ASTD RESEARCH
Connecting Research to Performance
ASTD Research tracks trends, informs decisions, and connects research to practice. By providing comprehensive data and insightful analysis, ASTD Research Reports help business leaders and workplace learning and performance professionals understand and more effectively respond to today’s fast-paced workplace learning and development industry.
Our research reports offer an empirical foundation for today’s data-driven decision-makers, containing both quantitative and qualitative analysis about organizational learning, human capital management, training, and performance.
ASTD research reports include benchmarking studies, survey reports, and the annual State of the Industry Report. See the Archives page for more ASTD Research.
ASTD Research Reports, Volume 3:
Suite Synchronicity: Exploring the Relationship and Alignment between the CLO and Executive Team (Vol. 3, No. 4)
Sponsored by SkillSoft, this report, Suite Synchronicity: Exploring the Relationship and Alignment between the CLO and the Executive Team, examines the relationship and alignment between the chief learning officer and the executive team. ASTD and i4cp collaborated to investigate the relationship between the CLO and the executive team from the perspective of successful executive-level learning practitioners. The insights, experiences, and recommendations of participants are explored to inform readers of the best practices, methodologies, and advice for aligning the CLO with the executive team and the learning function with the business strategy. This report includes synopsis of interviews with learning leaders who have successfully fostered and sustained positive and influential learning practices and relationships at high-performing organizations.
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Learning to Innovate: Exploring Learning’s Critical Role in Fostering Innovation (Vol. 3, No. 3)
Learning to Innovate: Exploring Learning’s Critical Role in Fostering Innovation examines the importance of innovation and the ways learning influences it. The learning function can and should play a critical role in developing and sustaining the innovative culture that is the hallmark of successful organizations. There is little doubt that organizations of any size or industry need to innovate to remain successful. That innovation can take many forms, whether it is an iPhone-like breakthrough or a new spin on an old idea. What matters is that companies have systems and strategies in place to encourage, develop, and sustain innovation in every role in the organization. This report includes a synopsis of interviews with learning leaders who have successfully fostered and sustained innovative practices at high performing companies.
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Salary & Compensation: ASTD's Learning and Development Industry Report 2011 (Vol. 3, No. 2)
ASTD’s Learning and Development Industry Salary and Compensation Report, 2011 contains the findings of the 2011 learning and development salary and compensation survey. Based on the responses of 1,997 L&D professionals at all levels of the industry, the 2011 survey cast a broad and deep net of inquiry and analysis into the compensation of L&D professionals to include assessments of salary, incentives, and benefits. ASTD and i4cp collaborated to investigate and create the definitive salary and compensation report for the L&D industry. This report includes detailed analysis of L&D practitioner demographics, salary, compensation, and benefits across industry, tenure, and gender.
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Mobile Learning: Learning in the Palm of Your Hand (Vol. 3, No. 1)
It is no secret that mobile computing is here, but what does that mean for learning professionals and the learning function? How will it affect instructional design? What influence, if any, will device manufacturers, platform providers, and software developers have on mobile learning’s future? ASTD and i4cp partnered to investigate the topic and the resulting report, Mobile Learning: Learning in the Palm of Your Hand, addresses these questions and many others by examining the existing literature, and speaking with practitioners and thought leaders who are proponents and early adopters of mobile learning. The time is ripe for organizations to “get smart” on the current state future of mobile learning, and this report provides that foundational knowledge.
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ASTD Research Reports, Volume 2:
Learning's Critical Role In Integrated Talent Management (Vol. 2, No. 8)
ASTD's research report Learning’s Critical Role In Integrated Talent Management provides executives and learning professionals with important insights about how to effectively integrate talent management programs into the business process and better measure their results for organization success. There is a great deal that organizations—and especially learning professionals—can do to help create excellent talent management systems that will generate competitive advantages for their organization. Many of the most effective ITM practices are not widely used in today’s organizations. By understanding the nature of these practices, organizations can gain real advantages in today’s market place and achieve higher performance.
