No abstract

Researchers have revealed that managers profit most from informal and on-the-job learning. Moreover, research has shown that task characteristics and social support affect informal learning. On the basis of these insights, the authors examined the effects of task characteristics (psychological job demands, job control) and social support from the supervisor and colleagues on informal on-the-job learning among 1588 managers in the Dutch home-care sector. A regression analysis revealed that high demands, high control, and high colleague and supervisor support were each associated with high levels of informal learning. The authors found no evidence for statistical interactions among the effects of these concepts. They concluded that to promote managers' informal workplace learning, employers should especially increase job control.

Post Offices Inc. in The Netherlands has developed and implemented a new instruction model for the training of desk employees. The quality of the new instruction model was assessed by means of the evaluation model of Jacobs andJones for on-the-job training. It is concluded that the implementation of the training model has not been completely successful. Critical success factors, such as the performance of the mentors as well as the quality of the self-study material, have to be improved. Mentors are expected to serve as a behavioural model, to provide feedback, arrange an adequate environment for self-study, motivate trainees for self-study and evaluate trainees' progress on a regular basis. This study shows that mentors must be fully convinced of the benefit of a new instructional model, if not, the implementation will not be successful. Besides, the study shows that the quality of the self-study material depends very much on the similarity between the knowledge needed in work and the knowledge presented in the self-study material.The last decade can be characterised by structural changes in the economy, technology and work. These developments have created a global market place, characterised by high competition. The human resources and the working potential of employees have become the decisive factor in this competition. This implies that

Knowledge management has become an important tool in staying ahead in the competition between companies. In this article five different phases of the knowledge management process are distinguished: acquiring knowledge, codifying knowledge, disseminating knowledge, developing knowledge and applying knowledge. The occurrence of knowledge management problems is demonstrated in a case study in a knowledge-intensive company. Most of the problems in this case occur in the first three phases of the knowledge management process. It is recommended that the company monitors on a regular basis, starting from its core competencies and its strategy, what essential knowledge their employees are lacking and encourages them to acquire it. Furthermore, the company should ensure that employees have time to codify their knowledge regularly and that adequate information systems are in place and kept up-to-date. The dissemination of knowledge can be improved by working in different teams, coupling junior with senior employees, and by the exchange of new knowledge between employees on a regular basis by encouraging the development of communities of practice and by the systematic creation of learning histories.

corporate code of ethics, metaphor, implementation, effectiveness,