0000000001178747
AUTHOR
Soila Lemmetty
(Un)sustainable creativity? Different manager-employee perspectives in the finnish technology sector
The importance of creativity for working life and in organizations has increased in recent years. At the same time, the theme of sustainability has been intensely debated in research, society, and organizations. Together, creativity and sustainability have sometimes been described as a contradictory phenomenon: they are described in ways that place them in opposition to each other. To better understand creativity and sustainability and their differences from the perspective of people in different positions, we take advantage of a sociocultural approach in which we do not focus only on creative individuals but also on the impact of creativity on both organizational stakeholders and society a…
Self‐Directed Learning in Creative Activity : An Ethnographic Study in Technology‐Based Work
Under conditions of rapid changes in working life, there is an urgent need to examine the nature of creativity and learning in organizations. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of self‐directed learning (SDL) practices in creative activity in technology‐based work. We focus on both individual and collective practices but also on the importance of organizational culture. The data consist of 46 interviews and observational field notes collected from participating organizations. Thematic and ethnographic analyses were utilized as tools to reveal the nature of SDL in creative activity. We found three themes describing of the nature of SDL in creative activity: a combination of …
Self-direction
Self-direction refers to an individual’s responsibility and active role in relation to their own activities. It has largely been considered from the perspective of the individual, with self-direction being seen as a characteristic of the person, a linear process, or a feature influenced by the factors surrounding the individual. It is understood as a positive activity that promotes creativity and learning. However, the possibilities for self-direction have been less explored. The theme of self-direction and its possibilities comprise a topical and important perspective in the research on self-direction. peerReviewed
Johtamisen merkitys luovuudelle informaatioteknologian organisaatioissa
[Lukijalle] Ammatillinen toimijuus, luovuus ja johtaminen – onko näillä asioilla tekemistä toistensa kanssa? Kyllä on ja pitää olla. Elämme yhteiskunnallisesti ja taloudellisesti mielenkiintoista aikaa, joka on lukuisten uhkien, jännitteiden ja epävarmuuden sävyttämä. Nyt ratkotaan työelämän haasteita tehokkuusvaateineen ja neuvotellaan työelämän pelisäännöistä. Julkisessa keskustelussa on parjattu huonoa johtamista sekä työpaikkojen huonoa ilmapiiriä. Ratkaisuksi on usein tarjottu innovaatioita ja luovuuden lisäämistä, työhyvinvointia unohtamatta. Ratkaisuehdotuksissa on varmasti perää. Ongelmallista tuntuu kuitenkin olevan se, että yhtä yleispätevää ratkaisua etsitään ja pyritään tarjoama…
Professional Agency and Creativity in Information Technology Work
The meaning of professional agency in the context of professional learning, as well as in the development of working practices and work organisations, is pivotal. The role of creativity is also crucial for long-term economic growth in the current global environment, which is characterised by rapid changes in both technology and economy. Hence, it is important to study the relationship between professional agency and creativity. In this chapter, we explore professional agency and creativity within two Finnish information technology organisations. This study’s data include interviews with staff members and open-ended questionnaire responses to the question ‘What is creativity in your work?’. …
Self-Directed Learning as a Practice of Workplace Learning: Interpretative Repertoires of Self-Directed Learning in ICT Work
Changing technologies and competition in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) are challenging the learning of individual workers and teams alongside and through work. Organisations call for employees’ autonomy and self-directedness executed by agile operations and low hierarchies, where learning is also increasingly the responsibility of the individuals and teams themselves and occurs in practice without strong control of the organisation. Therefore, the multidimensional concept of self-directed learning becomes essential in the context of learning at work. In this study, we examine how employees in the ICT sector describe self-directed learning practices in the conte…
