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Contexts of organizational learning in developing countries: the role of training programmes in Egyptian public banks

Mohamed Mousa (Department of Management, WSB University, Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland)
Hiba Massoud (Cardiff Metropolitan University – Llandaff Campus, Cardiff, UK)
Rami Ayoubi (Coventry University, Coventry, UK)

Personnel Review

ISSN: 0048-3486

Article publication date: 6 April 2021

Issue publication date: 6 April 2022

670

Abstract

Purpose

Little research into organizational learning in the public sector in developing countries' is known. In this paper, the authors investigated the context of organizational learning in the public banks in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnographic field research was employed by spending a month inside each of two public banks in Egypt. The ethnographic experience was operationalised by using direct observations of learning processes, procedures and practices, semi-structured interviews with learning specialists and focus group discussions with bankers. The authors used thematic analysis to determine the main themes in the previous data collection methods of ethnographic approach.

Findings

The findings confirmed a lack of clear focus for the organizational learning practices employed by the banks, which highlights issues of seriousness in undertaking and/or tackling organizational learning, and increased doubts in relation to the added value of the different forms of formal trainings bankers participate in. To enhance the culture and maintain effective functioning of formal organizational learning, the authors suggest considering the following three categories of barriers: purpose-related barriers, implementation and evaluation barriers.

Originality/value

Despite the generalisability caveats associated with the organizations studied, the authors believe that this paper contributes to the existing theory of organizational learning as it provides insights and understanding on the purpose, frame, conduct and results of organizational learning in the public sector. More specifically, the study is unique and is different from previous relevant studies as it relies on ethnographical approach in exploring how organizational leaning practices are perceived in public banks in developing countries.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The project is funded under the program of the Minister of Science and Higher Education titled “Regional Initiative of Excellence” in 2019-2022, project number 018/RID/2018/19, the amount of funding PLN 10 788 423,16.

Citation

Mousa, M., Massoud, H. and Ayoubi, R. (2022), "Contexts of organizational learning in developing countries: the role of training programmes in Egyptian public banks", Personnel Review, Vol. 51 No. 3, pp. 1169-1186. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-06-2020-0453

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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