Informal learning behaviors and the role of workplace support: preliminary findings from an India-USA workforce

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidheesh Joseph ◽  
E. Sownthara Rajan
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Learning Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Support ◽  
Job Support ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Job Role

Purpose (mandatory) The purpose of this paper is to study engagement of employees in informal learning behaviors (ILBs) and to understand the role of workplace support (organizational support, supervisor support and job support) in facilitating such behaviors. Design/methodology/approach (mandatory) The study uses descriptive design with data collected through voluntary non-probability sampling method of 58 employees from India and the USA through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings (mandatory) Preliminary findings suggest that 81% of the employees are likely to engage in ILBs and 65.5% agreed to have received workplace support. Employees from India rate their workplace support as higher and are more likely to engage in ILBs than those from the USA. Originality/value (mandatory) This study contributes to workplace informal learning literature and highlights the need for more studies on workforce ILBs across multiple countries and job role variations.

How to increase social capital of organizations: identifying the role of informal learning behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidheesh Joseph ◽  
Abhishek Totawar
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Learning Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Capability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of informal learning behaviors in increasing the social capital of organizations. The paper provides a brief overview of social capital and informal learning and proposes to interlink them for increasing knowledge capability of organizations. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a review of social capital theory and informal learning behaviors, this article presents a conceptual approach for practitioners to deploy informal learning behaviors to increase social capital and subsequently, the knowledge capability of their organizations. Findings With the fast-changing global business scenario and limited availability of capital to invest in formal training behaviors, organizations continue to face difficulties in increasing their knowledge capability. This article suggests a simple, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy method of employing informal learning behaviors to build and sustain social capital and through it the knowledge capabilities of organizations. Originality/value There is currently limited research into the applicability of using informal learning behaviors in the field of social capital and knowledge capability building.

Turnover among young adults in the hospitality industry: examining the impact of fun in the workplace and training climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-261
Author(s):  
Michael J. Tews ◽  
Ankie Hoefnagels ◽  
Phillip M. Jolly ◽  
Kathryn Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Job Support ◽  
Manager Support ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Training Climate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Training

PurposeAs a step toward more firmly establishing factors to promote retention among younger employees in the hospitality industry, this study aims to focuses on fun in the workplace (fun activities, manager support for fun and coworker socializing) and training climate (organizational support, manager support and job support) as potential antecedents of turnover in a European context.Design/methodology/approachLogistic regression was used to analyze the impact of fun and training climate on turnover with a sample of 902 employees from Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. Data on fun and training climate were obtained through surveys, which were paired with turnover data from organizational records.FindingsWith respect to fun in the workplace, group-level manager support for fun and coworker socializing were significantly related to turnover, but not fun activities. With respect to training climate, individual-level job support was significantly related to turnover, but not organizational support and manager support.Research limitations/implicationsAs the data were obtained from employees from one organization, further research would be valuable with additional samples to substantiate the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the challenge of turnover, organizations should foster informal aspects of fun in the workplace and learning opportunities to promote retention.Originality/valueThe study examined the fun–turnover relationship in a context outside of the USA where previous fun–turnover research has been conducted, and it examined fun relative to training climate, which has not been studied heretofore. This study also investigated group- and individual-level effects of both fun and training climate on turnover.

Cognitive and affective predictors of occupational stress and job performance: the role of perceived organizational support and work engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Junça Silva ◽  
Cannanda Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Perceived Organizational Support ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis study aimed to (1) analyze whether the perceived organizational support (POS) was a significant predictor of performance and stress and (2) explore the mediating role of engagement in these relations.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, the authors collected data with 200 working adults in a mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic crisis.FindingsThe results showed that the POS contributed to increase engagement, and consequently, job performance. These relations also proved to be significant for stress, because when the POS increased, the work engagement also increased, and as a result decreased occupational stress.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on a cross-sectional design. Therefore, future research should consider a daily design to replicate this study and analyze daily fluctuations. Overall, the authors can conclude that work engagement is an affective process through which POS decreases stress and increases performance.Originality/valueThis study tests the mediating effect of work engagement on the link between POS, stress and performance, and its theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Workplace fun and informal learning: the mediating role of motivation to learn, learning opportunities and management support