Co-Occurrence of Sociocultural Elements and Self-Direction in Learning Situations: A Police Organization Case Study
Adult’s self-direction and self-directed learning (SDL) have become topics in the discussion of work-related adult learning and an autonomous approach, emphasizing responsibility and independence, has received increasing attention in studies of learning. In the context of SDL, in contrast, the importance of the learning environment and community has received less empirical attention. The aim of this article is to increase the understanding of the co-occurrence of sociocultural elements and self-direction in learning situations at work. From a practical viewpoint, it is important to understand both, the sociocultural and self-directed nature of different learning situations at daily work, s…
Johtaja avainasemassa : dialoginen johtajuus ohjelmistokehittämisen organisaatiossa
Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää miten dialoginen johtajuus rakentuu tutkimuksen ohjelmistokehittämisen alaan kuuluvassa kohdeorganisaatiossa ja miten johtaja edistää dialogisen johtajuuden rakentumista. Löydösten pohjalta muodostettiin dialogisen johtajuuden rakentumisen malli sekä pyrittiin tuomaan esille konkreettisia havaintoja johtajan toiminnasta dialogisen johtajuuden edistämisessä. Tutkimuksen aihe nähtiin tärkeäksi etsittäessä keinoja muuttuvassa ja kiristyvässä tilanteessa toimivien organisaatioiden työssä oppimisen mahdollistamiseen. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostui kohdeorganisaation palaveritilanteissa äänitetyistä tallenteista. Aineisto analysoitiin tutkimusprosessin …
Itseohjautuvan työssä oppimisen ihanuus ja ongelmallisuus
Itseohjautuvaa oppimista korostetaan etenkin aikuisten elämässä ja työssä. Usein se kuvataan myönteisenä, yksilölähtöisenä toimintana, jonka kautta itseohjautuvat aikuiset innostuvat, tuottavat luovia lopputuloksia ja voivat hyvin. Yksilölähtöisyys jättää kuitenkin huomiotta yhteisöllisyyden ja ympäristön merkityksen. Itseohjautuvaa oppimista tulisi lähestyä enemmänkin sosiokulttuurisesta kuin yksilöllisestä näkökulmasta.
Introduction : Creativity and Learning as Sociocultural and Intertwined Phenomena
AbstractThe importance of creativity and learning cannot be overestimated in education, in working life, and in society at large.
Itseohjautuvan työssä oppimisen ihanuus ja ongelmallisuus : kohti sosiokulttuurista näkökulmaa
Itseohjautuvaa oppimista korostetaan etenkin aikuisten elämässä ja työssä. Usein se kuvataan myönteisenä, yksilölähtöisenä toimintana, jonka kautta itseohjautuvat aikuiset innostuvat, tuottavat luovia lopputuloksia ja voivat hyvin. Yksilölähtöisyys jättää kuitenkin huomiotta yhteisöllisyyden ja ympäristön merkityksen. Itseohjautuvaa oppimista tulisi lähestyä enemmänkin sosiokulttuurisesta kuin yksilöllisestä näkökulmasta. nonPeerReviewed
Sustainability Perspectives in Organizational and Workplace Learning Studies
The association between sustainability and learning in organizations and workplaces represents a current articulated grand challenge for human resource development (HRD) and learning studies and practice, which calls for integrated inquiries. However, studies of learning in organizations and workplaces deal with sustainability in scattered and diverse ways that promote calls for more integrated understandings of the different approaches and associations. This article outlines the results from a scoping thematic review mapping out leading perspectives within the research fields of HRD, organizational learning (OL) and workplace learning (WPL). This article thus explores the perspectives that…
Johtamisen eettiset konfliktit vahingoittavat työhyvinvointia suomalaisissa kasvuyrityksissä
Kiinnostus eettistä johtamista eli johdon ja organisaation hyviä ja oikeudenmukaisia käytänteitä ja niiden vaikutuksia kohtaan on lisääntynyt. Eettinen johtaminen välittyy sekä työntekijöiden että asiakkaiden hyvinvointiin, ja se selittää jopa kolmanneksen organisaation innovaatiokyvystä. Epäeettinen toiminta ja sen tuottamat konfliktit taas aiheuttavat monia yksilöille, ryhmille ja organisaatioille epäedullisia seurauksia. nonPeerReviewed
Employee opportunities for self-directed learning at technology organisations : features and frames of self-directed learning projects
