Izabela Widlak Presents at the 2012 SIOP Conference
Dec 03, 2012
Izabela Widlak, Research Consultant at Human Capital Growth (HCG), recently presented the findings of her study cultural differences in cognition and learning at the 2012 Annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) help in San Diego. The paper titled ‘East Meets West: Do We Learn Differently?” was coauthored with the president of HCG, Dr. Shreya Sarkar-Barney. The study investigated the impact on learning outcomes using two different formats of teaching. The findings suggest that an analytical approach (teaching rules and principles) in the initial stages followed by holistic approach (story based approach) is best suited for learning.
TITLE
East meets west: Do we learn differently?
Abstract
More than 60% of the world’s workforce lives in the emerging markets such as Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam. Lack of employable skills is a major drawback impeding the growth of these economies. Organizations need to find effective mechanism to grow skills that result in lasting improvements. To find answers, the impact of culture on learning was investigated using a quasi-experimental design. Participants from Eastern and Western cultures were taught using a holistic or an analytical training approach. Broadly, the findings suggest that training design has a greater impact on learning than culture. A deeper look suggests a nuanced impact.
TITLE
East meets west: Do we learn differently?
Abstract
More than 60% of the world’s workforce lives in the emerging markets such as Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam. Lack of employable skills is a major drawback impeding the growth of these economies. Organizations need to find effective mechanism to grow skills that result in lasting improvements. To find answers, the impact of culture on learning was investigated using a quasi-experimental design. Participants from Eastern and Western cultures were taught using a holistic or an analytical training approach. Broadly, the findings suggest that training design has a greater impact on learning than culture. A deeper look suggests a nuanced impact.