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Better, Smarter, Faster: How Web 3.0 Will Transform Learning In High Performing Organizations (Vol. 2, No. 7)
ASTD's research report, Better, Smarter, Faster: How Web 3.0 Will Transform Learning In High Performing Organizations details how emerging technologies continue to play an increasingly vital role in organizational learning. While the benefits of emerging technologies are broad and unprecedented, it is nearly impossible to keep pace with the rapid evolution of these tools. Even as today’s technology experts discuss artificial intelligence, immersive virtual worlds, and the future of mobile devices, many organizations are still wrestling with how best to leverage online learning. This Study shows that high-performing organizations with effective learning functions are clearly more open to embracing emerging technologies. Those organizations that have embraced Web 2.0 in learning are reaping the benefits. The Study also demonstrates that Web 3.0 technologies such as simulations, virtual worlds, and smart search hold tremendous potential for the future of organizational learning.
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The Impact of Leadership Development Programs (Vol. 2, No. 6)
Although it is common for organizations to invest in leadership development programs, it is far less likely for organizations to have meaningful insight into how they can measure the programs' effectiveness and value in areas such as increased employee performance, customer satisfaction, and other success indicators. ASTD/ICF's The Impact of Leadership Development Programs report seeks to address this issue by identifying 29 evaluation techniques that "best case" organizations used to link leadership development programs to organizational success metrics, and test the transferability of these techniques to other organizations. This report provides executives and workplace learning and performance professionals with greater insight into techniques that might work for their organization and the value they can potentially drive. Organizations will be able to make informed decisions on how to tailor leadership development programs to address key organizational needs and desired outcomes, and be able to determine the true impact of these programs on organizational success.
Sponsored by: 
This 55-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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Accelerating Revenue Through Learning: Developing Sales Teams that Win
(Vol. 2, No. 5)
Accelerating Revenue Through Learning: Developing Sales Teams That Win complements the ASTD State of Sales Training report and is a must-have reference for all sales driven people and organizations. If you've ever wondered what type of learning is taking place in the selling profession, and more importantly, what type of learning and development is most valuable to successful selling, then this report is for you. The report investigates three primary sales issues: how the sales process has evolved, how the evolutionary process has affected the training requirements of salespeople, and how sales training functions within corporations respond to these changes. Ultimately, it provides specific learning objectives and recommendations to positively influence sales effectiveness.
Sponsored by:
This 46-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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Social Media: The Millennial Perspective
Social Media: The Millennial Perspective explores the business case for supporting and using social media technologies from the Millennials' point of view. In just five years, potentially more than half of the workforce will be comprised of members of the Millennial generation (born after 1981) who have grown up immersed in technology and social media. For this generation, computers and collaborative technologies are an extension of who they are. This report provides business leaders with insight for a new strategic priority: to leverage the power of social media tools in order to maximize learning and increase the performance of the entire workforce. While most organizations have yet to fully embrace the use of social media in the workplace, Millennials are at the forefront of social media, and thers is a strong belief among the professionals surveyed that adoption of social media technologies will continue to grow in the coming years. This report includes valuable results and recommendations to help executives, managers, and supervisors make strategic decisions that can positively affect organizational goals and growth, and leverage the power of social media and the Millennial generation.
This 72-page research report is now available at the significantly reduced price of $99 for members/$129 for non-members, through the ASTD Store.
Instructional Systems Design: Today and in the Future
Instructional Systems Design: Today and in the Future explores how instructional systems design (ISD) is adapting to the current, fast-changing learning environment and the uncertain future. The learning environment is constantly evolving, with companies' operations expanding globally, learners coming from increasingly diverse backgrounds and cultures; and technological advancements constantly changing the ways in which learning occurs. Developing effective programs has always been a challenge: Many companies have ISD programs that are, at best, moderately effective in achieving both learning and business goals. The changes in the world of learning also means most companies need to be better prepared for the future; inevitably modifying the priorities of ISD professionals who will need to add skills and competencies to their repertoire.
