Eva Kyndt, Eva Vermeire and Shana Cabus
This paper aims to examine which organisational learning conditions and individual characteristics predict the learning outcomes nurses achieve through informal learning…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine which organisational learning conditions and individual characteristics predict the learning outcomes nurses achieve through informal learning activities. There is specific relevance for the nursing profession because of the rapidly changing healthcare systems.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 203 nurses completed a survey assessing their perception of the available learning conditions, the learning outcomes they acquired by executing their job and their self-efficacy, proactive personality and learning motivation. After checking the structure and reliability of the instruments by means of confirmatory factor analysis and the calculation of the internal consistency of the scales, a multivariate multiple regression analyses was performed because the different learning outcomes (dependent variables) were correlated with each other.
Findings
Results show that learning outcomes as a whole are significantly predicted by opportunities for cooperation and feedback. Regarding generic and job-specific learning outcomes, analyses showed the same predictors for both levels of learning outcomes: opportunities for feedback and self-efficacy. Higher proactivity and opportunities for cooperation are related to higher organisational level learning outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is that its findings rely on cross-sectional survey data; hence, further research is needed to confirm these initial exploratory results.
Originality/value
The current study is one of the few studies that empirically relates organisational learning conditions to learning outcomes acquired by employees while considering the personal characteristics of the employee. It offers insight into which learning conditions are able to foster the acquirement of different learning outcomes.
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Eva Kyndt, Natalie Govaerts, Loes Keunen and Filip Dochy
While the professional learning of high‐qualified employees has received a lot of attention, research that focuses on low‐qualified employees is limited. The purpose of this study…
Abstract
Purpose
While the professional learning of high‐qualified employees has received a lot of attention, research that focuses on low‐qualified employees is limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the learning intention of low‐qualified employees as a proximal determinant of their actual participation in learning activities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a mixed method approach. The quantitative part of the section applied a cross‐sectional survey design. In total 673 low‐qualified participants completed the questionnaire. Regression and ANOVA analyses were calculated to answer the research questions. For the qualitative part of this study, 14 low‐qualified employees were interviewed. These interviews were transcribed and encoded by means of descriptive coding and open coding, and split up into different categories using NVivo 8 software.
Findings
The results show that self‐directedness in career processes and financial satisfaction are positively related to the learning intentions of low‐qualified employees. The qualitative part of the research shows that low‐qualified employees primarily relate learning to formal learning activities, and that learning has a negative connotation for them due to prior negative experiences related to school learning.
Research limitations/implications
The quantitative part of the research only considers formal learning, whereas the qualitative part of the research also allowed a discussion of informal learning experiences. Because of the negative connotation that low‐qualified employees attach to learning, it seems that semi‐structured interviews did not yield as much information as expected.
Originality/value
Besides investigating possible antecedents of low‐qualified employees' learning intentions, this research also explores what learning means for this group of employees, who traditionally have an educational background that is filled with negative experiences.
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Natalie Govaerts, Eva Kyndt, Filip Dochy and Herman Baert
The aim of this study is to investigate some factors that have an influence on employee retention. Based on the literature and previous research, both employee and organisational…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate some factors that have an influence on employee retention. Based on the literature and previous research, both employee and organisational factors are taken into account.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by means of a questionnaire that was distributed on a voluntary basis in professional organisations and among employees, both electronically and in hard‐copy, during 2008‐2009. The study sample consisted of 972 employees, mainly clerks, from diverse profit and social‐profit organisations.
Findings
The results show that when organisations want to retain their employees it is important to pay attention to the learning of employees. Letting people do more and learn more of what they are good at will encourage them to stay with the organisation. Results concerning the selected employee variables show that only age has a significant relationship with retention. Regarding the intention to stay, there exists a positive relationship between age and retention.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study is that both employee as organizational factors are measured through the perceptions of employees. The response set of subjects when responding to self‐report measures could therefore be the result of a temporary mood, or could be the result of what may be considered as socially appropriate by the participants. Another limitation is that the questionnaire was voluntarily completed by the respondents; the researcher had therefore no information about the non‐respondents.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on the factors influencing employee retention.
