Learning from abroad: An interdisciplinary exploration of knowledge transfer in the transport domain

A growing body of work conceptualizes study visits or study tours as a tool to accelerate policy transfer of, for example, best practices. Participation in study tours appears increasingly common for city management and decision makers involved in transportation policy. This paper extends current research to explore how knowledge gained from study tours transfers to an organizational or inter-organizational level. The authors aim to generate insights about specific characteristics of study tours that facilitate knowledge transfer. To do so, this study conceptualizes study tours as “trainings”, borrowing concepts and metrics from human resource development (HRD) literature on “learning transfer”. The authors employ a mixed-method approach. A survey was conducted (n = 109) with US-based city management and officials who participated in study tours on cycling policies. Results demonstrate four influential characteristics of study tours: individual learning, leadership participation, knowledge integration activities, and positive group dynamics. In-depth interviews (n = 15) suggest nuances of these mechanisms. The paper concludes with a reflection of how transportation organizations learn from study tours.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2020.100531
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221053951930313X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/22105395
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2020 Meredith Glaser et al. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Glaser, Meredith
  • Blake, Oliver
  • Bertolini, Luca
  • te Brömmelstroet, Marco
  • Rubin, Ori
• Publication Date: 2021-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Serial:
  • Research in Transportation Business & Management
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2210-5395
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22105395

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycling; Education and training; Transportation planning; Transportation policy; Urban development
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01751842
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 14 2020 5:57PM