Examining decision-making about workforce development
The research activity will review the latest thinking and evidence from Australian and international researchers on human resource decision-making, especially relating to professional development. It will explore forms of decision-making used within VET providers, and factors influencing decisions taken. It will identify how decisions that staff make about their own development relate to those made by the organisation. The activity aims to improve the understanding of decision-making and, consequently provide RTOs, systems and individuals with opportunities for improved decision-making.
Check the details of this activity:
Team
Leader: Geof Hawke, OVAL, UTS. Team: Michele Simons, Carl Rhodes, Clive Chappell
Research questions
- How is workforce development interpreted, prioritised and managed and what are the factors that influence decision-making processes in this area?
- How are decisions about workforce development related to organisational strategic planning and individual performance management?
Rationale
While there has been a great deal of focus in Australian and international research in recent years on the professional development needs of ‘the new VET professional’, less is understood about how different RTOs approach the issue of making decisions on how they allocate resources to the development of their workforce. Even less is understood about how the decisions they make relate to the personal development decisions being made by individuals within those RTOs. Approaches to decision-making vary.
Participating RTOs will benefit from this research by recognising the interactions between organisational and individual decision-making approaches and priorities. The VET system will benefit from a better understanding of the workforce development decision-making processes of providers and the ways in which they are shaped by their operational context and other factors, including differences amongst different types of RTOs and jurisdictions.
Methodology
- Interviews and case studies to explore the forms of decision-making used in RTOs and the factors influencing the decisions they take
- Interviews of individual employees in those RTOs to identify how decisions they make about their own development relate to those made by the organisation
Timeline
March 2006 - October 2006
Products
- Literature review will provide a greater understanding of decision-making concepts, approaches and practices
- Case studies of participating RTOs will be provided
- Final research report will identify key system-wide issues, consider any differences found amongst RTOs and suggest future directions for both RTOs and State/Territory systems
Taking part
You can become a committed and active participant in this broad research program in many ways:
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