Matthew Farmer

Managing Director, Emerging World

The Long-term Impact of International Service Learning Programs on Leadership Skills, Career Mobility & Employee Engagement

Impact Assessment Research

65 responses

8 programmes

6 organisations

Assessing the long-term impact of assignments that took place between 2006 and 2013

Types of Program Individual Programs ≥4 Weeks

E.g. Welsh Government International Learning Opportunity

Individuals apply to the program and are matched to a range of assignments with Emerging World partner organisations.

Assignment duration is 8 – 12 weeks. Projects often include identification &

implementation of solutions to partners challenges.

E.g. Credit Suisse Global Citizens Program Education Initiative

Individuals apply to undertake a range of assignments with Credit Suisse global partners in education.

Assignment duration is 1-2 weeks. Each assignment consists of a project

that addresses specific needs identified by the partner organisations.

Individual Programs <4 Weeks Short Group Based Programs

E.g. Microsoft Front Lines

Targeted executive development program. Groups of leaders work with partner

representatives to address a challenge using Action Learning. Assignment duration is 4-6 days in country.

Virtual work complements the in-country

experience.

Study Objectives

It’s 10 years since Emerging World was incorporated

The world has changed a lot and more companies have embraced these kinds of program BUT HR/L&D have yet to fully embrace the potential of these kinds of program

At the beginning of the year we published a paper entitled ISL programs – The Development Assignments of 21st Century to make the case for HR/L&D to more fully embrace this approach

Wanted data to back up the study but data on the longer-term impact of these kinds of program is limited

This study has enabled us to bridge that gap and provide concrete data that will:

Help our clients demonstrate the impact of their programmes to stakeholders

Make the case to other companies for the value of establishing these programs

Build our own understanding of the impact of these programs, which will help us to advise clients and participants better in the future

What the Study Measured

Level 1 Reaction

Participants reaction to the experience

Level 2 Learning

Improvements in knowledge, skills & abilities

Level 3 Behaviours

Application new knowledge, skills & abilities

Level 4 Results

Impact of the experience on business success

Kirkp

atrick’s Fou

r Levels o

f Learn

ing Im

pact

The study consisted of a questionnaire that explored three areas of impact:

1. Leadership Development

2. Career Mobility

3. Employee Engagement

The questions and retrospective nature of the study enabled assessment up of learning measurement up to level 3 on Kirkpatrick's scale (most studies only go to level 2 and level 4 is almost impossible to measure as variables are very hard to isolate)

The questionnaire included closed questions, to obtain comparable data, and open questions to explore this data further.

Leadership Development

Participants that have recommended an International Service Learning experience to at least one colleague

Participants that reported positive developments in leadership skills and competencies

Participants that made positive changes to the way they work

Participants whose positive changes were observed by others

Level 1 Reaction

Participants level of satisfaction

Level 2 Learning

The skills that were developed or improved

Level 3 Behaviour

Changes in behaviour reported by participants

Changes in behaviour verified by others

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

62%

79%

92%

98%

Participants’ Levels of Learning

“My experience taught me to listen more. It taught me the importance of understanding cultural differences - I still apply this today whether it is a different team, different organisation or a different country - I never fear taking on a new challenge.”

Participants that have recommended an International Service Learning experience to at least one colleague

Participants that reported positive developments in leadership skills and competencies

Participants that made positive changes to the way they work

Participants whose positive changes were observed by others

Levels of Learning Explored

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Open Enrolment

Targeted Enrolment

Short group based programs

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Individual programs <4 weeks

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Global Leadership Competencies & Behaviours

We identified twelve global leadership competencies to measure based upon:

