Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an internationally accepted process of assessing non-formal learning with the intention of matching it to academic credits. This allows the candidate to earn either a full or partial qualification based on knowledge and/or skills acquired outside of the formal classroom. The South African insurance sector was faced with legislation requiring all financial advisers to earn academic credits before they could continue in the industry. The sector believed that the RPL process would suit their circumstances because most financial advisers had many years of workplace experience and had mostly attended many internal, but often unaccredited, product training programmes. However, there was no RPL implementation model to guide a workplace implementation of this nature as most RPL models followed the practices set by formal higher education providers and there was no consideration of the many variables that have an impact in the workplace. This research set out to design a logic model to guide the implementation of workplace RPL in the insurance sector. The data was collected during the evaluation of an RPL implementation programme that had good results but which used the more individualistically inspired RPL approach of formal education. The data was analysed using grounded theory data analysis techniques (Strauss & Corbin, 1998 and Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and the result was the identification of 18 broad categories. Further analysis reduced these to five categories, i.e. reaction to the circumstances requiring the RPL, personal mastery, team support, changing perceptions towards the RPL process, and perceived outcome of the RPL process. These categories were researched by looking at the most influential traditional and workplace learning theorists, as well as the most influential RPL theorists. Finally, a secondary data analysis was conducted on 18 workplace RPL case studies described by Dyson and Keating (2005). The results of this research were formulated into a logic model to guide RPL implementation in the insurance sector. Using this logic model as a guide, further recommendations were made to guide workplace RPL implementation in the future. / Prof. W.J. Coetsee Dr. L. Beekman

The research question of this thesis is ???what is the relationship between evaluation procedures and organisational learning in an academic library???? The study investigates the nature of organisational learning within Taiwanese institute of technology academic libraries, and in particular the nature of the relationship between the formal institutional evaluation (IE) of those libraries by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the organisational responses of the libraries. A ???process, phase of organisational learning (PPOL)??? model guided the delineation of research variables and the collection and analysis of data. The subjects of the research were 67 academic libraries and their staff. Phase I of the study consisted pf a questionnaire survey of 312 staff. The results of the survey formed the basis of Phase II of the study, the semi-structured interviews with 24 library personnel, together with an examination of relevant documents of the particular libraries involved. The refinement of the PPOL model is an indication that generally the direction and the use of IE, while recognised by management and employees, do not in most cases translate into higher levels of organisational learning and change. The findings of this thesis apply to the particular types of libraries studied, and to the concept of evaluation and organisational learning. Libraries are automatically to some extent involved in self-evaluation because they must prepare for IE, with some assistance from their institution. However, this does not imply that if various changes occur in the libraries there must be a strong correlation with the existence of high organisational learning. The external nature of the evaluation and the lengthy time periods between evaluations are two factors which make the learning response of libraries more difficult to determine. Ideally, an IE will assist the library on a path of continuous organisational adaptation, which involves structural, communication and climate changes. These changes reflect the ongoing organisational learning activities.

Organisational learning and knowledge management theories are illustrated in this study as converging around discussion of three major themes: the role of the individual in the knowledge of the organisation; the increasing problematisation of the nature of knowledge; and debate over the role of mental models and organisational schema in the learning of the individual and organisation. In this study it is argued that these themes are aligned with central themes in complexity theories, and complexity is posited as an appropriate lens through which organisational experience might be viewed. The confluent themes and complexity underpin a methodological approach that is inspired by grounded theory, but which recognises the value that complexity provides as a sensitising device to the research. Narrative methods are used to collect data and participants' sense-making informs the researcher's analysis of the results. The emergence of a complex adaptive systems heuristic from the analysis of the collective narratives provides a ground for exploration of organisational members' experience using the grammar of complexity. This exploration leads to discussion of the ways in which complexity accommodates the consideration of learning and knowledge within a single frame. While the experience of organisational members in many ways reflects the properties and mechanisms of complex adaptive systems, in this study the theory does not adequately describe the nature of their learning and knowledge development in the organisation. In this exploration, tension between the formal organisation and the emergent organisation leads to a disconnect between the local learning of members in interaction and the knowledge of the organisation. The nesting feature of complex adaptive systems, where levels of aggregation build hierarchy, is not apparent in this study and this finding is discussed as having important implications for learning and knowledge sharing in the organisation. In addition, the participants of this study do not describe their learning as simply mechanical, involving the building and rebuilding of mental models, as complex adaptive systems would suggest. Learning is described as far more elaborate than the theory immediately implies. The findings of the study provide insight into the relationship between learning and knowledge in organisations through the lens of complexity as well as providing some input into developing theories of complexity. These insights are discussed with reference to the literatures across organisational learning, knowledge management and workplace learning fields and a number of implications for practice are suggested as a result. The study supports the integration of organisational learning and knowledge within a single theoretical frame and points to more integrated organisational practice. That learning and knowledge management in organisations should remain discrete in practice is at odds with the theory and with the findings of this study.