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This 56-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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The Rise of Social Media: Enhancing Collaboration and Productivity Across Generations
The Rise of Social Media: Enhancing Collaboration and Productivity Across Generations report explores the business case for supporting and using social media technologies from a learner’s point of view. This exclusive perspective provides business leaders with insight for a new strategic priority: to leverage the power of social media tools in order to maximize learning and increase the performance of the entire workforce. While most organizations have yet to fully embrace the use of social media in the workplace, there is a strong belief among the professionals surveyed that adoption of social media technologies will continue to grow in the coming years. Hence, it is critical for business leaders to prepare for the fundamental shift in habits and expectations that the surging Millennial generation will bring to the workplace- computers and collaborative technologies are an extension of who they are. This report includes valuable results and recommendations to help executives make strategic decisions that can positively affect organizational goals and growth.
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This 96-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
Improving Succession Plans: Harnessing the Power of Learning and Development
The Improving Succession Plans: Harnessing the Power of Learning and Development study explores the business case for succession planning and breaks down how companies are executing it, from who is involved and who ought to be involved to how organizations decide on candidates to fill the succession pipeline. Having the right people, with the right skills, in the right positions is paramount to sustaining an organization's growth and success, especially in a down economy. However, despite the powerful relationship between succession planning and business success, most companies admit their succession planning efforts have significant room for improvement. Organizations continue to explore ways to achieve greater effectiveness in their succession planning process. The analysis of this research leads to recommendations on the creation of metrics, candidate selection, and key practices to cope with barriers. Therefore, this report is a powerful tool for business leaders and learning executives who are planning to implement meaningful change within their organizations.
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This 80-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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ASTD Research Reports, Volume 1:
The 2009 State of Industry Report
ASTD estimates that U.S. organizations spent $134.07 billion on employee learning and development in 2008. This amount reflects direct learning expenditures such as the learning function’s staff salaries, administrative learning costs, and non-salary delivery costs (including outsourced activities). Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. total ($88.59 billion) was spent on the internal learning function, such as staff salaries and internal development costs. The remainder ($45.48 billion) was allocated to external services such as workshops, vendors and external events. These types of informative statistics appear in ASTD’s annual State of the Industry report.
The State of the Industry report is ASTD’s annual review of trends in workplace learning and performance. The report includes data from ASTD BEST Awards Winners, ASTD Benchmarking Forum Members and other organizations from 2001 to date.
You may purchase the PDF version or print copies from the ASTD Store.
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The Value of Evaluation: Making Training Evaluations More Effective
The Value of Evaluation: Making Training Evaluations more Effective study explores the complex issue of learning evaluation, the techniques being used, barriers to effective implementation, and strategic uses of learning metrics. With a down economy, business leaders have all the more reason to scrutinize. However, it can be difficult to show hard dollar savings for areas like training and development that have so many intangible processes. Most companies are not satisfied with the evaluation efforts, but are not giving up on successful measurement of the learning function. Organizations continue to explore ways to communicate and document the value of training and development they provide to employees. The data in this report can help many firms become more proficient in these areas.
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This 67-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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Learning in Tough Economic Times: How Corporate Learning is Meeting the Challenges
The global recession weighs heavily on everyone’s mind. Few industries are immune to the down economy, but some companies are weathering this storm because they understand the value of having skilled talent to grow the organization. The learning function is critically important to helping an organization achieve a competitive advantage in a troubled economy. ASTD’s Learning in Tough Economic Times presents compelling information on best practices organizations are using to cope with financial uncertainty. This study provides real data, ideas, and tools that you can implement to be a strategic business partner and help position your organization for success in the recovery. We even look to the future of learning as executives describe how the current recession will shape their learning functions in coming years.
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This 70-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce
U.S. employers continue to struggle with an ill-prepared workforce, finding new hires lack crucial basic and applied skills, according to a new report produced by ASTD, Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Conference Board, and the Society for Human Resource Management. The report, The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce: Exploring the Challenges of Employer-Provided Workforce Readiness Training, finds that for the most part, employer-sponsored readiness training is not successfully correcting these deficiencies. Almost half of the 217 employers surveyed stated they must provide readiness training for new hires - and the majority rate that training as only moderately or somewhat successful. The report includes five case studies of successful workforce readiness programs and several key findings dealing with the topic of workforce readiness.
