Self-directed learning in the context of human resource development

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of self-directed learning for human resource development, different aspects of successful self-directed learning at both individual and organizational levels. The article presents empirical findings on employees’ attitude towards self-directed learning and its components, the results of the comparative analysis of the attitudes of employees working in public and private organizations. For example: the majority of the respondents is not sure of define the concept of self-directed learning incorrectly, do not associate it with conscious assumption of responsibility and setting the learning objectives; half of the respondents (53 per cent) agree that their organizations appreciate pro-activity, i.e. the projection of an event in advance rather than response to the event occurred; within the private organization, employees receive leader’s assistance and encouragement more frequently, they also have better learning possibilities and highly valued learning culture within the organization. Employees from the private organization are more positive about self-directed learning than those in the public organization. The former are more ready for self-directed learning and use a wider variety of learning possibilities: they make use of specialists’ and their colleagues’ assistance and their knowledge acquired in other spheres of life, they learn from their own experience and experimentation, observation and modeling others’ performance more often than do the respondents from the public organization.