This thesis responds to the current climate of inquiry and complaint around past practice in the work of religious, charitable and service based organisations. It does not attempt to deal with issues of abuse or of illegal or unlawful practice but rather proposes an alternative approach to inquiry into past practice. In focussing on the learnings for one organisation whose practice was under inquiry the study presents a response that is life giving, growth promoting and the first step to healing and reconciliation. In June 1998 the Honourable Faye Lo Po’, MP instructed that the Standing Committee on Social Issues inquire into Adoption Practices in NSW 1950 -1998 (the Inquiry). The Sisters of St Joseph, a religious Congregation in NSW chose to participate in the Inquiry. They had been entrusted with the care of single pregnant women since 1937 at St Margaret’s Hospital in Sydney and St Anthony’s Home in Croydon. Recommendation 17 of Releasing the Past, the final report of the Inquiry suggests that an apology from organisations involved in adoption services be forthcoming. This recommendation proved to be the catalyst for this study. No real apology exists without reconciliation. Reconciliation is possible only when both sides of the story are told and understood. This thesis seeks to understand not just both sides of the story but the changes and the learnings that have taken place in the provision of care to single mothers over the eventful fifty years embraced by the Inquiry. Using the metaphor of voice as discourse, dialogue and response the study examines the discourses that informed attitudes to the single mother in the fifty years leading up to the Inquiry; listens to the events of the Inquiry and identifies the research question which focuses on inquiry into past practice and the consequent understanding of organisational and individual learnings. The evolutionary nature of organisational learning provides a framework for understanding the learnings that have taken place. Using case study methodology the study situates the ministry in the changing social, religious and professional culture of the time. It examines the evidence of the mothers who told their stories to the Inquiry and sets up a dialogue between this evidence and the recollections of the Sisters involved in the ministry. While the discourses and the voices of the mothers have been explored in other publications the author was unable to access any other studies that examined issues through the eyes of those who were deemed to have been perpetrators of the actions under inquiry. It is hoped that the study may serve as the first step towards understanding the stories of both groups of women – for this is the first step towards reconciliation. It is further hoped that it provides a model of learning that enables organisations to understand and appreciate the richness of their learning history – especially when the catalyst for that understanding is complaint and inquiry.

This study explores the Malaysian understanding and definition of the concept and terminology of organisational learning (OL) as well as the learning strategies and practices Malaysian organisations use to implement learning. As part of Malaysia's Vision 2020, the government has made a substantial and public commitment to promoting organisational learning to assist industry move to a first world economy status. A number of authors have defined organisational learning as a process of knowledge acquisition that involves continuous change to create, acquire, and transfer knowledge (Garvin 1993; Miller 1996; Williams 2001). The objective is to explore if this conceptualisation has been accepted and implemented within Malaysia and if not, where opportunities exist to improve both the understanding and practice of Organisational Learning. The study explores the understanding of OL and the learning strategies practiced by Malaysian organisations. In-depth interviews were conducted among human resources managers, executives, professors and lecturers from the manufacturing, health, government and academic sectors in Malaysia. The information gathered was analysed using Nudist (v6) software to interrogate and explore similarities and differences in responses within and across the sectors. Trends emerging from the data were drawn together to present a picture of what happens in practice and to identify opportunities to improve and better manage the implementation of organisational learning and knowledge management strategies. The results suggest Malaysian industry representatives were, in general, able to define OL as a concept, however there was variable evidence that it is being implemented effectively in organisations. The manufacturing respondents had a higher level of understanding of OL than other industries. In practice, learning strategies also vary; health organisations emphasize seminars and conferences, the manufacturing sector emphasizes experiential learning, government departments focus more on attachment and exposure, whereas academic respondents were more reliant on self-learning. Overall, the most popular learning strategy is structured training and development programs, which suggests more needs to be done to inculcate learning strategies within the various industries. Those industries with stronger implementation patterns favoured a specialist department to provide a hub for handling knowledge and skills acquisition, for both internal and external learning sources. In contrast, the understanding of knowledge management was much lower, and indeed, the term was unfamiliar to some respondents. These findings may be limited due to the small size of the sample and the findings being from a management perspective. Nonetheless, given the government's strong commitment to organisational learning and the current lack of empirical industry studies within Malaysia, this study serves as a benchmark. It does identify that the uptake of OL is still relatively limited and more needs to be achieved to promote a greater understanding of OL if it is to be successfully implemented in Malaysia.

