HRD and Learning Organisations in Europe

'Lifelong learning' is moving from buzzword to reality for ever more workers.

Firms increasingly need their workers to be active, self-directed learners who contribute to innovations and improvements of processes, products and services.

Companies that explicitly encourage and support worker learning, from a strategic perspective, are called 'learning organizations'.

This book is the result of a European study into the changing views and practices of professionals in the field of Human Resource Development within such organizations.

It investigates such questions as: * How do HRD professionals regard their own role in the light of the growing importance attached to learning? * How do they stimulate worker motivation for learning? * How do they cooperate with line managers and employees? * What road blocks do they face in changing HRD practices, and how do they try to overcome these?

Focusing on Europe, the book contains authors and research from Finland, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy.

Theoretical explorations of the learning organization and the changing face of HRD complement nearly thirty case studies of HRD functions. This book will be essential reading for both academics and professionals in the fields of HRD and lifelong learning.