Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 28, Issue 1
Welcome to the first issue of the journal for 2014 and our 28th volume.
The shock waves of the economic crisis are still reverberating around some areas of the globe, some six years after the initial crash. Among their many conclusions, the US Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (charged with investigating the causes of the crash) stated that there were, "[…] systematic breaches in accountability and ethics at all levels." But, are we doing enough to ensure our future leaders develop a stronger moral and ethical code? In our Viewpoint, Joan Marques shares some reflections on her own work with young business students. You might find her suggestions useful when considering your own leadership development programmes.
However, not all senior leaders were architects or players in the global crash. Many have knowledge, skills and wisdom that would be of benefit to less experienced employees. In the first part of a two-part article, Tom Short outlines an intriguing mentoring case study from the Australian rail industry. In our next issue, he will be going into more detail about the nine characteristics identified through the research.
Other examples of intergenerational learning are also covered in two of our review articles. In "Just talking about my generation", a role in supporting the learning of younger employees is highlighted as one strategy for dealing with an ageing worker population. In "Trained, developed or exploited", we look at the positive and negative aspects of internships – an increasingly common feature of young peoples career paths. Examining a scheme based on communities of practice, the article highlights what needs to be in place and what should be avoided to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.
Staying with the issue of how we develop younger people, Bob Buchanan raises some interesting questions about how globalization is affecting higher education in developing economies. Organizations involved in this sector (as well as businesses operating or looking to operate in Thailand, Chile and/or Morocco) will find his analysis illuminating.
Succession planning is important for any business and some might say, most tricky for smaller organizations where it is the original founder (and often an "older worker") who is to be succeeded. Through their work in the non-profit sector, Joseph Santora, James Sarros and Mark Esposito offer a typology of behaviors and provide some interesting insights into how the future of an organization can be disrupted by inappropriate founder behavior.
Finally, social media, according to a study of online healthcare, is transforming the hitherto perhaps rather dry and individual world of e-learning. Outlined in "Positive role of ‘online doctors’" the article points to the value that individuals get from collaborative learning by social media. The findings add to the debate on how to garner the benefits of social media whilst managing the security concerns within many organizations.
Personally, my guess is that our younger employees, already perfectly at home with online relationships and learning, will sort the issue out for themselves as they gain more responsibility in our organizations!
Anne Gimson
Based at Strategic Developments International, UK. E-mail: anne@stratdevint.com
