Learning brokers in the workplace: A typology of practice

Abstract

This article explores the emerging phenomenon of workplace learning brokerage and the extent to which learning brokers can facilitate workplace learning in firms that have little history of employee development. Drawing on research carried out over a 6-year period, the article puts forward a typology of practice and identifies four distinct forms of brokerage. It then considers the factors that constrain and enable successful brokerage. We suggest that factors constraining brokerage are organizational structures, discourse and tensions characterising the broker role. We conclude by arguing that brokerage functions best under conditions of social cohesion in the workplace, and where learners perceive themselves to have a sense of ownership of their own learning. © 2004 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.