Leadership training and organizational learning climate: Measuring influences based on a field experiment in education

Research considering the effects of leadership training and development is underresearched. However, leadership behaviour can generate greater levels of performance and satisfaction. In this study, the effect of a group reflective learning programme for school leaders is examined. The study questions whether leadership development, using a group reflective learning programme that focuses on coaching skills, can influence teacher perceptions of the organizational learning climate. Gaining a deeper insight in factors influencing organizational learning climate is important because organizational learning climate is associated with job motivation, job satisfaction, positive working conditions and the optimizing of training outcomes. Hence, a positive organizational learning climate can contribute to organizational performance, in the case of primary education delivering quality education to pupils. Based on a sample of 289 teachers, it turned out that school leaders’ participation in the group reflective learning programme resulted in a significant increase of teachers’ perceptions of the organizational learning climate. The results are inspiring for scholars, policy makers and practitioners.     

Perspectives on effective coaching by those who have been coached

Studies on coaching have largely explored effectiveness from the perspective of a coach or employing organization rather than that of the employee or coachee. There has also been a focus on ‘successful’ coaching, but little is known about unsuccessful coaching or the hindrances to achieving coaching success. Many empirical studies on training interventions have found that support and help for employees from managers and others within the workplace enhances training effectiveness and there is an assumption in coaching studies that this will also be true for coaching interventions. This study addresses the gap in academic literature by exploring survey responses from 296 industry professionals in 34 countries who had been, or were currently being, coached. The study found that facing barriers during the period of coaching engagements was common and we present a categorization framework of six barrier categories. Our analysis suggests that three of these barrier categories may be predictive of coachee perceptions of limited coaching effectiveness: difficulties with a coach; coaching relationships and overall coaching experience. The study also provides empirical evidence that suggests a lack of support from within an employing organization is not predictive of limited coaching effectiveness.     

Electronic human resource management: organizational responses to role conflicts created by e‐learning

Could enthusiasm for e‐learning be dampened because it is detrimental to the relationships between those undergoing e‐training and their direct managers or colleagues? Interviews conducted in four French banks provide material to explore this question. We see that e‐learning has increasingly been adopted because it goes beyond the role limitations imposed by traditional training formats. Initially, however, the uptake of e‐learning was hampered because it imposed a role on trainees which did not correspond to their socialization needs. The companies in question responded to this problem by proposing ‘blended learning’ (that is, alternate sessions of e‐learning and in class face‐to‐face sessions). Nevertheless, the development of e‐learning remains limited today partly because of the role conflict it creates in the workplace: should an employee engaged in e‐learning in his office workstation be considered ‘at work’ or ‘in training’? This role conflict is detrimental to the relationships between the e‐learners, their colleagues and the direct manager. Solutions offered by companies may address this particular problem, but all of these reduce the efficiency of e‐learning sessions, and thus contribute to limiting its future development.     

Supporting worklife learning at work to sustain employability

The concept of employability extends beyond initial occupational preparation into the ability to remain employable as, inevitably, occupational capacities and workplace requirements change frequently across working lives. Hence, the need to continually learn to remain occupationally current and respond to changing workplace requirements becomes paramount. The evidence suggests that much of that learning arises through individual efforts and the support of co-workers through work activities. So, there is a need to understand how that learning can be supported to sustain employability across lengthening working lives. Drawing on an Australian study, reported here are perspectives from managers and workers in diverse workplaces about current modes of continuing education and training and about how workers are assisted with their learning to meet personal needs and qthose of employers. Employers want an occupationally current workforce that can meet specific workplace needs; workers want the capacities to remain employable, which may extend to advancing their careers elsewhere. The data indicate differences in perceptions about what is being provided, how frequently the provisions are used, and the worth of its certification. Whilst the findings indicate shared concerns about the importance of learning, there were clear differences in views about the models and processes used to support that learning. Across both sets of informants can be seen distinctions between ‘training solutions’ and ‘learning solutions’. A more nuanced analysis suggests that the training solution is appropriate and effective at some point in workers' worklife trajectories but in other circumstances, learning through practice is proposed as being more efficacious.     