The latest models of global leadership

The competencies companies say their leaders need as detailed in our white paper

Our 10 years of experience

Measuring Global Leadership

We asked all participants whether their experience positively impacted

12 global leadership skills & behaviours

Self Awareness

Self Confidence

See things from different perspectives

Assimilate intuition and fact into decision making

Deal with ambiguity

Deal with complexity

Problem solving

Act with integrity and make values based decisions

Initiate new ways of doing things

Work collaboratively

Work with culturally diverse groups or teams

Achieve tasks through other people

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Self awareness

Self confidence

See things from different perspectives

Assimulate intuition and fact into decision making

Deal with abiguity

Deal with complexity

Problem solving

Act with integrity and make values based decisions

Initiate new ways of doing things

Work collaboratively

Work with cuturally diverse groups or teams

Achieve tasks through other people

Individual programs <4 weeks

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Short group based programs

Impact of Program Type on Global Leadership Development

Positive response

Act with integrity and make values based decisions

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Self awareness

Self confidence

See things from different perspectives

Assimulate intuition and fact into decision making

Deal with abiguity

Deal with complexity

Problem solving

Act with integrity and make vaules based decisions

Initiate new ways of doing things

Work collaboratively

Work with cuturally diverse groups or teams

Achieve tasks through other people

Individual programs <4 weeks

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Short group based programs

Impact of Program Type on Global Leadership Development

Strongly agree only

Act with integrity and make values based decisions

Getting Outside your Comfort Zone

Open Enrolment

Targeted Enrolment

6.26

8.05

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0

Female

Male

7.1

6.6 7 out of 10 on average how far participants

felt out of their comfort-zones during their experience.

“Stepping out of my comfort zone and exposing me to a different reality, one where my day to day problems and challenges seemed trivial gave me a very healthy and thought provoking new perspective. This has better equipped me to face into the challenges and stresses in my own workplace.”

Individual programs >4 weeks

Short group based programs

Individual programs <4 weeks

7.79

7.6

5.2

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Positive Correlation between Comfort Zone and Skills Development

Self confidence

Self awareness

Dealing with complexity

Seeing things from different perspectives

Ability to work with culturally diverse

groups

Co

mfo

rt Z

on

e

Strength of competency development

There is a statistically significant positive correlation between participants who felt strongly that they had developed their overall leadership skills and the degree to which they felt outside of their comfort zone

Furthermore, participants further outside of their comfort zones reported the strongest level of impact across a number of specific leadership competencies

Career Mobility

Impact on Career Mobility

83% of respondents have moved roles either increasing scope, responsibility, seniority or moving to a different area of business

65% of respondents who have moved roles identified their experience as a contributing factor in moving roles

25% of respondents who have moved roles strongly agree that their experience was contributing factor in moving roles

Factor in Changing Roles

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Indvidual programs <1 month

Short group based programs

Indvidual programs >1 month

50%

67%

72%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Open Enrolment

Targeted Enrolment

59%

74%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Female

Male

58%

73%

“The experience gave me a huge confidence boost that I could deal with the unknown, that I could add value even without my normal UK technical skill-set and organisation’s brand behind me. This is a subtle, but hugely important attribute for progression, when one steps into more senior roles and has to deal with increasing levels of ambiguity where there is no one right answer. “

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Individual programs <4 weeks

Employee Engagement & Retention

Impact on Retention

48% of those with the same organisation

identified that their experience had contributed to their decision to remain with their organisation

>2 years the period of time participants

remained with their organisations following their experience (on average)

31% of participants that are no longer working for

the same organisation identified that their experience contributed to their decision to remain with their organisation for a period of time after their experience

79% of participants continue

to work for the organisation who supported their ISL experience

21% of participants are no

longer working for the organisation who supported their ISL experience

“I have undoubtedly felt a sense of gratitude towards the organisation for its investment in me and for providing me with such a powerful and personally impacting opportunity.”

Retention Examined

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Female

Male

38%

55%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Indvidual programs <1 month

Short group based programs

Indvidual programs >1 month

48%

60%

43%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Open Enrolment

Targeted Enrolment

38%

75%

Participants that reported their ISL experience had contributed to their decision to continue to work for their organisation.

Individual programs <4 weeks

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Impact on Employee Engagement

65% Felt increased loyal to their organisation following their experience

51% Felt increased alignment with their organisation’s values following their experience

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

77%

68%

86%

71%

52%

33%

60%

48%

75%

55% Targeted Enrolment

Open Enrolment

Indvidual programs >4 weeks

Short group based programs

Indvidual programs <4 weeks

More alignment with the organisations values

More loyal to the organisation

Individual programs ≥4 weeks

Questions &

Discussion

Additional Resources