Organisational Learning has been conceptualised and measured in various ways. The two studies reported in this thesis sought to take a new, bespoke approach to Organisational Learning in a global air transport company undergoing substantial organisational and strategic change. The research sought to develop a bespoke competency framework of Organisational Learning and apply it within the organisation to investigate employees' perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate. The research applied both qualitative and qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews and a 68-item self-completion questionnaire survey. Factor Analysis yielded a clear, conceptually sound six-factor solution. Organisational Learning climate perceptions were compared across occupational, departmental and geographical subgroups. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant occupational or geographical differences in perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate although some departmental differences were observed. The relationaship between perceived Organisational Learning climate and organisational commitment was explored and a clear link between them was found.

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The research question of this thesis is ???what is the relationship between evaluation procedures and organisational learning in an academic library???? The study investigates the nature of organisational learning within Taiwanese institute of technology academic libraries, and in particular the nature of the relationship between the formal institutional evaluation (IE) of those libraries by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the organisational responses of the libraries. A ???process, phase of organisational learning (PPOL)??? model guided the delineation of research variables and the collection and analysis of data. The subjects of the research were 67 academic libraries and their staff. Phase I of the study consisted pf a questionnaire survey of 312 staff. The results of the survey formed the basis of Phase II of the study, the semi-structured interviews with 24 library personnel, together with an examination of relevant documents of the particular libraries involved. The refinement of the PPOL model is an indication that generally the direction and the use of IE, while recognised by management and employees, do not in most cases translate into higher levels of organisational learning and change. The findings of this thesis apply to the particular types of libraries studied, and to the concept of evaluation and organisational learning. Libraries are automatically to some extent involved in self-evaluation because they must prepare for IE, with some assistance from their institution. However, this does not imply that if various changes occur in the libraries there must be a strong correlation with the existence of high organisational learning. The external nature of the evaluation and the lengthy time periods between evaluations are two factors which make the learning response of libraries more difficult to determine. Ideally, an IE will assist the library on a path of continuous organisational adaptation, which involves structural, communication and climate changes. These changes reflect the ongoing organisational learning activities.

Organisational Learning has been conceptualised and measured in various ways. The two studies reported in this thesis sought to take a new, bespoke approach to Organisational Learning in a global air transport company undergoing substantial organisational and strategic change. The research sought to develop a bespoke competency framework of Organisational Learning and apply it within the organisation to investigate employees' perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate. The research applied both qualitative and qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews and a 68-item self-completion questionnaire survey. Factor Analysis yielded a clear, conceptually sound six-factor solution. Organisational Learning climate perceptions were compared across occupational, departmental and geographical subgroups. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant occupational or geographical differences in perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate although some departmental differences were observed. The relationaship between perceived Organisational Learning climate and organisational commitment was explored and a clear link between them was found.

Organisational Learning has been conceptualised and measured in various ways. The two studies reported in this thesis sought to take a new, bespoke approach to Organisational Learning in a global air transport company undergoing substantial organisational and strategic change. The research sought to develop a bespoke competency framework of Organisational Learning and apply it within the organisation to investigate employees' perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate. The research applied both qualitative and qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews and a 68-item self-completion questionnaire survey. Factor Analysis yielded a clear, conceptually sound six-factor solution. Organisational Learning climate perceptions were compared across occupational, departmental and geographical subgroups. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant occupational or geographical differences in perceptions of the Organisational Learning climate although some departmental differences were observed. The relationaship between perceived Organisational Learning climate and organisational commitment was explored and a clear link between them was found.