Analyzing and sustainably improving one's learning culture is on the agenda of many companies. But how can decision-makers make this learning culture visible in companies? Proven models can help:

The first step for companies that want to change their learning culture is to make the current "status quo" visible: the learning culture of your company is not just the willingness of employees to learn or the provision of learning materials, but a diverse and complex structure.

"Learning culture encompasses both the supportive and all inhibiting conditions for learning. Thus, learning culture is the expression of the value assigned to learning within the company." (HR Lexicon: Learning Culture)

A learning culture analysis helps your company to identify problems in the learning culture, strengthen the importance of learning, and develop suitable impulses for change.

Simple Learning Culture Analysis for Companies in 3 Levels

Organizational psychologist Edgar Schein developed his own cultural model for companies for this purpose. In it, Schein differentiates three levels of (learning) culture in companies:

• Level 1 encompasses visible things such as learning spaces or provided learning materials, as well as clear behaviors.

• At Level 2, the values and attitudes are central, for example, the degree of personal responsibility and the role of supervisors.

• Level 3 consists of (unquestioned) underlying assumptions. For example, "I must (not) learn for life" or "Learning only happens in the classroom."

Even with these three simple levels, you as an HR or educational leader can roughly capture the learning culture in your company.

Comprehensive Learning Culture Analysis and Change

A comprehensive learning culture analysis model for companies comes from scil (swiss competence centre for innovations in learning). This model not only assesses the status quo but also directly outlines the process for change (see illustration):

Learning culture analysis for companies according to scil with 5 learning culture components and 4 process phases. Source

This model for learning culture analysis has already been successfully implemented in several companies. A detailed description as well as two detailed case studies can be found in the free PDF Excursion: Learning Culture Analysis and Change (Trend Study 2010, sci) – an exciting and worthwhile read for all educational and HR managers who want to get to the bottom of their own learning culture and bring about sustainable changes.

New Learning Methods Require New Learning Cultures for Companies

Whether with a simple 3-level model or a more complex approach – a learning culture analysis of your company forms the basis for change among employees, decision-makers, and throughout the entire company. Especially in light of the advancing digitalization, a comprehensive renewal of the learning culture in many companies is long overdue: Modern learning concepts such as e-learning and blended learning not only need technical support but also a new mindset!