Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Embracing Change

Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Embracing Change

Improving Performance of Business, Individuals and the L&D Team. 2015–16 Towards Maturity Industry Benchmark Report

Towards Maturity,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

The technology that supports Learning and Development (L&D) – and its internal customers – changes rapidly. But as a profession, L&D remains much the same.

auto-generated audio
  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

Since 2003, the business research group Towards Maturity has conducted extensive, high-quality studies on the most up-to-date learning practices and trends for organizations. Towards Maturity’s “2015 Industry Benchmark Report” is based on extensive research involving more than 600 people, two-thirds of whom are Learning and Development (L&D) leaders. It includes insights and information from Towards Maturity’s “Learning Landscape” study on self-learning, which involves more than 1,600 people. The report, directed to informed industry insiders, does suffer a bit from jargon and some inconsistency. Setting that aside, it provides valuable information that is not available from any other source. getAbstract recommends this report’s highly practical and applicable insights to chief learning officers who are determined to drive positive change in their organizations, and to forward-looking L&D professionals and business leaders.

Summary

Learning and Development – and Change

The technology that supports Learning and Development (L&D) changes rapidly, and so do L&D’s internal customers. As a profession, though, L&D remains pretty much the same. Many L&D units don’t leverage the latest technological advances for learning and training. They still rely primarily on traditional practices in content, learning management tools and collaborative learning modes. “Top Deck” organizations – those “in the top 10% of the Towards Maturity Index” – are the exception. They fully embrace and apply technology to transform learning.

On average, organizations worldwide devote only 19% of their L&D budgets to learning technology and e-learning; that climbs to 29% in the US and Canada. This allocation has held constant for three years. Most L&D units use the same basic technology they applied in 2003. However, visionary L&D leaders, regardless of their affiliation or Top Deck status, understand the importance of technology and invest accordingly. A full 86% of these respondents now use “live online learning,” mostly for “statutory/compliance training for front-line employees.” Responding L&...

About the Authors

The independent benchmarking practice Towards Maturity develops and delivers expert research and advice to help Learning and Development (L&D) units improve their performance.

Comment on this summary