IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/iza/izawol/journly2015n162.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The importance of informal learning at work

Author

Listed:
  • Andries de Grip

    (Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and IZA, Germany)

Abstract

Although early human capital theory recognized the relevance of workers’ experience, its focus was on education and formal training. Recent studies find that much of the performance of newly hired workers is driven by learning by doing or learning from peers or supervisors in the workplace. Descriptive data show that workers learn a lot from the various tasks they perform on the job. Informal learning at work seems to be relevant for all age groups, although it drives more of the performance of younger workers. Informal learning is far more important for workers’ human capital development than formal training courses.

Suggested Citation

  • Andries de Grip, 2015. "The importance of informal learning at work," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 162-162, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2015:n:162
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://wol.iza.org/articles/importance-of-informal-learning-at-work-1.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://wol.iza.org/articles/importance-of-informal-learning-at-work
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jim Allen & Andries de Grip, 2012. "Does skill obsolescence increase the risk of employment loss?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(25), pages 3237-3245, September.
    2. Andries De Grip & Jan Sauermann, 2012. "The Effects of Training on Own and Co‐worker Productivity: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(560), pages 376-399, May.
    3. Sicherman, Nachum & Galor, Oded, 1990. "A Theory of Career Mobility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(1), pages 169-192, February.
    4. Inge Sieben & Andries De Grip & Jessica Longen & Ole Sørensen, 2009. "Technology, Selection, and Training in Call Centers," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(4), pages 553-572, July.
    5. De Grip, Andries & Sauermann, Jan & Sieben, Inge, 2016. "The role of peers in estimating tenure-performance profiles: Evidence from personnel data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 126(PA), pages 39-54.
    6. Shaw, Kathryn & Lazear, Edward P., 2008. "Tenure and output," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 704-723, August.
    7. Andries de Grip & Wendy Smits, 2012. "What affects lifelong learning of scientists and engineers?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(5), pages 583-597, August.
    8. Lindbeck, Assar & Snower, Dennis J, 2000. "Multitask Learning and the Reorganization of Work: From Tayloristic to Holistic Organization," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(3), pages 353-376, July.
    9. Sherwin Rosen, 1972. "Learning and Experience in the Labor Market," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 7(3), pages 326-342.
    10. Borghans, L. & Fouarge, D. & de Grip, A. & van Thor, J.A.F., 2014. "Werken en leren in Nederland," ROA Report 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Olga Kupets, 2018. "Employer‐provided training, innovation and skills in post‐Soviet countries," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(4), pages 725-768, October.
    2. Zeyer-Gliozzo, Birgit, 2020. "Returns to formal, non-formal and informal training for workers at risk of automation," Ruhr Economic Papers 857, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Ranasinghe, Thilini & Grosse, Eric H. & Glock, Christoph H. & Jaber, Mohamad Y., 2024. "Never too late to learn: Unlocking the potential of aging workforce in manufacturing and service industries," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    4. Alex Bryson & Babatunde Buraimo & Alex Farnell & Rob Simmons, 2024. "Special ones? The effect of head coaches on football team performance," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 71(3), pages 295-322, July.
    5. de Grip, Andries & Pleijers, Astrid, 2019. "Workshop attendance as a mode of learning: Evidence from the Netherlands," ROA Research Memorandum 007, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    6. Gerards, Ruud & de Grip, Andries & Weustink, A., 2018. "Do new ways of working increase informal learning?," Research Memorandum 010, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    7. Rosario Aldunate, 2019. "Returns to Work Experience in Chile," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 855, Central Bank of Chile.
    8. Pierre-Jean Messe & Nathalie Greenan, 2023. "Knowledge transmission in the second part of careers: does formal training matter?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(7), pages 1415-1436, April.
    9. Naval, Joaquín & Silva, José I. & Vázquez-Grenno, Javier, 2020. "Employment effects of on-the-job human capital acquisition," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    10. Sylwia Wiśniewska & Kamil Wiśniewski & Robert Szydło, 2021. "The Relationship between Organizational Learning at the Individual Level and Perceived Employability: A Model-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.
