Browsing by Subject "matkatoimistot"

Widespread changes in the travel industry means an upheaval for business practices. Of concern to this particular study, which is based on activity research, is the work of business travel consultants and their training needs. At first glance it seems best to investigate individuals’ training needs as primary points of research. On further reflection, training needs per se are insufficient, even misleading, owing to the fact that they do not necessarily mirror the contextual demands of work. For one thing, work is not conducted according to a pre-conceived script. For another, training needs are usually defined individualistically, without consideration of the developmental needs a community. For a more authentic investigation the research evolved to the phenomenon of learning needs. The richness of the topic was revealed in several important ways: from an historical case analysis of a particular Finnish travel organization and its work and changes from the 1970’s until 2003, from a thematic analysis of the problems consultants encounter in everyday work, and from investigations into the images of the future of the organization from a managerial perspective. The methods for investigating the learning challenges of this particular organization were developed and validated. Three workshops with consultants were conducted during which time consultants analyzed their work, learning positionality and future in a collective and cumulative manner. Moreover, three managers were interviewed until saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed qualitatively for thematic construction and six distinct themes relating to learning challenges emerged. They reflect the contradictions between the old working ways and the new, as the travel industry changes irreversibly in technological, economic, sociological, and cultural ways. Learning challenges relate to demands associated with contextual changes, such as when business travel services are purchased from a travel agency, when a division of labor is reorganized, when knowledge transfer within the organization is rechanneled or when common rules become uncommon. During times of organizational disruption, survival is paramount, both for an individual and for an organization itself. Those challenges can certainly be met, provided mechanisms for instilling flexibility and building a sense of community are available. The analysis offered in this research serves as the basis from which an organizational readiness and development model can be formed. How we gain ongoing information regarding organizational learning depends on the extent to which workers analyze and develop their own work. The unique methodology presented here, and the subsequent examination of learning challenges, creates a framework to inspire stakeholders of an organization to discuss and discover common developmental challenges.