| The study examined the contribution of community college contract training programs to learning organizations. Five null hypotheses were developed from four research questions.; Five descriptors that emerged in the literature review characterizing learning organizations were used as constructs for the study. Six statements per construct emphasizing possible practices were presented.; Three hundred non-management employees of the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, were invited to participate in the study, segmented into four equal sub-populations: Males/Training, Females/Training, Males/No-Training and Females/No-Training. One hundred sixty-four responses were usable, for a response rate of 55%.; Two-factor ANOVA was used to examine the contribution of training, gender and their interaction across the dependent variables. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine if statements clustered together as expected under five constructs.; No significant differences were found in the analysis of the data. All five hypotheses were retained. However, visual examination of the group means plots showed slightly higher mean scores for females across four of the five constructs and for the training population across all five of the constructs. Factor analysis revealed most of the statements did not load onto the expected constructs.; Recommendations for further study include: use of more descriptors, increase the sample population, increase the number of levels of training. Recommendations for future researchers include: rearrange the statements, add factors such as motivation, perceptions of self and the organization, concepts of fit between the individual and the organization. |
