Learning and performance: Just the end of the Beginning-A rejoinder to kuchinke

Peter Kuchinke's (1998) response to our description of the state of the debate regarding learning and performance is not likely to be the final word on this subject, although his calm, interesting, thoughtful, and stimulating comments may lead to a constructive dialogue; at least we hope so. Nevertheless, Kuchinke's analysis of organizations and their primary goals seems to express considerable naiveté regarding many things that actually occur in the workplace. He blandly asserts that “organizations are structured internally in such a way as to reach their goals and fulfill their functions most effectively,” and that “some U.S. organizations have undergone a painful process of restructuring for improved effectiveness” (p. 379). On the surface, this seems like an innocuous observation that might lead logically to the conclusion that HRD interventions are valued to the extent that they contribute to the overarching purpose of the company—to make a profit.