Knowledge Management and its Relationship to Workplace Learning

The present paper explores the relationship between the knowledge-enabling environment and the demand for training using a sample of 18 small private companies providing educational and consultancy services in Sweden. In this way, the paper explores ways Swedish knowledge-intensive companies manage their knowledge. The 18 companies have participated in a European program for developing employee competence, financed by the European Social Fund. When looking at organizational processes for managing knowledge, it is important to consider formal organized activities for learning, but also informal learning activities, which constitute the main source for tacit knowledge as well as the conditions in place for knowledge creation, what is here called the 'knowledge-enabling environment';. It is argued that through knowledge management, companies are indeed implementing strategies for the promotion of lifelong learning. Each company in the sample is rather unique in their 'knowledge-enabling environment'. The exploration of the demand for training shows that the selected companies invest only less than half their perceived training needs. In both sectors the working-environment characteristics that according to the theories reviewed, should promote learning, are not necessarily associated with a higher demand for learning, with the exception of information technology. Finally, also interesting is that employees demand more formal training if their engagement in informal learning is low.JRC.G.9-Econometrics and statistical support to antifrau