Full Circle Associates

Via Stephen Downs comes this lovely overview of (e) Learning in Small and Medium Enterprises: the issues (condensed). I'm the one who put the ( ) around the e, because I think this applies to LEARNING, not just e-learning. I'lll post just a teaser. Go look at the rest!

Scope
350 SMEs, focus groups, 90 case studies in seven countries (2002-2005).

Learning:
Is interactive with communities of practice
Builds on personal knowledge bases
Takes place in communities of practice
Controlled by the learner in terms of pace and time
Is episodic
Is sequenced by the learner
Response to problems or interests

ICT for Learning and Work Organisation
Main way of learning was through search engines (Google in particular).
ICT for learning is more likely to be used with flatter hierarchies and employees having greater autonomy in organising their work. –mainly smaller companies (Also, such firms has tended to have a more experienced workforce and low employee turnover).
Hierarchical work organisations tended to have least use of ICT for learning (largely manufacturing/production line enterprises).
Especially in micro firms, SME employees tend to be isolated from wider communities of practice.
Search engines are used to seek out potential forums and contexts for learning.

Knowledge of e-Learning
Few SMES aware of potential or possibilities of ICT for formal learning. Not received information from Public Sector providers – if advertising material sent, seen as junk mail.

Formal Training and Learning
Very little formal training other than regulatory, either face to face or using ICT.
Where seen as necessary: buy in initially from public sector providers, and if unavailable use private training based on word of mouth reputation.
Attitudes and involvement in training varies by size and sector

Accreditation of Learning
No employees had attempted to claim recognition or accreditation

Education and Training Policies.
Many managers are unconvinced of the benefits of initiating or continuing training:.
Few enterprises had a formal policy for education and training.
No budget for training
Nobody with formal responsibility.
Gained required skills through experience or buying in staff already trained
Few managers had formal management qualifications
Most networked with other managers
Variety of management style
There is little correlation between employees previous qualifications and their present employment.

Informal Learning
In contrast to formal learning, much informal learning was taking place.
It was learner driven rather than planned, and problem motivated or linked to personal interests.
There were differences between enterprises in use of ICT for informal learning.
Where ICT for informal learning is common, employees have developed their own occupational profiles, based on needs of the enterprise and their own specialities and interests. There may be a relationship.

This echoes what I see in the field, with interesting practice and organizational development implications.