In the present study learning on organizational development process was assessed through one case. We focused on the levels of individuals, teams and organization in order to examine how the general aims of developing activities had been achieved and what kind of learning could be found during the process in Kindergarten context. Sambrook (2006) has summarized factors influencing work-related learning by categorizing them into three main categories: 1) organizational factors, 2) functional factors and 3) individual factors (cf. Jǿrgensen & Warring, 2002; Illeris, 2004). Organizational factors pertain to the organizational culture and structure, organization of work, work pressures, etc. Functional factors are related to how the role of human resources development is defined, and to general characteristics of organization such as number of staff, etc. Individual factors include managers’ and employees’ responsibility for learning, motivation to learn, time, skills and confidence. How these different factors are organized influences the potential of learning in an organization. Workplace learning is often described as informal learning (e.g. Marsick & Watkins, 1990; Eraut et 2004), although there also has been voices who challenge common descriptions of workplace learning as informal, non-formal, ad hoc, concrete and incidental (Billett, 2004). We argue that workplace learning is not a single unified phenomenon, as it has often been described, using the labels informal, implicit etc. Instead, workplace learning may take place in different modes and it can take different forms depending on the individual’s position in the workplace and on many contextual factors related to the workplace environment. While the organization of work sets the context and conditions for learning, it is still the reciprocal interaction between the individual and the workplace that determines learning. Billett (2004) has argued that the nature of individuals' participation depends both on the extent to which the workplace provides opportunities to participate and to extend to which individuals choose to engage in the opportunities that are available. Thus, the workplace creates the possibilities but how individuals participate and interact in workplaces is central to their leaning. There is variation between workplaces and jobs in extent to which they offer opportunities for learning. Perhaps the most important contextual factor related to workplace learning is the way how work is organized. In this study we focused on the levels of individuals, teams and organization in order to describe and examine the general learning processes and impacts of one organizational development process, where e.g. work was reorganized.

The data for the study was collected both during the development process and after it. During the process the development consultant kept diary in which she documented the most important events in organization and immediate observations. Furthermore the consultant, the representative of the participating organization and members of staff were interviewed during and after the development project. During the interviews, the respondents were e.g. asked to tell their own narrative about the development process. Probe questions about the starting points, the process, and the results were asked if needed. The data was analyzed qualitatively by using thematic classification and content analyses.

The main conclusions we can draw are: 1) Learning can best supported on organizational development processes if there is a clearly defined need, motivation and commitment on different levels in the organization. 2) Collaborative climate cannot be created by consultation or through organizational development processes if the ground for that doesn’t exist. 3) A well defined project plan and structure enhance the perceived impact of the development work. 4) Even though the targeted development doesn’t take place, there can be other positive learning effects as side products of development processes.