Informal Learning and Development in Organizations

Organizations focus the majority of their “learning” budget on formalized training programs. Accordingly, a great deal of research has been conducted to determine how best to design, deliver, and evaluate training programs (see Salas & Cannon-Bowers, 2001; Tannenbaum & Yukl, 1992). Unfortunately, formal training programs alone are insufficient to ensure organizational and individual readiness. There is an increasing awareness that informal learning is at least as important as formal learning in organizational settings (Birdi, Allan, & Warr, 1997; Day, 1998; Enos, Kehrhahn, & Bell, 2003; Lohman, 2000; Skule, 2004).