Editorial

Citation

Gimson, A. (2014), "Editorial", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 28 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-05-2014-0041

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, Volume 28, Issue 4

If you regard your first-line managers as a crucial leadership group, you will find our first article extremely useful. We know that the move from a role as an individual contributor to a role as a first-line manager is one of the most important leadership transitions. Yet, as David Robertson succinctly points out, they are a neglected group as far as investment in their development goes. Summarizing relevant research findings, he moves on to recommend four leadership practices on which you might focus your first-line manager development interventions.

Bart Tkaczyk also takes a look at leadership development and shares two templates that have been tested by leaders around the globe. Both have helped participants to more proactively reflect on and manage their learning. The reported personal and organizational gains are well worth reading.

Executive coaching (EC) is often cited as an important (but some would say costly) part of any development offering for senior leaders. Gil Bozer, James Sarros and Joseph Santora provide an EC effectiveness model that emphasizes the importance of using a systems approach. Their highlighted practical implications for the coachee, coach and organization might be particularly relevant if you are currently evaluating, changing or introducing an EC approach in your organization.

Diversity training is another area of L&D into which millions of dollars are invested each year. Steve Nguyen calls for more evidence-based practice to ensure value for money and, more importantly, to safeguard organizational performance. His recommendations from current research are a welcome balance to his conclusion that most training programs reinforce the prevailing organizational values and culture. Salutary reading indeed.

How many of us have been called “technophobes” when it comes to adopting and adapting to technological advances? The diffidence often shown (in this case toward using technology for communication) by those in the “veteran” and “baby-boomer” generations is explored by Vibhav Singh. This research, conducted with older managers employed in a large oil and gas company, provides a useful summary of the reasons for their reluctance as well as suggestions on how to reduce this wariness.

Our first two review articles also deal with forms of resistance to using technology. First, in “Higher education for the modern world”, factors that either hinder or facilitate the adoption of e-learning practices by academic staff are explored, and there are as many organizational issues that need to be addressed as individual considerations. Second, the use of a three-stage framework, of readiness, intensity and impact, before implementing blended learning (BL) options is suggested in “Higher education’s blend of old and new”. The framework is used to analyze how BL was received by business undergraduate students at an Australian university.

Finally, the possibility for small businesses to engage in learning via technology – in real time and in a way that is wholly focused on their needs – is covered in “Big business for small businesses”. The use of “on-line discussion forums” is advocated, and with >120 million people working in small businesses in the USA alone, that could certainly be a very rich source for learning.

Anne Gimson

Based at Strategic Developments International, UK. E-mail: mailto:anne@stratdevint.com