Informal workplace learning in Cambodia’s sub-national administrations: A conceptual and historical review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62037/cjer.2026.06.01.07Keywords:
Informal workplace learning, public-sector governance, decentralization reform, sub-national administration, capacity development, CambodiaAbstract
Informal workplace learning (IWL) is increasingly recognized as a critical mechanism for professional development and organizational adaptability. However, its role in public-sector governance, particularly in developing and transitional contexts, including Cambodia, remains insufficiently examined. Using an integrative conceptual-historical review approach, this article synthesizes scholarly literature, policy frameworks, institutional documents, and historical sources to examine how IWL has evolved and continues to operate within Cambodia's sub-national administrations. Drawing on established theories of workplace learning and evidence from Cambodia’s administrative history and decentralization reforms, the review identifies key patterns of learning through mentoring, peer exchange, experiential adaptation, and social interaction. The synthesis points out that informal workplace learning practices are deeply embedded in Cambodia’s cultural and institutional traditions and continue to reinforce governance performance despite the expansion of formal training systems. By situating IWL at the intersection of learning theory, public administration, and decentralized governance, this review suggests a context-sensitive framework for understanding capacity development in transitional administrative systems and underscores the importance of recognizing informal workplace learning within national civil-service development strategies.
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