(By Andrew Paradise and Jennifer Mosley) Every learning professional knows that the struggling global economy has caused considerable distress in the past year. Organizations have been forced to find ways to cut costs, with more pressure than ever.

Have learning functions been targets or have they developed ways to adapt?

In fact, many organizations are now looking to the learning function for solutions when they face difficult economic conditions.

This finding was confirmed in a new study by ASTD and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) that examined how organizations manage learning in a down economy. Specifically, the "Organizational Learning in Tough Economic Times" study looks at budget reductions, process improvements, effectiveness of the learning function, efficiency changes, and other lessons learned in reaction to market downturns.

The study found that organizational leaders realize that increased pressure from the economy can actually create a need for learning. The processes and focus of corporate learning may change as leaders navigate through difficult conditions, but if the specific goals for learning programs are in place and the drivers for reorganization or adjustment of content are clear, organizations can still rely heavily on learning.

However, respondents to the study's survey cited many pressures on learning, with some activities, such as leadership development, in most critical need during a recession.

Read more in the upcoming April 2009 issue of T+D!