Leading informal learning in knowledge work: From invisible work to a socio-technical organisational capability

This doctoral research demonstrates that learning that takes place alongside everyday work often remains invisible and is therefore not systematically led or managed. This doctoral dissertation in Industrial Engineering and Management examines how informal learning, that is, learning embedded in everyday work, is enabled, constrained, and shaped in expert work.

Working life is undergoing significant transformation. Digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and economic uncertainty are increasing the pressure for the continuous development of competence. At the same time, learning increasingly takes place in the course of everyday work, for example through problem-solving, collaboration, and experience, rather than through separate formal training programmes.

The findings of the dissertation highlight a central foundation of organisational capabilities: informal learning is an essential part of expert work, yet the conditions supporting it are often weak. Work is characterised by time pressure, workload, fragmented digital tools, and insufficient feedback practices, as a result of which learning easily remains overshadowed by other work. The findings also indicate a discrepancy between the experiences of management and employees. Learning is supported in rhetoric, but in practice it often remains the responsibility of the individual. There is insufficient time, structure, and practice to support learning.

In the dissertation, learning is examined as a socio-technical phenomenon in which work structures, leadership and management, and work tools are central alongside individuals. Learning cannot be directly managed, but the conditions in which learning takes place can be led and managed. The key contribution of the research is the VISTA model, which provides a framework for making learning visible and for improving its leadership and management without making learning overly formal. The model emphasises the visibility of learning, its integration into everyday work, sufficient time allocation, and managerial responsibility for supporting learning. By improving the leadership and management of learning embedded in everyday work, organisations can make better use of existing competence and strengthen their key capabilities. This supports organisational renewal capability, performance, and competitiveness in the midst of transformation in working life.