Examining learning strategies,creativity, and innovation at SMEs using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and PLS path modeling

Some degree of ambiguity and inconsistency in organizational learning capability and its outcomes still exists, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study argues that exploitative learning strategy, explorative learning strategy, improvisational creativity, and compositional creativity are several antecedents (causal conditions) of innovation as an outcome (solution) within SMEs. This study analyzes data from a survey of 206 top managers of SMEs using PLS-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to demonstrate innovation and its dependence on combinations of complex antecedent conditions and various alternative paths. Though the results of the PLS-SEM analysis support the hypothetical paths except explorative learning and compositional creativity; the fsQCA findings indicate conditional support for the proposed antecedents and outcomes except explorative learning and exploitative learning. Furthermore, the complex solutions of the fsQCA analysis indicate that five combinations sufficiently explain innovation.     

Dynamic capability: Impact of process alignment and organizational learning culture on performance

Although there is much emphasis on the importance of process alignment, organizational learning culture, and dynamic capability, little attention has been paid to their interactions and joint effects on performance. While the concept of dynamic capability has received increasing attention and numerous conceptual frameworks and propositions have been suggested, few empirical studies have been conducted to examine its antecedents and outcomes. Some maintain that dynamic capability is created via organizational learning. Others contend that dynamic capability is resident in organizational processes.This empirical study utilizes a survey data from a Taiwan high-tech industry to test an integrative model of dynamic capability. The results of this study demonstrated that although organizational learning culture significantly affected performance, its influence was mediated by dynamic capability. Furthermore, this study provides supporting evidence for the hypothesis that process alignment influences performance directly and indirectly through dynamic capabilities.     

Promoting employee’s self‐change skills: The role of job characteristics,goal clarity and learning goals

Personal growth initiative (PGI), i.e., self‐change skills, is necessary for employees to adapt to changing environments, but research examining the antecedents of PGI in an organizational context is limited. The present research investigated the antecedents of PGI in the workplace. Using a two‐wave questionnaire survey, data were collected from 204 employees, including nurses, medical technicians and administrative staff, at six healthcare organizations in Japan. The results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that goal clarity and learning goal orientation were positively related to PGI, whereas autonomy, skill variety and job complexity were not significantly related to PGI. The results also showed that goal clarity positively moderated the effect of skill variety on PGI, yet, negatively moderated the effect of job complexity on PGI. This study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how personal and situational factors influence employees’ self‐change skills in the workplace.     

Workplace learning in Malaysia: the learner's perspective

This paper offers a scenario of workplace learning as practiced in Malaysia. Based on survey research, the article describes learner profiles, learning provision and pattern. The analysis shows that Malaysians participate in formal workplace learning as part of their employment activities. Workplace learning in Malaysia is contextual, promoted by the political‐economic agenda of a nation aspiring towards fully developed status. Workplace learning is also affected by factors such as learners’ socio‐cultural, economic and psychological status, and employers’ role and support.     

Managing interaction for learning and value creation in exchange relationships

Firms create value by establishing and maintaining appropriate exchange relationships. However, beyond the generally recognized importance of trust and commitment, there is a lack of specific cues as to how such value creation can be managed. In an attempt to gain more insight this study examines the success formulas in three different types of interactions in exchange relationships. The purpose is to investigate how different types of interactions can be managed so that buyer firms make important contributions to the development of their suppliers' capabilities. The study empirically examines how inter-organizational management facilitates value creation in three different types of interactions in exchange relationships: unilateral learning, unilateral development, and bilateral learning. This study uses a partial least squares analysis (PLS) to analyze survey data from 142 exchange relationships in the seafood industry. The main contribution to the literature is the assessment of how various types of inter-organizational management promote value-creation initiatives (such as information supply and coaching), and ultimately, value creation.     

Self‐regulated learning and training effectiveness

In recent years, training has shifted towards a more learner‐centred perspective. At the same time, rapidly changing workplaces emphasize the importance of self‐regulatory processes in the workplace. In the light of these trends, this research investigates the role of self‐regulated learning in training effectiveness. A theoretical model in which self‐regulated learning plays a central role in training evaluation was developed and validated using the structural equation method with a sample of 137 individuals. The results indicate that self‐regulated learning mediates the relationship between training climate and both transfer motivation and training evaluation. These findings indicate that the concept of self‐regulated learning plays a key role in the relationship between training context variables and organizational outcomes and offer new insights into the way organizations can improve training effectiveness.     