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Eva Kyndt, Filip Dochy and Hanne Nijs
The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the presence of learning conditions for non‐formal and informal workplace learning in relation to the characteristics of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the presence of learning conditions for non‐formal and informal workplace learning in relation to the characteristics of the employee and the organisation he or she works for.
Design/methodology/approach
The questionnaire developed by Clauwaert and Van Bree on learning conditions was administered to 1,162 employees of 31 different organisations. An explorative factor analysis was performed to reduce the number of variables and to look for underlying constructs in the data. Second, a series of analyses of variance were calculated in order to be able to compare the factors in different kinds of groups of employees.
Findings
The authors concluded that for the five learning conditions that were identified in this research, different kinds of groups of employees have different chances for non‐formal and informal learning. These learning conditions are “feedback and knowledge acquisition”, “new learning approach and communication tools”, “being coached”, “coaching others”, and “information acquisition”.
Originality/value
The value of this research is that it has shown that characteristics of the employee and his or her organisation have a relationship with the presence of learning conditions or chances for non‐formal and informal workplace learning. Moreover, this research included all kinds of employees and not only those responsible for training and education in the organisation. This research focused on conceptions and perceptions of “regular” employees.
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Elisabeth Raes, Anne Boon, Eva Kyndt and Filip Dochy
This study aims to explore, as an answer to the observed lack of knowledge about actual team learning behaviours, the characteristics of the actual observed basic team learning…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore, as an answer to the observed lack of knowledge about actual team learning behaviours, the characteristics of the actual observed basic team learning behaviours and facilitating team learning behaviours more in-depth of three project teams. Over time, team learning in an organisational context has been investigated more and more. In these studies, there is a dominant focus on team members’ perception of team learning behaviours.
Design/methodology/approach
A coding schema is created to observe actual team learning behaviours in interaction between team members in two steps: verbal contributions by individual team members are coded to identify the type of sharing behaviour and, when applicable, these individual verbal behaviours are build up to basic and facilitating team learning behaviours. Based on these observations, an analysis of team learning behaviours is conducted to identify the specific characteristics of these behaviours.
Findings
An important conclusion of this study is the lack of clarity about the line of demarcation between individual contributions and learning behaviours and team learning behaviours. Additionally, it is clear that the conceptualisations of team learning behaviour in previous research neglect to a large extend the nuances and depth of team learning behaviours.
Originality/value
Due to the innovative approach to study team learning behaviours, this study is of great value to the research field of teamwork for two reasons: the creation of a coding schema to analyse team learning behaviours and the findings that resulted from this approach.
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Anne Boon, Elisabeth Raes, Eva Kyndt and Filip Dochy
Teams, teamwork and team learning have been the subject of many research studies over the last decades. This article aims at investigating and confirming the Team Learning Beliefs…
Abstract
Purpose
Teams, teamwork and team learning have been the subject of many research studies over the last decades. This article aims at investigating and confirming the Team Learning Beliefs and Behaviours (TLB&B) model within a very specific population, i.e. police and firemen teams. Within this context, the paper asks whether the team's beliefs about the interpersonal context and the occurrence of three team learning behaviours (construction, co‐construction and constructive conflict) play a role in building and maintaining mutually shared cognition in a collaborative learning environment leading to a higher effectiveness. Self‐efficacy was added to the original model. Furthermore, the effect of team meeting frequency on the TLB&B model was investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
All constructs were measured using the validated Team Learning Beliefs and Behaviours Questionnaire completed with the self‐efficacy scale. Data were collected from 126 teams (nindividuals=769) and analysed using stepwise multi‐level regression analyses and analyses of variance.
Findings
The results show that the examined model generally applies to the data. Furthermore, self‐efficacy was found to be a valuable addition to the model.
Originality/value
This article validates an existing team learning model in a new context, namely that of response teams. Furthermore, it adds self‐efficacy as a predictor for team learning behaviours and team effectiveness. A multilevel‐approach was used as a valuable alternative of aggregating individual perceptions to team constructs.