ERIC Number: ED462537
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 14
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Informal Learning Processes in a Worker Co-Operative. NALL Working Paper.
Quarter, Jack; Midha, Harish
A study was conducted to understand the informal learning processes of the members of a worker natural foods store cooperative, The Big Carrot, in Toronto. Eight members with central roles in the natural foods retailer were interviewed. In addition, key documents and other writings on the cooperative were examined. The data indicate that members of the cooperative acquire the knowledge that is needed to perform their roles using informal learning processes. Processes most often used were the following: (1) learning from experiences (learning by doing); (2) discussions (either one-on-one or during meetings); and (3) questions to internal experts and other members. The study concluded that the success of the informal learning processes at the Big Carrot may be due in part to the"social capital" in place as a result of the cooperative structure in which workers play a more integral role than in more common capitalist businesses. (Author/KC)
Descriptors: Business Administration, Collegiality, Cooperatives, Developed Nations, Discussion, Experiential Learning, Foreign Countries, Informal Education, On the Job Training, Ownership, Participative Decision Making, Postsecondary Education, Program Effectiveness, Social Capital, Success
For full text: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/depts/sese/csew/nall/res/37workerscoo p.htm.
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).
Authoring Institution: Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning.
Identifiers - Location: Canada (Toronto)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A