Factors influencing mentors’ learning from mentoring relationships: insights from a serial mediation study in India

The primary objective of the present study is to understand mentoring relationships in Indian organizations from the mentors’ perspective. In particular, the study examines whether the learning goal orientation of a mentor can significantly influence the mentoring process and outcomes for the mentor in a mentoring relationship. Two hundred and thirty‐six participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were gathered using standardized questionnaires. Mediating effects were investigated using the PROCESS model by Hayes, Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression Based Approach. The results indicate high levels of support for several hypotheses examining the direct effects of learning goal orientation on willingness to engage by the mentor, mentoring functions provided and mentor outcomes (personal learning and self enhancement). The overall findings of the study suggest that mentors are not only ‘providers’ but also ‘receivers of learning’. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed in the paper.     

Workplace gossip and frontline employees’ proactive service performance

Managers are interested in promoting frontline employees’ proactive behavior because proactivity is crucial for organizational success. This study examined the link between perceived workplace gossip and employees’ (targets’) proactive service performance by focusing on the mediating role of employees’ harmonious passion and the moderating role of perceived job social support. Using time-lagged survey data from 218 supervisor-subordinate dyads in a commercial bank in China, we found that perceived workplace gossip negatively influences employees’ proactive service performance, and that this relationship is mediated by reduced harmonious passion. In addition, perceived job social support attenuates the negative relationship between perceived workplace gossip and harmonious passion, with harmonious passion having a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived workplace gossip and proactive service performance. These results provide new directions for understanding workplace gossip, harmonious passion, proactive service performance, and job social support. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.     

Employability enhancement through formal and informal learning: an empirical study among Dutch non‐academic university staff members

Although learning is generally perceived as a way to improve employees' current job performance, so far, no research has been conducted to explore the possible relationships between formal and informal learning, on the one hand, and employability, on the other. Though contemporary views stress the importance of the job as a powerful learning site, considerable research evidence underpinning these views is lacking. This paper goes into the impact of formal and informal learning upon employability. The influence of employee characteristics and organizational factors is also taken into account. An e‐questionnaire was used to collect data among 215 Dutch non‐academic university staff members. Our findings emphasize the necessity of Human Resource Development strategies that encompass a mix of formal and informal learning opportunities. In particular, participation in networks appears to be an important predictor for employability. With the outcomes of this study, we aim to contribute to the further development of theoretical insights regarding employability enhancement through learning possibilities embedded in the workplace. It seems that strategies that focus exclusively on enhancing informal on‐the‐job learning should not be encouraged. Our study is limited to one context and further research is required to investigate the generalizability of the findings to other occupations and/or countries.     

Organizational learning as a situated routine-based activity in international settings

A large body of research has extensively studied the mechanisms behind organizational learning processes. However, there have been few studies of the learning process that explore the influences of history, context, and social meaning in international settings. Rather, the focus within the international management field has been on knowledge transfer. This study adopts a situated routine-based view of organizational learning to highlight the influence of national institutional characteristics on the acquisition and enactment of new knowledge. It is based on in-depth case studies that systematically compare the ways in which Japanese parent company knowledge diffuses to subsidiaries in the UK automotive industry. It concludes that organizational learning within the context of multinational corporations is shaped by actors’ enactment of new practices that are embedded in broader institutional contexts, where the links between knowledge transfer and the reinforcement of or change in routines are important in determining the level at which a subsidiary learns.     

Self‐directed learning readiness as an antecedent of organizational commitment: a Korean study

This study was to test whether employees possessing a higher level of self‐directed learning (SDL) readiness have significantly stronger organizational commitment in Korean business settings. Job position and length of service in the workplace, which were previously found as related variables to influence organizational commitment, were included to see how strongly they are associated with organizational commitment. This study found that SDL readiness was a meaningful variable in terms of predicting both affective and continuance commitment. While SDL readiness is negatively related to continuance commitment, it is positively associated with affective commitment. The findings of this study supported the theoretical assumption drawn in a review of the literature.     