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Taheri ◽  
Sharareh Motealleh ◽  
Jalil Younesi
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Opportunity ◽  
Workplace Fun ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Past research shows that workplace fun has a positive effect on informal learning, however, the role of individual and organizational mediating variables in this relation has not been studied much. This study aims to examine the role of management support, motivation to learn and learning opportunity in the relationship between workplace fun and informal learning. Design/methodology/approach In this multivariate correlation study, data were collected through questionnaires. In total, 200 employees of the petrochemical industry participated. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings The main finding suggests that motivation to learn contributes to informal learning. Fun in the workplace has a positive and significant indirect effect on informal learning by providing a variety of opportunities to learn; the management support in the final model also mediates the relationship between workplace fun and opportunities to learn. Practical implications The results indicate the benefits of creating and maintaining fun in the workplace to improve informal learning. The authors will be better able to advise by providing abundant resources for formal training such as time, learning climate and financial resources, workplace fun can be used as a practical strategy to promote informal learning where the workplace is fun, innovation, creativity and performance improvement occur. Managers should make arrangements to spontaneously motivate employees to learn informally and provide fun and varied opportunities for informal learning. Originality/value In this study, the multiple correlations and the effect of motivation variables, learning opportunity and management support in the relationship between workplace fun and informal learning were studied. Examining how these relationships are and identifying the moderator of this relationship because of individual and environmental differences requires further studies.

Impact of perceived organizational support and green transformational leadership on sustainable organizational performance: a SEM approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manita Kusi ◽  
Fuqiang Zhao ◽  
Dinesh Sukamani
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Perceived Organizational Support ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Staff Level

PurposeThe study aims to scrutinize the concomitant associations between corporate social responsibility (CSR), perceived organizational support (POS), green transformational leadership (GTL) and organizational performance (OP). This paper aims to explore the role of intervening variable to measure the strength on the relationship between CSR and OP.Design/methodology/approachThis research administered a survey through self-administered questionnaire among the staff-level employees of construction companies of Nepal. Fully filled 305 responses from the participants were analyzed using a structural equation model. The study used self-structured questionnaire as research tool and face-to-face meetings as data collection technique.FindingsThe research indicates that POS showed competitive partial mediation relation between CSR and OP. Besides, a novel exploration of the moderation effect of GTL displays a supportive role in harmonizing the CSR with organizational support to achieve better OP. This study enriches empirical evidence to understand the linkage between CSR and POS in staff-level employees in the construction area. Moreover, the research shed a light on GTL 's moderating influence on the mediated model of CSR, POS and OP.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the results of the study add to the current knowledge base, several limitations highlight avenues for future research. Future studies can explore the relationship in other study areas with added evidence on a similar result with different analysis patterns and study sample. The research model studied in the context of Nepal creating evidence as a representation for the developing countries.Originality/valueThe intervening role of POS and GTL gives new insight for the research-based organization based social behavior and performance

Century plus journeys: using career crafting to explore the career success of pioneer women accountants

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohini P. Vidwans ◽  
Rosalind H. Whiting
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Pioneer Women ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the struggle for entry and career success of the early pioneer women accountants in Great Britain and its former colonies the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.Design/methodology/approachA career crafting matrix guides the analysis of historical information available on five pioneer women accountants in order to understand their success in gaining entry into the profession and their subsequent careers.FindingsDespite an exclusionary environment, career crafting efforts coupled with family and organizational support enabled these women to become one of the first female accountants in their respective countries. Their struggles were not personal but much broader—seeking social, political, economic and professional empowerment for women.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to utilize the career crafting matrix developed from current female accountants' careers to explore careers of pioneering female accountants. It adds to the limited literature on women actors in accounting and may provide insight into approaching current forms of difference and discrimination.

