place to address risks and compliance Governance Vey et al (2017) have highlighted the importance of good governance by recognising that for organisations to address the impact of Dx, the leaders need to have imagination and put strategies in place to address those impacts and, more importantly, to develop organisational cultures to respond to those impacts. They have noted that in many organisations the commitment to digital weakens below the executive level.…”

Corporate Social and Digital Responsibility

“…The first serious activities in this matter on a global scale began with the emergence of the term "sustainable development": "a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs" [11]. Digital transformation is currently the most important element of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that changes the way of doing business [12]. The modern world is changing at an unprecedented speed.…”