The problem of going from training to learning: the case of Hungary

Abstract

Purpose

The aims of the research behind the paper are to understand better the present situation of the problem of going from training to learning and to try to suggest methods and solutions to improve the situation.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses her experience in teaching cross‐cultural management and interviews with top executives to find out how some typical cultural factors influence management practices and employee behavior.

Findings

The key findings of the paper are the following: cultural factors play a great role in how companies are managed and people in them handled: controlled and motivated. But it looks like there is another important group of factors that influence all these managerial elements: this is the economic and political situation of any country. In the case of Hungary, which is a cheap production site for global and multinational companies, managers manage, control and motivate differently than for example “at home”, in a highly developed country.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on a larger sample is needed to support the ideas mentioned in the article better.

Practical implications

One implication could be to write a professional textbook on the topic. A further one is to put together a proposal for the government in order to focus the attention on the importance of learning in all kinds of institutions and at all levels. One practical result of the findings is these are already being taught by the author thorugh the international management courses for foreign students studying at the Corvinus University in Budapest.

Originality/value

The paper presents a research approach of trying to find relationships between cultural factors and learning approaches and philosophies. It can be of value for those interested in cross‐cultural research, and also for companies interested in finding the best approaches to learning in a particular society.

Citation

Csath, M. (2006), "The problem of going from training to learning: the case of Hungary", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 13-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280610637083