기업에서의 무형식 학습에 대한 사례연구 : A은행을 중심으로 = (A)Study on Informal Learning at Corporate Workplace : A Qualitative Case Study of A Bank

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Lately, human resource development is keeping pace with dramatically changing business environment. With the modern societies getting more specialized and organized, the workers are required to improve their work performance through formal education supplied by corporate organizations and to develop their competency through life-long education. Especially, informal learning in the workplace that emphasizes work-related learning and learning through work, based on the assumption that work and learning is not separated, is regarded very important.
The purpose of this study is to observe how the informal learning takes place in corporate organizations. Employees working in Bank A, grown-up learners, were selected as the object of the observation, and how they learn in workplace, what they learn from informal learning and the factors influencing informal learning were researched. During the research, the method of qualitative research was carried out for over a year, aimed to eleven employees of Bank A, such as depth interviews of several times, narrative analyses, open-ended questions and observation.
First, as an answer to the question of how the research objects learn in workplace to play a role of a member of a corporate organization, it was found out that the employees learn what they need by observing competent seniors or colleagues working nearby. They observed the overall behavior of the workers as well as their work performance, so that they could obtain, by watching, information and knowledge of not only work but also other aspects of life from colleagues. What matters here was the initiative of an individual. Though the informal learning of a business organization was basically limited from the point of workplace and work hour, there was no limit of time, space and method when learning. Informal learning was thus found out to be the results coming from natural opportunities of everyday life when a grown-up learner controls his or her learning. The workers observed the way of life of close seniors or colleagues who were considered competent and imitated their behavior thought to be useful. The imitation here was not only being acquainted with work duty by repeatedly imitating the behavior of others, but also trying to follow invisible values of a person who is observed, like attitude, thought and passion. And the research objects were found to make continued comparison with others when learning.
Actual experience was another method of informal learning. The grown-up learners in workplace learned by experiences rather than by lectures in spaces of formal learning. They said they could know many things which cannot be understood from formal learning, especially from direct contact with customers. And difficult situations were found to be helpful to informal learning; doing pioneering works or other duties beyond their capability, or making mistakes gave much more opportunity of informal learning.
The grown-up learners of the company learned through conversation with people of superior position. Talking with one's superiors or colleagues, as a method of informal learning, was a great help especially for new employees to adapt themselves to workplace at the beginning period. They obtained basic knowledge of work, felt psychological security and learned organizational culture through communication. It was the conversation on work duty with seniors or colleagues that was the best opportunity of learning; other everyday talks not related to work were also a route of learning which can stimulate an individual growth and development. When having a talk in informal places, not related with work duty, it became another way of learning for employees to feel attached as a member of a company and to know their identity. Such conversation was conducted through face-to-face talks, e-mail and text messages. The people observed were found to accumulate their own know-how through the process of reflection, which can be called self-directed learning. In other words, they set up a goal by themselves, voluntarily had time for learning in workplace and made a note to apply their experiences to work. Reflection was a very important factor for informal learning of such various kinds to have a meaning as educational experience, not just simple experience. The learning could have an educational meaning only after the learners went through the process of reflection by which personal experiences could be generalized.
Second, the research objects were found out to obtain implicit knowledge through informal learning, as a finding from the observation of what they learn from the learning. The knowledge the learners obtained from informal learning was largely divided into four: things related with work duty, personal relations, themselves and socialization. They came to know the fact through informal learning that the life in workplace is not something easy at all, while learning about effective and efficient way of handling duties. Here are some instances they could learn through the learning: why they should be proud and confident of themselves while working and how they do that, how to overcome difficult situations, how different the reality is from ideal theory, needs for suitable flexibility according to circumstances, what the most necessary information for them, and then finally the necessity of voluntarily establishing detailed goals and of self-direct learning. And the learners became aware of the reality that it is difficult to have personal relations as they want and will, and then continually established their own method of how to have good relationship, through informal learning. Sometimes informal learning provided them opportunities of finding their interests and potential abilities or getting a different viewpoint towards works and themselves. In addition, the learners experienced, through the learning, the process of socialization by which values and culture of an organization are understood.
Third, as a finding from the observation of the factors influencing informal learning of the research objects, the factors were largely divided into four: individual characteristics, interpersonal aspects such as personal relations, environmental matters such as the atmosphere of a department, and features of work duties. The learners said they could learn many things when taking the initiative and having active attitude in work. Such an initiative was found to get activated when the learners had high confidence of themselves. The more proud of themselves they were, the more active in work they became, and that attitude also affected the depth of informal learning. The atmosphere of a department and personal relations with colleagues in workplace were shown to have significant effects on informal learning of the research objects. Informal learning was more encouraged in the environment freely allowing questions and conversation when the learners were curious or concerned about something. The atmosphere of encouraging and recognizing each other and allowing personal relations with co-workers was a very significant factor in the learning. The business showing also affected the atmosphere of a department, and especially in the case of sales divisions, the leadership of a manager had such great effects as to decide the learning atmosphere of the divisions. The degree of help and support and the existence of a mentor in workplace were factors influencing the learning. In case there are people in rivalry to compete in the organization, informal learning was found to get accelerated, for positive rivalry helps them have strengthened awareness towards goals and be more active and initiative in work. And, informal learning became promoted when unusual work was assigned to them: for example, in the case of carrying out new work duties, of handling several kinds of works at the same time, of doing difficult assignments and of conducting joint works, cooperating with others.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 서론
• 1. 연구의 필요성 및 목적 1
• 2. 연구문제 8
• 3. 연구의 제한점 9
• Ⅱ. 이론적 배경
• 1. 무형식 학습의 개념 12
• 2. 무형식 학습의 모습 35
• 3. 무형식 학습의 내용 41
• 4. 무형식 학습에 영향을 주는 요인들 45
• Ⅲ. 연구의 진행
• 1. 연구방법 64
• 2. 연구대상 66
• 3. 자료수집 70
• 4. 자료의 분석과 해석 77
• 5. 연구의 신뢰도 및 타당도 81
• Ⅳ. 연구결과
• 1. 무형식 학습의 과정 82
• 2. 무형식 학습의 결과 154
• 3. 무형식 학습에 영향을 주는 요인 185
• 4. 논의 235
• Ⅴ. 결론
• 1. 요약 254
• 2. 결론 260
• 참고문헌 270
• 부 록 1(자료수집 질문리스트) 294
• 부 록 2(수집자료 코딩체계) 297
• Abstract 300