Return on Learning

How does learning through executive development programs influence the ability of participants to make changes in their immediate to mid-long term environment? What is the successful return on learning? How do we identify the learning impact in which context? In the Return on Learning Lab, we look at the “learning impacts” from multiple angles and from a variety of perspectives such as investments values, new ways of thinking, behavioral change, etc. Our research efforts with an interdisciplinary approach aim at obtaining a better understanding of a chain of influence that ultimately would help organizations improve their business results.

What We Do

Dr. Nakamura runs Return on Learning laboratory. Her laboratory work involves a variety of interdisciplinary studies from a trend of executive learners (e.g., women leadership) to the impact of learning by attending executive development programs. The studies conducted in the lab aim to contribute to a better understanding of return on learning from conceptual, cognitive, and/or behavioral perspectives. The interdisciplinary studies in the Return on Learning Lab build on collaboration across individuals in a variety of fields, including adult learning, neuroscience, data science, marketing, organizational psychology, operations research, statistics, and technology. Such research efforts bring new ways of thinking and ideas into the “Return on Learning” practices. Return on Learning laboratory produces papers/presentations for business professionals and develop learning tools that continuously help improve training program designs and share the best practices. As a result, the lab’s research work help learners and executives make an informed decision of their future learning journeys.