Thongchai Meenual of Thailand is a third-year PhD student from the Technology and Development Group, BBT. He is researching the role of organisational learning in enhancing the capabilities of an electricity retailer in Thailand.
What is the focus of your research?'
This study focuses on two modes of learning in an organisation viz, self-learning (SL) and learning-with-others (LwO) and also on the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each mode. This study is especially relevant in the current information age; changes in and outside the organisation occur at a rapid pace.'
Please elaborate on the characteristics of SL and LwO.'
SL involves individuals learning to adapt themselves to their work environment, retain their current position and advance to a better position. Both individual and collective learning capabilities are required. People can learn together from their current experiences and plans for the future. Learning with people in the same organisation requires less time, effort and resources due to learnersÆ familiarity with each other. This learning occurs not only in a formal course but also in the day-to-day working reality.
In LwO, the organisation engages externally-qualified experts or buys research-based reports or uses the services of consultants/suppliers/distributors to influence learning in the organisation. In this case the learners and these "others" are new to each other and formal learning rather than informal learning is likely to take place.'
Tell us about your case study in Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thailand
'PEA is an electricity retailer with 12 million customers and is undergoing privatisation; it has been a state enterprise for nearly forty years. It seeks to acquire new technical as well as business skills. I have found that self-learning is not effective in PEA; in its forty years of existence, it did not sufficiently build up learning capabilities to undergo this kind of a transformation.'
What have you learnt personally through this study?
'Ironically, I know more about my country and PEA (I have been an employee for more than ten years) only after coming here! When I was in Thailand, I thought I knew why things were the way they were. From here, I am able to get an 'outside in' perspective and it has been truly enlightening.'
Hometown : Phang-nga, Thailand
Education : Electrical Engineering, MasterÆs at Chulalongkorn University, BachelorÆs at Kasetsart University, Thailand
Best Part of Living in NL : freedom allowed in the PhD-programme
Worst Part of Living in NL : searching for accommodation
