Responding to Workplace Change

Technology, innovation and new ideas are driving rapid change in the workplace. Can U.S. workers keep up with the pace? The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) sought out companies using creative approaches to make sure that they do. The models they found serve as the basis for this report, which aims to guide American public policy toward "a national system and delivery infrastructure that provides all individuals with access to continuous work-related learning." The case histories — from Marriott, Motorola, Hewlett Packard and a couple of dozen more — are brief. But they are skillfully woven into the text of the report, offering ideas-in-action behind ASTD's recommendations for maintaining a workforce in sync with technological change, high-performance work systems and knowledge-based organizations. There's no big-picture change management view here, just plenty of useful insight into a key element of making change work.
Originally reviewed in Harvard Management Update's "Web Sites for Managers."