Why is a Globally Dispersed Workforce Important?

In 2008, ASTD partnered with the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)to better understand the corporate learning challenges in today's workforce due to globalization. In today's increasingly complex marketplace there is an ever present need to think globally. Understanding the role of learning in the newly interconnected global market was a driving force in the creation of this research study. ASTD and i4cp conducted a survey of 397 learning professionals exploring the factors influencing learning's role in a globally dispersed workforce.

Although all regions were represented, the participants from this study were predominately headquartered in North America (86%), with most of the rest in Europe, Asia or Australia. The study found that the success of learning initiatives in global operations falls on a bell curve, slightly skewed to the positive end. Half of the respondents indicated their learning initiatives in global operations were moderately successful, 28% were successful to a high extent, 20% indicated that their firms learning initiatives were successful only to a small extent, and 1% indicated they were not successful at all.

Source: Learning's Role in Globally Dispersed Workforces (ASTD/i4cp)