Intro -- Bruce Wilson LO3640

Bruce Wilson (zbruce@minyos.xx.rmit.EDU.AU)
Sun, 5 Nov 1995 13:27:49 +1100 (EDT)

[...msg title shortened by your host. Bruce's title was: "Intro - Bruce
Wilson; Productivity gains from learning"...]

Dear colleagues

I'm Bruce Wilson, and I work for a small organisation known as the Union
Research Centre on Organisation and Technology (URCOT for short). We
undertake applied research and development on a range of matters for
management and workers, mostly in public sector organisations (but not
only) in Australia. We have a commitment to industrial democracy, and to
trying to ensure that organisational change benefits from the expertise of
all staff and that, in turn, it offers opportunities for all staff to
develop that expertise. Hence my interest in many of the matters which are
discussed by contributors to this list.

As the name of URCOT indicates, we work closely with unions, especially in
the context of industrial agreements. Very few of the postings to the list
in the last couple of months have mentioned unions, or the potential
contribution which they can make to change processes. Does this silence
mean that most of the list participants work in non-unionised
environments, or that there is relatively little experience of how unions
can contribute positively ?? I would be grateful to hear of others'
experiences and views in this regard.

If I might end with a request for information: I am currently working with
a large Australian organisation which is under some pressure to justify
the amount of time which is spent on staff meetings (shared learning) and
training (individual learning). I would be interested to know if other
subscribers can point me towards specific evidence about the productivity
gains which training time etc. has delivered to an organisation's
productivity.

And thanks for the other sharing which has already occurred.

--
Bruce Wilson
zbruce@minyos.xx.rmit.edu.au

URCOT (Union Research Centre on Organisation and Technology) Level 1, 171 Latrobe Street Melbourne. Australia.

Tel. 613 9663 4555 Fax. 613 9663 4443