Theories such as human capital theory, the metaphors of learning and the high involvement work paradigm all suggest that the quality of training and learning varies along a number of axes. This paper shows how these theoretical insights have been translated into questions used in a UK survey of 6,829 employees carried out in 2006. Like other studies, the paper confirms that the incidence of training is related to a range of individual characteristics. However, the quality of the experience and the extent to which employees learn on-the-job is determined much more by the way in which work is organised and in particular, the extent to which employees are involved in workplace decisions. This suggests that the organisation of work is a crucial determinant of the quality as well as the quantity of training and learning.
Keywords: training, learning, work organisation, high involvement