Elearning - February/March 2008 - (Page 16) Trendline Many Factors May Disrupt Learning Elliott Masie of The Masie Center recently asked learning experts about the forces that may have a disruptive (positive or negative) effect on learning in 2008. “I’ve been asking that question to colleagues around the world for the past few weeks,” he says. Herein is a short list of their responses. >> Economic jitters: How will this impact organizational resources for learning? Educated People Are More Creative, Healthier According to a study by the American Sociological Association, reported in the December, 2008 issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, creative work is good for your health, and employees who have more control over their daily activities and can do challenging work are likely to be in better health. “People with higher levels of education tend to have more creative activities, paid or not,” says lead author John Mirowsky, a sociology professor with the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. “Something about education helps individuals to find creative things to do and get the resources to do them.” The most important finding, Mirowsky notes, is that creative activity helps people stay healthy. “Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable, and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems. “The health advantage of being somewhat above average in creative work [in the 60th percentile] versus being somewhat below average [in the 40th percentile] is equal to being 6.7 years younger. It is also equal to having two more years of education or 15 times greater household income.” Although the authors didn’t examine specific job positions that may confer this health advantage, professions considered not to involve a “creative” environment were those such as assembly lines. Jobs that are high-status, with managerial authority, or that require complex work with data, generally provide more access to creative work, Mirowsky says. For more information, visit the American Sociological Association Website, www.asanet.org. (A subscription is required to get to the full journal article.) >> Generational differences: New demographics, new expectations, massive retirements, shifting power and sucession. >> Globalization of organizations: including and globalization of learning models. >> Technology shifts: Hardware 2.0, learning systems requirements and expectations of workforce. >> Competency focus. >> Rise of video conferencing. >> Environmental resource restrictions. >> The upcoming U.S. Presidential primaries and national election. >> Confusing role changes for learning professionals. Money a Small Factor In Chinese Workplace Money isn’t even in the top 10 reasons an employee in China remains on the job, according to a study conducted by Development Dimensions International DDI and the Society for Human Resources Management SHRM. In fact, out of 20 retention drivers, compensation was the 14th on the list. Chinese workers typically stay for a short time, gaining some experience and then jumping to the next opportunity. They’re not looking for longevity — they’re trying to climb higher and faster and changing jobs helps make that happen. The study showed that there was more retention than compensation. An even more disturbing figure showed that mid-management and executives indicated a higher likelihood of leaving the organization within the next year than did individual contributors. The higher the executive, the more they indicated more dissatisfaction and less loyalty to the company. For further information regarding the “The Flight of Human Talent” study: visit the Website www.chinaHR.com. 16 February/March 2008 Elearning! http://www.asanet.org http://www.chinaHR.com
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