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Transforming Learning With Web 2.0 Technologies
Web 2.0 technologies have changed the face of the internet and have vast potential for revolutionizing the way we learn. Transforming Learning With Web 2.0 Technologies, a new research Study conducted by ASTD/i4cp and sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, describes how Web 2.0 technologies are being used for learning in today’s organizations. The report, based on survey data from over 700 learning professionals, looks at what technologies are gaining the most use in organizations and reviews the risks and rewards of adopting Web 2.0 tools. This research study includes findings and recommendations to help companies leverage the next generation of collaboration and communication tools for learning and performance improvement. Sponsored by:
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This 80-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
State of Sales Training
An organization’s sales force drives the bottom line—and effective sales training is the bedrock of a successful sales program. The ASTD/Intrepid/i4cp State of Sales Training Study explores how today’s organizations are approaching sales training and sheds light on opportunities that organizations are missing to optimize those approaches or consider new ones. The data included in the report provides new insight into the current—and future—state of sales training globally. Based on a survey of more than 500 experts, the ASTD/Intrepid/i4cp study will equip you with the statistics to inform important sales training decisions, provide you with a background on the current sales training environment, and give you policy recommendations that can get you started on the road to success now.
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This 80-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
Executive Development: Strategic and Tactical Approaches
Executive development is a multi-billion-dollar business endeavor and a critical component to an organization’s long-term growth and survival. Organizations invest significant resources to develop today's leaders into tomorrow's executives, often with little information on what other organizations have found to be successful (or unsuccessful). A new study by ASTD, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, examines how organizations handle executive development, how much they spend on the programs, who is involved, how participants are selected, what makes these programs most effective, success stories, and lessons learned. Sponsored by:
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This 80-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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ASTD Talent Management Practices and Opportunities Study
Talent management has become a top priority for most organizations, but it is also an area where there is typically room for improvement. In today’s volatile business market, effectively managing human capital can play a crucial role in business success. The ASTD Talent Management Practices and Opportunities Study discovered how talent management is currently being used by a diverse range of organizations. The report also discerns the best practices of an effective talent management program and describes some of the opportunities for organizations to enhance their talent management capabilities.
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This 80-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
Tapping the Potential of Informal Learning
By its very nature, informal learning is difficult to comprehend in detail and equally hard to manage. However, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to understand and leverage informal learning, according to this new study commissioned by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). If organizations can harness the potential of informal learning, it can become an unusually powerful and cost-effective performance tool in coming years. The purpose of this study is to help today’s learning professionals gain insights into how informal learning works and how to improve its effectiveness. The study breaks the findings into six main categories that best explain how and why to harness the potentially untapped power of informal learning.
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This 72-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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Learning's Role in Globally Dispersed Workforces: An ASTD Research Study
No longer the “wave of the future,” globalization is now an established process that will only become more prevalent over time. Any organization planning to expand into global markets can expect to face numerous challenges. This ASTD research study identifies the many ways that learning professionals can ease the transition to globalization by involving the learning function early in the process. Use this research data to determine what your organization can do to ease the global transition.
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This 64-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
Learning's Role in Employee Engagement: An ASTD Research Report
Employee engagement is one of the most important corporate issues today, given its impact on both individual and corporate productivity and performance. This ASTD Research study investigates how organizations are addressing employee engagement and identifies those strategies and organizational factors most responsible for influencing employees to become more engaged. Particular emphasis was given to how learning can influence engagement. Use this research data to determine what you can do to boost employee engagement in your organization. This study was sponsored by Dale Carnegie Training.
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This 82-page research report is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
Building an Engaged Workforce, a playbook with actionable strategies based on this research, is available for purchase through the ASTD Store.
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Research Archives