Paternity leave: stepchild of family-friendly policies. Moderating the role of traditional masculinity ideology

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhawana Maheshwari ◽  
Jatin Pandey ◽  
Aditya Billore
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Masculinity Ideology ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Paternity Leave ◽  
Traditional Masculinity ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to demonstrate the importance and influence of paternity leave on individual level organizational outcomes. Drawing on signaling theory, the study examines the relationship between paid paternity leave entitlement (PPLE) and organizational attractiveness (OA) through a mediating path of anticipated organizational support (AOS). Furthermore, the study proposes that this mediated relationship would be conditional on traditional masculinity ideology (TMI) such that the relationship would be stronger for individuals who score low on TMI.Design/methodology/approachThe study analyzed a moderated mediation model using the data from a survey experiment. Data were collected from 264 professionals enrolled in an executive education course and will soon be looking for employment.FindingsThe findings supported the mediating role of AOS between PPLE and OA. As predicted, the positive impact of PPLE on AOS and OA is stronger for individuals scoring low on TMI.Originality/valueThis study takes a multidisciplinary approach to understand the underlying mechanisms that impact decisions related to employers. It is one of the few studies that study paternity leave in the Indian context and makes important contributions to theory and practice.

The role of conferences in doctoral student socialization

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliya Kuzhabekova ◽  
Aizhan Temerbayeva
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Professional Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Conference Attendance ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Student Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student Socialization

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role scholarly conferences play in professional socialization of doctoral students.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 20 interviews on conference experiences of student attendees of a North American conference in social sciences, as well as on the conference experiences of students from various disciplines at a private research intensive university in the USA, the authors explored how research identity of doctoral students change over time as result of participation in conferences, how the process of socialization is shaped by advisers and peers and how the experiences vary depending on the characteristics of the participants.FindingsThe authors found that conferences play an important role in socialization, and the effect from conference attendance increases with the number of conferences attended. The study also showed that students undergo several stages in the process of their socialization, throughout which they develop greater agency and independence as scholars, as well as a more positive image of themselves as researchers, and become more strategic in their behavior. The results also point to the key role of adviser and peers in the process of socialization, whereby the former can provide direction and orientation, while the latter may offer support and opportunities for mutual learning or future collaboration. The authors also found a notable difference in the support provided by advisers between teaching and research-oriented universities.Originality/valueThe paper applies doctoral student socialization theory to the analysis of informal doctoral experiences outside the program of study.

Role of perceived organizational support in teachers’ responsiveness and students’ outcomes

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishfaq Ahmed ◽  
Wan Khairuzzaman Wan Ismail ◽  
Salmiah Mohamad Amin ◽  
Talat Islam
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Responsive Behavior

Purpose – Applying the social exchange theory at educational institution, this research endeavor is aimed to find out impact of organizational (institutional) support on teachers’ responsive behavior, and ultimately outcomes of responsiveness in form of students’ satisfaction and academic performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted on 20 teachers and 353 students, from the biggest public sector University of Pakistan. These teachers and students belong to ten faculties. A questionnaire was used to elicit response of both the respondent groups. Findings – Findings of the study reveal that provision of supportive environment (high perceived organizational/institutional support) positively influences teachers and they respond well toward the needs of students. This responsive behavior increases both satisfaction and academic performance of students. Originality/value – This research highlights the role of educational institutions in improving the quality of their product (students).

Informal learning behaviors, interaction and workplace autonomy and readiness to learn

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávia Lucena Barbosa ◽  
Jairo Eduardo Borges-Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Learning Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Context Variables ◽  
Readiness To Learn ◽  
Parsimonious Model

Purpose This paper aims to find a measurement model with better evidence of validity, with data extracted from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). To test a parsimonious model in which dispositional and workplace context characteristics are predictors of informal learning behaviors (ILBs). Design/methodology/approach The authors performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to improve the fit of the PIAAC data measurement model. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the prediction of ILBs by one dispositional variable (Readiness to Learn) and two workplace context variables (Autonomy and Interaction in the Workplace). Findings A measurement model emerged with 18 items divided into four factors. The three antecedent variables predicted ILBs. Interaction in the workplace resulted in higher scores, and workplace autonomy resulted in lower scores. Research limitations/implications The small number of items for ILBs prevented a more detailed exploration of predictors of different types of these behaviors. ILBs can be stimulated by policies that promote readiness to learn and that encourage the design of environments that require worker interactions and autonomy. Originality/value Few studies on ILBs in the workplace have investigated the prediction of dispositional and contextual antecedents based on a theoretical model. The findings herein were obtained using a diverse sample of countries, occupations and generations, allowing better generalization. The importance of interpersonal relationships in the workplace for predicting ILBs was emphasized.

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