Session Information
01 SES 16 B, General Issues: Employability, Vocational Education and Materials Development
Paper Session
Contribution
In Switzerland, about two-thirds of young people start dual vocational education and training (VET) at around 15 years of age. Research shows that they are challenged in many ways during this phase of their lives and are therefore particularly vulnerable during periods of transition. Thus, supporting the transition of apprentices from school to the workplace environment requires careful attention. Trust is predicated upon the individual’s willingness to be vulnerable, and as such enterprises which offer vocational training to young learners must consider how they structure trust-building processes into their learning cultures. Drawing upon the results of an explorative case study that was undertaken in the largest telecommunications company in Switzerland, this article examines the factors which contribute to a lived culture of trust in apprenticeships and how this affects the success of VET. The research focused on the emergence and the conditions for success of a new learning culture in VET, whereby the culture of trust in the organisation emerged as an integral essential component of it. Specifically in this study, trust was expressed through explicit feedback protocols which support ongoing professional development and opportunities for apprentices to co-design projects using their own initiative in a culture where supported risk-taking is viewed as an opportunity to enhance learning.
Relationship management in the workplace is characterised by asymmetries. Apprentices feel this particularly as they often represent the lowest level in a company`s hierarchy. Depending on the company`s power asymmetry, different effects show up. Groups with low power asymmetries show less conflict and better cooperation (Kabanoff 1991 cited in Misamer & Thies 2017). The role model behaviour of managers, the orientation towards principles of justice and the experience of opportunities for co-determination are decisive for the establishment of a culture of trust in the workplace (Misamer & Thies 2017). Rauner (2017) distinguishes between management by control and management by participation. On the one hand, managers with a participative leadership style are trusted more by their employees. On the other hand, participative leadership is characterised by flat hierarchies, a business process-oriented organisation of work and a high level of creative competence. Enabling people to actively participate in shaping their work is described as a guiding principle of VET. An increased opportunity for apprentices to show their own initiative increases learning motivation and success (Rauner 2017).
VET is an integral part of the Swiss education system (SERI, 2022). It enjoys high recognition and the education system is generally trusted by the population. Conclusively it can be stated, that the level of trust has an impact on VET. Instability is the enemy of trust culture (Stzompka, 1999), while a consistent commitment to a set of shared cultural norms or values can produce what Stzompka (1999) has referred to as ‘normative coherence’. In his most popular work, Stzompka (2017) further contends that such normative coherence depends upon the extent to which ‘moral space’ is observed and respected. People who trust tend to believe in a common culture (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2010), which allows us to see our fate as shared. Cultures characterised by high trust share a set of moral values (or moral bonds) that ensure a respectful coexistence (Sztompka, 2017). Once a moral value has achieved cultural status, it is usually passed on and reproduced from generation to generation (Möllering 2013). However, the culture of trust between apprentices and other employees is not simple, as it is characterised by a complex network to relationships of asymmetry and dependency (Pongratz 2003 cited in Misamer & Thies 2017). Therefore, how VET is structured determines the extent to which they are protected against social uncertainties
Method
Method Our article is based on an exploratory case study that investigated the largest telecommunication enterprise in Switzerland and its VET over a period of one year. Qualitative data were collected through 37 semi-structured interviews with management, training managers, learning facilitators and apprentices, as well as various observations. The aim of the explorative case study was to find out how the company is shaping a new learning culture in it`s in-company vocational training. One subject that stood out from the data analysis was the lived culture of trust, which proved to be central. The chosen enterprise relies on an innovative VET model in which apprentices can learn and work in a self-directed and project-based way. The qualitative data were processed through condensation, building categories and paraphrasing, by following Bohnsack's (2003) formulative interpretation method. This process was repeated several times during the analysis. The evaluating researchers met regularly to reflect on and revise the coding system of the topics that emerged. This allowed for ongoing feedback between data collection and evaluation phases, and steadily increased the depth of the qualitative data analysis (Zaynel 2018, 59). This process of reflection and revision led to a "theoretical saturation", which is characterised by the fact that "no more new insights are gained and the data material is so deeply penetrated that the researcher can profitably survey and evaluate the data material." (Zaynel 2018, 67). The data were analysed using the MAXQDA programme.
Expected Outcomes
Findings The initial investigation of the learning culture of the company found that a cooperative culture of trust is crucial for educational success. In this context, the way relationships were formed in the workplace was particularly significant. Expressed, among other things, in a constructive feedback and ‘error’ culture, learners were supported to take risks and learn from their mistakes. Active participation was also highly valued, leading to a felt sense of recognition and belonging to the organisation. Trustful relationships within the apprenticeship proved to be a foundational conviction in the company and while it must be noted that trust is not the sole predictor of success in VET, the learning culture facilitated by trust-building processes afforded opportunities for apprentices to take ownership of their own learning, through negotiated outcomes; leading to creative autonomy and contributions that were to the benefit of the enterprise as a whole.
References
References Bohnsack, R. (2003). Praxeologische Wissenssoziologie. In R. Bohnsack, W. Marotzki, & M. Meuser (Eds.), Hauptbegriffe qualitativer Sozialforschung. Opladen: Leske+Budrich. [zitiert in: Michel 2018, 124]. Misamer, M., & Thies, B. (2017). Etablierung einer Vertrauenskultur zwischen Führungskräften und ihren Mitarbeitern/Mitarbeiterinnen. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), 48(3), 225-233. doi: 10.1007/s11612-017-0369-3 Möllering, G. (2013). Process views of trusting and crises. In R. Bachmann & A. Zaheer (Eds.), Handbook of advances in trust research: Edward Elgar Publishing Rauner, F. (2017). Grundlagen beruflicher Bildung. Mitgestalten der Arbeitswelt. Bielefeld: WBV SERI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) (2022). Vocational and Professional Education and Training in Switzerland. Facts and figures 2022. Sztompka, P. (1999). Trust: A sociological theory. Cambridge University Press . Sztompka, P. (2017). Trust in the Moral Space. In: International Conference on Trust. 18-20 November. Tokyo: Chuo University. doi: 10.1163/9789004390430_004 Wilkinson, R. and Pickett, K. (2010). The Spirit Level: why equality is better for everyone. London: Penguin Zaynel, N. (2018). Prozessorientierte Auswertung von qualitativen Interviews mit Atlas.ti und der Grounded Theory. In A. Scheu (Ed.), Auswertung qualitativer Daten (pp. 59-68). Wiesbaden: Springer.
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