    11. Olivier Baguelin & Anne Fretel, 2022. "Learning at Work and the Securing of Professional Mobility," Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE), issue 532-33, pages 111-133.
    12. Jason Jabbari & Haotian Zheng & Stephen Roll & Daniel Auguste & Oren Heller, 2024. "How Did Reskilling During the COVID-19 Pandemic Relate to Entrepreneurship and Optimism? Barriers, Opportunities, and Implications for Equity," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 410-429, June.
    13. de Grip, Andries & Pleijers, Astrid, 2019. "Workshop attendance as a mode of learning:," Research Memorandum 024, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andries De Grip, 2024. "The importance of informal learning at work: On-the-job learning is more important for workers’ human capital development than formal training," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1622-1622, March.
    2. De Grip, Andries & Sauermann, Jan & Sieben, Inge, 2016. "The role of peers in estimating tenure-performance profiles: Evidence from personnel data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 126(PA), pages 39-54.
    3. Ferreira, Maria & de Grip, Andries & van der Velden, Rolf, 2018. "Does informal learning at work differ between temporary and permanent workers? Evidence from 20 OECD countries," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 18-40.
    4. Ferreira Sequeda, M.T. & de Grip, A. & van der Velden, R.K.W., 2015. "Does on-the-job informal learning in OECD countries differ by contract duration," Research Memorandum 021, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    5. Sauermann, Jan & Stenberg, Anders, 2020. "Assessing Selection Bias in Non-Experimental Estimates of the Returns to Workplace Training," IZA Discussion Papers 13789, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Sauermann, Jan, 2014. "The Heterogeneous Effects of Bonus Pay on Performance Outcomes: Evidence from Personnel Data," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100568, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Büchel, Felix, 1996. "Der hohe Anteil an unterwertig Beschäftigten bei jüngeren Akademikern : Karrierezeitpunkt- oder Strukturwandel-Effekt? (The high proportion of younger graduates employed below their true worth : an ef," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 29(2), pages 279-294.
    8. Paula Herrera-Idárraga & Enrique López-Bazo & Elisabet Motellón, 2013. "Informality and Overeducation in the Labor Market of a Developing Country," Vniversitas Económica, Universidad Javeriana - Bogotá, vol. 0(0), pages 1-36, January.
    9. Tuwei J. Gloria & Matelong K. Nebert & Tubey J. Ruth, 2015. "Influence of Working Condition on Employee Career Change Intention: A Case of Moi University, Kenya," International Journal of Management Sciences, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 5(3), pages 222-236.
    10. Stephen Rubb, 2006. "Educational Mismatches and Earnings: Extensions of Occupational Mobility Theory and Evidence of Human Capital Depreciation," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 135-154.
    11. Dan A. Black & Lars Skipper & Jeffrey A. Smith & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2023. "Firm Training," CESifo Working Paper Series 10268, CESifo.
    12. Nicola Gagliardi & Elena Grinza & François Rycx, 2021. "Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? New Evidence on the Impact of Tenure on Productivity," Working Papers CEB 21-007, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    13. repec:cte:werepe:2800 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Jovanovic, Boyan & Nyarko, Yaw, 1997. "Stepping-stone mobility," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 289-325, June.
    15. Jim Allen & Andries de Grip, 2012. "Does skill obsolescence increase the risk of employment loss?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(25), pages 3237-3245, September.
    16. Nirav Mehta, 2022. "A Partial Identification Approach to Identifying the Determinants of Human Capital Accumulation: An Application to Teachers," CESifo Working Paper Series 9681, CESifo.
    17. Hanan Morsy & Adamon N. Mukasa, 2019. "Working Paper 326 - Youth Jobs, Skill and Educational Mismatches in Africa," Working Paper Series 2452, African Development Bank.
    18. Pierre-Jean Messe & Nathalie Greenan, 2023. "Knowledge transmission in the second part of careers: does formal training matter?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(7), pages 1415-1436, April.
    19. Tervio, Marko, 2006. "Career-Hopping: Learning and Turnover in an Imperfect Labor Market," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt7jq2v066, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    20. Andries De Grip & Jan Sauermann, 2012. "The Effects of Training on Own and Co‐worker Productivity: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(560), pages 376-399, May.
    21. Lundborg, Petter & James, Stefan & Lagerqvist, Bo & Vikström, Johan, 2021. "Learning-by-Doing and Productivity Growth among High-Skilled Workers: Evidence from the Treatment of Heart Attacks," IZA Discussion Papers 14744, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    informal learning; human capital; learning by doing; knowledge spillovers; high performance workplace;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2015:n:162. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.