Coming to practice differently in reformed 'sites' of work: The role of place in induction and onboarding practices for Australian workers

Oriana Price (Presenter), Amanda Lizier (Presenter), Susanne Francisco (Presenter)

Research output: Other contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract

Major societal disruptions can significantly reform the notions of work, ‘places’ of work and how one might learn to become connected and participate in practices located at their ‘place’ of work. In recent times, the pandemic, as a major societal, economic and ecological disruption, initiated unprecedented change in various organisational practices. In this paper, we draw attention to one specific practice, that of ‘induction and onboarding’ of new workers. Induction and onboarding are HR professional practices through which new workers from across professions come to know and learn about their place of work. Induction and onboarding are often understood to be facilitated through workplace learning which has heretofore been strongly associated with a single physical ‘workplace’ shared by most workers. In this presentation we seek to pose the question - what happens if the concept of a singular ‘workplace’ is dissolved? What is it that workers come to know about their job, team, and the broader organisation? We discuss how workers and organisations adapted to these changed notions of work ‘place’ and have reformed the ways new workers come to know and learn. We propose that these changes provide significant insights into how learning may be happening, not in work ‘places’ but rather in reformed ‘sites’ of professional work. To explore changed work and learning practices in sites of work, we adopt the Theory of Practice Architectures to explore how managers and new workers learned to practise induction and onboarding work differently in newly formed sites of work. In this paper we draw on empirical research conducted in Australian sites of work. Utilising semi-structured interviews with managers and workers from across professions, we reconceptualise how workers’ initial experiences of learning in their new organisations may require a reconceptualization of learning not as a defined process but instead as ‘coming to practice differently’.

Conference

ConferenceAustralian Association of Research in Education (AARE) Conference 2023
Abbreviated titleTruth, Voice, Place: Critical junctures for educational research
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityMelbourne
Period26/11/2330/11/23
Other
NOTE FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIR

We look forward to welcoming you to the AARE 2023 Conference hosted by the University of Melbourne. The theme of the conference this year is Truth, Voice, Place: Critical junctures for educational research. We invite education researchers to explore critical junctures in the field. We are excited to bring together a diverse community of scholars to engage in meaningful discussions and exchange ideas on the pressing issues facing education research today.

As you will see in the Call for Papers, one immediate context for the conference theme is the upcoming referendum on recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. This represents one of the many critical junctures facing educational researchers today, both locally and internationally. The conference aims to provide a welcome forum for scholars to discuss the implications of this historic moment, alongside the intersection of education research with broader local and global change.

We welcome submissions from education researchers across all areas of the field, including curriculum, policy, pedagogy, assessment, and leadership. We hope that the conference will provide opportunities for transformation, new possibilities, and new collaborations.
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