David Birchall

Transfer of learning from management development programmes: testing the Holton model

Transfer of learning from management development programmes has been described as the effective and continuing application back at work of the knowledge and skills gained on those programmes. It is a very important issue for organizations today, given the large amounts of investment in these programmes and the small amounts of that investment that actually translates into an improved individual and organizational performance. This paper describes the testing of the Holton model of learning transfer and suggests amendments to the model where appropriate. A sample of participants on a management development programme within the Irish health service completed the Learning Transfer System Inventory based on the Holton model. The data obtained were analysed using multiple regression and partial correlation techniques. Results indicate that the model does adequately represent the effects of its factors, although a slightly revised model is presented. Important relationships between factors are identified, and the central role of the learners personal capacity for transfer (hitherto unreported in the literature) and their motivation to transfer in facilitating transfer is highlighted. In practical terms, the tested model can be used as a diagnostic tool by identifying individual, training design and work environment transfer issues in need of attention and by developing strategies to deal with them. It can also be used as a framework for the evaluation of training and development interventions, examining factors outside the traditional range of most training evaluation efforts and providing a more complete picture of the success or otherwise of that intervention.

Exploring project success

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between project success factors and actual project success. It reports on an investigation into those factors within the direct influence of project managers that can make a real difference to the outcome of project endeavours.Design/methodology/approach – Using principal components analysis (PCA) on 60 questions about actual project work performance collected from four culturally different regions (UK, France, Norway and China), nine distinctively different critical success factors were found. Similarly, using PCA on ten project success items, three distinctively different project success criteria were extracted.Findings – The most important factors in improving managerial ability to deliver results in time and at cost were strong project commitment, early stakeholder influence, stakeholder endorsement of project plans and rich project communications. To secure project impact, strong project commitment and rich project communications were t...

Perception of risk and the strategic impact of existing IT on information security strategy at board level

Purpose – Information security is becoming increasingly more important as organisations are endangered by a variety of threats from both its internal and external environments. Many theorists now advocate that effective security policies should be created at senior management level. This is because executives are able to evaluate the organisation using a holistic approach as well as having the power to ensure that new systems and procedures are implemented in a timely manner. There is, however, a continuing lack of understanding regarding the strategic importance of managing information security. In addition, there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between directors and information security strategy. This paper attempts to close this gap by exploring how directors perceive their organisations security and what factors influence their decisions on the development and implementation of information security strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on constructivist grounded ...

Developing Design Principles for an E-Learning Programme for SME Managers to Support Accelerated Learning at the Workplace

Purpose – This paper reports on the development of a workplace‐based e‐learning programme for small and medium enterprise (SME) managers in five European countries. The course is designed to address the specific needs of SME managers who, it has been noted, represent a significant proportion of the EU workforce but often experience difficulty in finding time or resources to undertake relevant training. The aim of this paper is to present the design principles developed to underpin the programme. These principles were developed specifically to address the need for greater pedagogic structure in the design of e‐learning courses.Design/methodology/approach – The course design was informed by a literature review of e‐learning and management learning and by a set of focus groups conducted to identify the specific concerns of SMEs with regard to accelerating their learning in the workplace. The course structure was further refined through trial workshops in all five partner countries.Findings – The paper presen...

SME manager development in virtual learning communities and the role of trust: A conceptual study

Abstract Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are seen as vital to economic development. However, managers in these organizations generally have fewer opportunities for training and development than their counterparts in larger organizations. In this paper, the authors argue the need for development opportunities based around ‘virtual’ learning and develop a conceptual framework. The increasing penetration of broadband technologies offers the opportunity to create learning communities to engage SME managers with peers facing similar challenges. For a meaningful experience to be achieved in a virtual community, the role of the facilitator is established as important; however, an area largely overlooked in prior research into networked learning is that of the role of trust and how facilitators can generate it. In order to develop the framework for this paper, the authors review prior research into trust, learning, facilitation and virtual learning communities – the main aim being the identification of those aspects of the facilitator intervention that are most likely to engender trust and participation. Finally, areas for further research are identified.

