Leadership, Learning and History in the Rail Industry

Dear Colleagues,

The themes emerging in the papers highlight the global nature of the rail industry and the need for interoperability, standardization, and harmonization of systems, knowledge, and people, so as to create a level playing field for public and private sector players. In Europe, a number of initiatives are under way that integrate new policy initiatives into practice. Making better use of public assets is one theme, while other authors have identified that politicians, academics, and the industry have to work together to facilitate the desired outcomes for the image of a new rail industry. In developing countries, advancing a plan to grow the rail industry is important because the industry’s potential has not been fully realized to support growing economies.

For individuals, learning programs that assist with knowledge of the global rail industry are constantly being developed to incorporate up-to-date knowledge for new careers in a number of technical areas, including rail transport and cargo, electricity, mechanics, and signaling in railways. Some papers tell the story of rail industry learning evolving from the industrial age to the global era. Rail industry learning evolved as its own field of specialization. This development was driven by the necessity of preparing and developing skilled craftsmen for maintaining and repairing mechanical equipment. This necessity occurred within a context where apprenticeships were declining, while the rail industry was (and is) constantly evolving. Traditional ways of learning feature and discuss new methodologies, the consideration of pedagogy in adult learning, skill shortages, and the shortage of engineers. Such learning encompasses the recognition that both ‘hard’ (or technical) and ‘soft’ skills (or talents) are now required by leaders. The range of abstracts selected for this Special Issue will make for thought-provoking reading for rail industry specialists and others interested in such traditional industries.

Dr. Janene Piip
Guest Editor

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References:

Piip, Janene, and Roger Harris. “Leadership talent identification and management.” In Workforce Development: Perspectives and Issues. Edited by Roger Harris and Tom Short. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013.

Short, Tom, Janene Piip, and Roger Harris. “Using benchmark principles as a formative evaluation strategy to build a leadership development culture in the Australian rail industry.” Evaluation Journal of Australasia 13 (2013): 20–30.

Short, Tom, Janene Piip, Tom Stehlik, and Karen Becker. “A capability framework for rail leadership and management development.” CRC for Rail Innovation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2011.

Stehlik, Tom, Tom Short, and Janene Piip. “The challenges of leadership in the 21st century.” In Workforce Development: Perspectives and Issues. Edited by Roger Harris and Tom Short. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013.

Piip, Janene, and Roger Harris. “How to identify talented leaders.” In Innovations in Workplace Development: Strategies and Practices. Edited by Roger Harris and Tom Short. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014.

• education
• learning
• leadership
• history