An Analysis of Factors Influencing Skills Learning and Personal Change

Abstract

This study is aimed at identifying personal and contextual factors which impact upon the effectiveness of a particular model of experiential workshop aimed at managerial behaviour change particularly in relation to Employment Relations skills, and so providing a measure of predictability of success both in facilitating change and increasing the success rate of the change. More specifically, the authors explore the factors, which may provide a measure of predictability both for (a) translation of the workshop experience to the workplace (b) using the workshop experience to make significant and lasting subsequent change. Two questionnaires were distributed to participants - (1) a pre-workshop questionnaire which gathered the necessary personal data on the participant, and (2) a post-workshop questionnaire over six months after the workshop was conducted to determine the long-term workshop outcomes. Results indicate that those participants with (a) high belief in the possibility of self-change (b) high growth-need strength, (c) who had identtfied specific patterns of behaviour prior to the workshop (d) which they regarded as important to change and (e) reported relatively few barriers or (e) time pressures to achieving their life goals were most likely to use the workshop experience to accomplish significant and lasting post workshop change.