The importance of self-directed learning (SDL) in a business environment has been highlighted as a way to increase an organisation’s competitiveness and innovativeness. While organisations increasingly require SDL from employees, less attention is paid to the situations and frames enabling it. This study examines self-directed learning projects (SDLPs), situations in which SDL is realised as an individual or collective phenomenon. Based on ethnographic research, this study’s data consisted of field notes, field records and interviews. I used analysis of key incidents and ethnographic content analysis as an analytical tools. Four types of SDLPs was identified in the organisations studied: or…
”Tutkinnon puuttuminen on händikäppi työelämässä.” : Avoimen yliopiston väylä ja työelämän tarpeet
Tarkastelemme tässä artikkelissa avoimen yliopiston väylää työelämän tarpeiden näkökulmasta. Nojaamme Toinen reitti yliopistoon (TRY)-hankkeen yhteydessä toteutettuun kyselyyn ja nostamme esiin tuloksia siitä, millaisia työelämään liittyviä syitä opiskelijoilla on ollut tutkinto-opintoihin hakeutumiseen. TRY-hanke on opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön rahoittama kehittämishanke (2018–2020), jossa ”tavoitteena on kehittää, pilotoida ja vakiinnuttaa käyttöön erilaisia reittejä korkeakouluopintoihin ylioppilastutkinnon lisäksi” (Toinen reitti yliopistoon, 2020). Mukana on 11 yliopistoa ja noin kolmekymmentä oppiainetta. Hankkeessa tarkastellaan avoimen yliopiston väylää eri kohderyhmien näkökulmi…
Correction to: Creativity and Learning
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Conflicts related to Human Resource Management in Finnish Project-Based Companies
In contemporary working life of Nordic countries, employee involvement and well-being are emphasized and organizational functions and demands are continuously changing. Thus, the study of human resource management (HRM) practices and their consequences for employees is relevant. This study examines conflicts related to HRM in Finnish project-based companies and provides new information on the implications of conflicts in HRM practices for theorists and practitioners. The research was conducted qualitatively using content and thematic analysis. The findings suggest that conflicts framed within HRM practices are generally the result of the practices and expectations of the organization and ma…
Leadership as an enabler of professional agency and creativity : case studies from the Finnish information technology sector
This paper summarizes and elaborates the findings of a research project on leadership as an enabler of professional agency and creativity in information technology organizations. The synthesis in this paper is based on a summary of three primary studies. Each of the studies approached leadership, creativity and/or professional agency with a specific focus. Leaning on a mixed‐methods and ethnographic approach, including various empirical data collection and analytical tools, the project investigated the relationship between professional agency and creativity; issues that frame professional agency and creativity; and the meaning of leadership practices for the enhancement of agency and creati…
Supporting Creativity and Learning at Work : Practices and Structures from Growth Companies
The constant change embedded in contemporary working life requires employees and organisations alike to continuously learn and, simultaneously, adapt and be creative. The potential to attract, manage and engage creative people, as well as support learning, has become increasingly important in organisational contexts. It is essential to recognise what the underlying learning theories are and how they connect with the current understanding of creativity. It is also important to study different manifestations of creativity and learning and reactively and proactively discover ways of supporting and developing both aspects in contemporary organisations. In this chapter, we first present our appr…
Self-organised structures in the field of ICT : challenges for employees’ workplace learning
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the challenges of low hierarchy and self-organised structures for employees’ learning and competency development at work. In the past decade, interest in employees’ and organisations’ self-directedness has increased. Self-organised structures are perceived as better able to answer to the quickly changing requirements of clients and business environments. Within these structures, employees are expected to take on more responsibility and maintain more control over their workplace learning, which means they must be self-directed and autonomous. An important question for this approach is how can workplace learning and employee competence developme…
Moment of dialogic leadership in Finnish IT organisation
Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the construction of leadership through authentic dialogues at work and leaders’ actions as contributors to dialogic leadership. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected the data by recording the organisation’s meetings and discussions and used content analysis of dialogic leadership and typifying of critical moments as analytical methods. Findings On the basis of the findings, this paper suggests that dialogic leadership begins with a startup critical moment and progresses through the different positions by manager and employees through democratic interaction. Individual and collective level learning of participants and the formatio…
Human resource development practices supporting creativity in Finnish growth organizations
Creativity can be enhanced through appropriate Human Resource Development (HRD) practices that support employees’ learning and competence development. The aim of this study is to increase our understanding of HRD practices that enhance creativity in Finnish growth companies. To achieve this aim, we searched for creativity requirements based on employees’ experiences expressed in interviews, and we studied HRD practices used in organizations that respond to the requirements of creativity. We gathered 98 interviews from personnel in technology, industrial and artistic design organizations and utilized them for a theory‐driven content analysis to identify the variety of requirements for creati…
Eettinen henkilöstön kehittäminen luovuutta tukemassa
Henkilöstön kehittämisen (HRD) rooli muuttuu samaan tahtiin työelämän nopeiden muutosten kanssa. Erityisesti tietointensiivisessä työssä oppiminen korostuu digitalisaation ja teknologioiden jatkuvan kehittymisen seurauksena. Osaamisen kehittämisen ja oppimisen rinnalla luovuutta pidetään työelämässä toimimisen edellytyksenä. Luovuuden määrittely on kuitenkin jäänyt usein vaillinaiseksi ja sen yhteys organisaatioiden eri toimintoihin liian väljästi määritellyksi. Myöskään empiiristä tutkimusta näiden käsitteiden välisistä suhteista ei juurikaan ole. Työ suomalaisissa kasvuyrityksissä sisältää luovaa toimintaa: jatkuvaa ongelmanratkaisua, uuden luomista tai työmenetelmien kehittämistä, joka p…
Lähijohtaminen kestävän oppimisen edistäjänä työelämässä (JoKo): Tutkimushankkeen loppuraportti
Luet Työsuojelurahaston rahoittaman JoKo-hankkeen (Lähijohtaminen kestävän oppimisen edistäjänä työelämässä) loppuraporttia. Tuomme tässä raportissa esille havaintojamme hankkeen aikana kerätyn haastatteluaineiston annista ja toteutetun ryhmävalmennuksen kokemuksista ja luomme niiden pohjalta syvempää ymmärrystä oppimisen kestävyydestä työssä. Suomalaisessa työelämässä painotetaan osaamisen ja jatkuvan oppimisen merkitystä erityisesti asiantuntijatyössä, mutta ymmärrystä oppimisen kestävyydestä meillä on vielä hyvin vähän. Tutkimusta hyvinvointia lisäävän eli kestävän oppimisen tukemisesta ja johtamisesta meillä on vielä vähemmän. Tällainen ymmärrys on kuitenkin ensiarvoisen tärkeää huomioi…
Throwaway knowledge, useful skills or a source for wellbeing? Outlining sustainability of workplace learning situations
Rapid changes in working life have raised awareness of the need for lifelong learning among personnel, and there is increasing concern regarding the sustainability of such learning, especially in growth companies, where learning can be seen as a prerequisite for many work practices. Hence, the aim of this study is to understand the sustainability of learning situations from the perspectives of individual wellbeing, widespread use of previous knowledge and rapid application of new knowledge. We broaden the understanding of workplace learning from the perspective of sustainability by identifying different workplace learning situations and outlining the sustainability of these situations. Two …
The relationship of collective creativity with managerial work and workplace climate in hierarchical and less hierarchical organizations
Collective creativity, managerial work, and workplace climate can influence innovation, organizational learning, and productivity at work. However, little empirical research has examined these factors in everyday work, especially in relation to organizational hierarchies. This study explores the relationships among collective creativity, managerial work, and workplace climate in hierarchical and less hierarchical organizations. A quantitative empirical analysis was conducted using data from a survey of 265 respondents from six Finnish organizations. The findings show that managerial work and workplace climate that focus on building and maintaining trust and highlight empathy, fairness and e…