Making It All Work: The Engineering Graduate of the Future, a UK Perspective.

High skills are today seen as of vital importance to economies, industries, companies and individuals. The engineering industry is no exception and the graduate engineer has a key position in this regard. In the research reported in this paper, the authors use in-depth interviews with industry experts to investigate the provision of undergraduate engineering education in the UK. The current and future skill needs of industry are examined. A typology of future engineering roles and their requisite attributes is proposed. Implications for undergraduate engineering are also discussed

A Model of Information Assurance Benefits

Abstract Effective information assurance (IA) is the key to reliable management decision-making, customer trust, business continuity, and good governance in all sectors of industry and public service. Yet making a business case for IA investments can be difficult because the scope of the potential benefits can be very broad. Based on interview data collected from company executives, senior IA managers, and a variety of external stakeholders, we develop and discuss a four-layer model that can be used to help structure the case for IA investments.

Information Assurance and Corporate Strategy: A Delphi Study of Choices, Challenges, and Developments for the Future

In this article, we identified processes associated with strengthening the alignment between information assurance, information systems and corporate strategies so that organizations could more effectively address legal and regulatory challenges. Our results are based on data gathered from 43 preliminary interviews and a subsequent Delphi exercise. The Delphi panel rated these processes in terms of desirability and feasibility. After three rounds a consensus of opinion was achieved. The results of the Delphi together with some practical implications are presented.

Innovation performance measurement: current practices, issues and management challenges

Innovation is indisputably one of the most important strategic and operational levers available to managers for creating competitive advantage. Recent studies suggest that there remains a serious disconnect between what firms are hoping for, and what they, in fact, are reaping from their investments in innovation. Conventional approaches to performance measurement have as yet had little impact in the area of innovation management. The purpose of the research reported in this paper has been to address some of the more pertinent of the many questions raised by innovation practitioners and managers today concerning the measurement of innovation performance.

Assessing the firm's strategic knowledge portfolio: a framework and methodology

It is now widely acknowledged that knowledge rather than capital assets is the source of wealth in todays global economy in which firms increasingly are competing in knowledge-intensive markets. Consequently, firms are seeking to gain a better understanding of how their organisationally-embedded knowledge can be exploited to gain and maintain competitive edge in a turbulent marketplace. To be competitive and successful, firms are creating and sustaining a dynamic portfolio of knowledge repositories and processes. The authors contend that the outcomes can be much enhanced if this is based on a systematic approach to knowledge management. A consensus in leading edge firms about the importance of knowledge has resulted in considerable investment in the analysis of technology portfolios and such processes as technology mapping. Nevertheless many firms, particularly smaller and medium enterprises, have still not translated a concern for improved knowledge management into even the most rudimentary analysis. Consequently, many firms do not have the means for really understanding the strategic impact of their knowledge capital on their competitive performance. Practical tools and methodologies which assist in this process of assessing the breadth and depth of an organisations knowledge portfolio can assist significantly in such cases in enabling firms to get the key issues onto the board agenda. In this paper the authors present a conceptual framework for mapping a firms knowledge portfolio in terms of four domains - content, process, infrastructure and culture. The mapping approach is designed to help guide the thinking process in the firm with respect to ways in which its knowledge is being created, stored and applied towards competitive advantage. The methodology begins with a mapping of the firms business processes from a knowledge perspective. Core business processes are unbundled in terms of their specific knowledge domains. They are subsequently classified according to their degree of tacitness. Next, the competitive impact and competitive positioning of each area is evaluated and compared to the principal competition. Gaps in the firms knowledge portfolio are identified; a strategic framework is provided for a proactive approach to strategic knowledge management. The methodology provides a systematic approach to building a strategic knowledge map. It represents a strategic tool for assessing a firms knowledge portfolio - it is a map pointing to where knowledge resides in the firm; to key knowledge processes; and to the flow of knowledge between processes and between people.