The Role of Religiosity in Stress, Job Attitudes, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Religion and faith are often central aspects of an individual’s self-concept, and yet they are typically avoided in the workplace. The current study seeks to replicate the findings about the role of religious beliefs and practices in shaping an employee’s reactions to stress/burnout and job attitudes. Second, we extend the literature on faith in the workplace by investigating possible relationships between religious beliefs and practices and citizenship behaviors at work. Third, we attempted to study how one’s perceived freedom to express his/her religious identity at work was related to workplace attitudes and behaviors. Mixed results suggest that religiosity can be related to stress and burnout, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. More research is needed to further qualify the results and explore the effects of one’s perceived freedom to express his/her religious identity in the workplace.     

Micro-foundations of organizational design and sustainability: The mediating role of learning ambidexterity

This paper builds on prior scholarly works by examining the relationship between organizing paradox (formalization and decentralization), and organizational levels of learning paradoxes, i.e. exploration and exploitation, and firms’ outcomes (organizational creativity, organizational resilience and organizational energy). Using data from 98 executives and 325 senior employees working across a diverse range of firms operating in the Middle East, the findings suggest that organizing paradox (formalization and decentralization) has a positive impact on learning ambidexterity. In addition, we also found that learning ambidexterity has a positive impact on both organizational resilience and organizational energy. Furthermore, the results indicate that learning ambidexterity mediates the relationship between organizing paradox and organizational creativity. These findings provide important insights into the micro-foundation aspects of organizational ambidexterity.     

Will enterprise social networking systems promote knowledge management and organizational learning? An empirical study

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, enterprise social media practitioners and researchers are keen to know how the enterprise usage of social media can be converted into the improved organizational performance. Meanwhile, organizational learning has long been considered as one of the measures of organizational performance. This article investigated the impact of enterprise social networking systems (ESNS) usage on knowledge management processes and organizational learning; in particular, we examined the mediating role of knowledge creation and knowledge sharing. Four theories from sociology and strategic management were used to build the hypotheses in the research model. An online survey was conducted to empirically test the model. Our study results showed that ESNS usage directly and indirectly influences organizational learning; and that knowledge management processes (knowledge creation and sharing) mediate the path between the two. This study contributes to the existing literature on enterprise social media for three reasons. First, it is among the first to connect the three independent concepts (social media, knowledge management, and organizational learning) and explore their relationships in one theoretical framework. Second, this work also specifically examines the influence of ESNS (Yammer in this case) on organizational processes and outcomes. Third, this is a pioneering study that employs multiple theories to address the research questions under the organizational social media context. Therefore, the research gives implications for both practitioners and scholars who are interested in understanding the effectiveness of ESNS usage in the modern organizations today.     

Formal and informal learning in the workplace: a research review

The radical economic, social and cultural changes experienced by the labour market within recent decades have helped to highlight the central role played by the learning process in individual career development and organizational success. In such fast‐moving working contexts, skills and competencies rapidly become outdated and need to be continuously implemented and empowered as a strategic factor for global competitiveness. Traditional models of learning both inside and outside of the workplace have become unable to explain the complexity of such a process, weaving between and overlapping formal and informal components. Starting with this premise, the aim of the present paper was to analyse the role of knowledge and experience as important learning frames, which allow the acquisition and development of competencies in the workplace. A human resource development perspective was adopted, aimed at reconciling both the organizational and individual stances implied in the process. The methodology of achieving this was to review the most recent literature on workplace learning, with a special focus on its formal and informal dimensions.     

Subsidiary capability upgrading under emerging market acquirers

This article leverages a case study of a recent Chinese acquisition in the United Kingdom to explore the upgrading of capabilities in the subsidiaries in developed countries acquired by emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs). The seemingly implausible upgrading phenomenon is explained by the EMNEs’ complementary assets, their GVC lead firm positions and the unique power relationship between the acquirer and acquired firms, which enable the EMNEs to ‘impel’ upgrading and encourage ‘co-learning’ in their acquired subsidiaries. The contributions to the literature on EMNEs, global value chains, and organizational learning are outlined and discussed.