2019 Volume 42 Issue 4 Pages 297-312
Recently, during in-house human resource development, a company expects mid-level employees to expand experiential learning through reflection. The present study aims to assess the current state of mid-level employees’ reflection. We conducted semi-structured interviews targeting mid-level employees who improve business performance but are not considered to be learning sufficiently from their experiences, and performed an analysis based on the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). We found that, mid-level employees requiring reflective support have a process of (1) reflecting on the problem-resolution process at work, and (2) taking a multifaceted approach to examining their inner characteristics based on feedback from others. Through the process of examining internal characteristics, it could be difficult to solve a problem when employees have conflicting personal beliefs and views on work and personal ideal self-images. Specifically, the fact that behavior does not change as a result of conflict indicates the possibility that it could be the reason that learning from experience is viewed as insufficient from the viewpoint of others, including bosses. In the discussion, the authors describe the necessity of reflective support from bosses or work colleagues to facilitate mid-level employees’ taking the initiative on personal behavioral change.
