Uncovering Informal Workplace Learning by Using Diaries

Rausch, Andreas; Göller, Michael; Steffen, Bianca

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-08518-5_3

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Addressing the above limitation, future research should also investigate actual EPSS use near the process, for instance, by using research diaries. They measure not only closer to the object under investigation but also reduce memory bias of retrospective questionnaires (Bolger et al, 2003;Ohly et al, 2010;Rausch et al, 2017). Furthermore, future studies could also investigate proactive EPSS as mentioned above.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problem-Solving and Tool Use in Office Work: The Potential of Electronic Performance Support Systems to Promote Employee Performance and Learning

2022

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In the context of office work, learning to handle an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is important as implementation costs for such systems and associated expectations are high. However, these expectations are often not met because the users are not trained adequately. Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) are designed to support employees’ ERP-related problem-solving and informal learning. EPSS are supposed to enhance employees’ performance and informal workplace learning through task-specific and granular help in task performance and problem-solving. However, there is little empirical research on EPSS. Two survey studies addressed this research gap. In the first study, 301 people working in Human Resource (HR)-related positions and functions evaluated the learning potential of EPSS as well as potential advantages and obstacles concerning the implementation and use of EPSS. Though other measures are currently assessed as more important for learning, HR employees expect a strong increase in the significance of EPSS for employee learning. In the second study, 652 users of ERP software completed a questionnaire on characteristics of their daily work tasks, team characteristics, individual dispositions, their coping with ERP-related problems, and characteristics of EPSS. Findings indicate that the most frequently available and used approach when dealing with an ERP-related problem is consulting colleagues. Three EPSS types can be distinguished by their increasing integration into the user interface and their context-sensitivity (external, extrinsic, and intrinsic EPSS). While external and extrinsic EPSS are available to many users, intrinsic EPSS are less common but are used intensively if available. EPSS availability is identified to be a strong positive predictor of frequency of EPSS use, while agreeableness as well as the task complexity and information-processing requirements show small negative effects. Moreover, more intensive ERP users use EPSS more frequently. In general, ERP users value, features such as context-sensitivity, an integration of the EPSS into the ERP system’s user interface, the option to save one’s own notes, and information displayed in an extra window. It is expected that EPSS will play an important role in workplace learning in the future, along with other measures.

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Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problem-Solving and Tool Use in Office Work: The Potential of Electronic Performance Support Systems to Promote Employee Performance and Learning

2022

Self Cite

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“…It can therefore not be ruled out that some findings might have been more strongly weighted due to a higher number of interview partners referring to them. Third, the retrospectivity of the interviews might have led to recall errors (e.g., Hyman & Loftus, 1998;Rausch et al, 2022). However, the interviews did not focus on events several years ago but focus on currently ongoing events in the respective organizations.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expertise Development at Work: A Workplace Curriculum Perspective in the Domains of Sales Representatives and Leadership Coaches in a German Context

Köhler,

Goller

2024

IJRVET

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Context: Active engagement and participation in professional practices are an important requirement for expertise development in vocational domains. However, not much is known about how work contexts foster or hinder such expertise development. To further fill this research gap, this study investigates two vocational domains, namely sales representatives and leadership coaches, using the Workplace Curriculum Approach. This approach focuses on three aspects. First, how novices get access to certain tasks. Second, which tasks at work are especially conducive to learning, referred to as pedagogically-rich activities. Third, what knowledge is hard-to-learn through practice alone. By focusing on these three aspects, the Workplace Curriculum Approach helps to understand learning. Method: Eleven highly competent sales representatives and ten highly competent leadership coaches from German organizations participated in an interview study. A thematic qualitative text analysis was applied using deductive and inductive coding. Results: For sales representatives, task sequencing is different across organizations due to structural factors, particularly products, and infrastructure. Ideally, apprentices start by getting to know the customers by selling products on site at a counter and by getting to know the products in the warehouse. challenging interactions with customers on the phone are most conducive to learning. The scope of the product portfolio and the amount of technical knowledge are hard to learn. Leadership coaches are encouraged by peers to start at team leader and smaller team levels before moving on to more senior executives and larger team levels. Weekly team meetings offer important social learning opportunities similar to informal discussions among peers. Methodological and organizational knowledge are hard to learn. Conclusion: Regardless of differences between both domains, the Workplace Curriculum Approach proved useful for analyzing learning and expertise development in the different workplace contexts. The approach proved to be a fairly tangible and easy-to-use tool to investigate how workplaces support expertise development and how workplace learning regimes might be changed to further foster novices’ learning and development. Researchers and practitioners alike can utilize the Workplace Curriculum Approach to analyze learning in different domains in their respective organization. However, individual factors of the learners such as motivation to participate in activities in the workplace are not explicitly included in this approach to investigate professional learning and development. They should be of additional focus in any study interested in vocational expertise development.

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“…Workplace learning is a repetitive process of recalling and reusing experiences gained in similarly challenging and demanding situations (Messmann et al, 2018). This learning process often happens informally without conscious intention in everyday work situations (Rausch et al, 2022). For example, Rausch et al (2015) showed that daily cooperative and collaborative problem solving is associated with daily learning.…”

Section: Strain and Learning Processes As Underlying Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employer‐oriented flexible work in health care: A diary study on the resulting cognitive demands and their relationship with work–home outcomes

Baumgartner,

Prem,

Uhlig

et al. 2023

J Occupat & Organ Psyc

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This study investigates how cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility (i.e. to coordinate with others, to structure work tasks and to organize work and private obligations) relate to work–home outcomes among health care professionals. To understand the underlying psychological mechanisms of the relationship between cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility and work–home outcomes, we combined the challenge–hindrance approach with role theory. We hypothesized a positive relationship between cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility and work–home conflict via cognitive effort (strain process) and between cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility and work–home enrichment via learning to self‐organize (learning process). Eighty‐eight health care professionals working in eldercare homes participated in a diary study and provided 407 day‐level datasets. They completed questionnaires twice a day over 5 working days. Our analyses show that the relationships between daily cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility and work–home outcomes depend on strain and learning processes. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that cognitive demands resulting from employer‐oriented flexibility, although ambivalently related to work–home outcomes on the person level, trigger distinct strain and learning processes on the day level: daily coordinating with colleagues and daily structuring work tasks were related to work–home conflict via cognitive effort, whereas daily organizing work and family obligations was associated with work–home enrichment via learning to self‐organize.

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Uncovering Informal Workplace Learning by Using Diaries

Cited by 13 publications

References 36 publications

Problem-Solving and Tool Use in Office Work: The Potential of Electronic Performance Support Systems to Promote Employee Performance and Learning

Problem-Solving and Tool Use in Office Work: The Potential of Electronic Performance Support Systems to Promote Employee Performance and Learning

Expertise Development at Work: A Workplace Curriculum Perspective in the Domains of Sales Representatives and Leadership Coaches in a German Context

Employer‐oriented flexible work in health care: A diary study on the resulting cognitive demands and their relationship with work–home outcomes

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