DOCSLIB.ORG

Self-Guided Development: a Proactive Approach to Employee Development

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Self-Guided Development: a Proactive Approach to Employee Development Self-Guided Development: A proactive approach to employee development DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Alison McConnell Dachner, B.S., M.B.A Graduate Program in Labor and Human Resources The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Jill E. Ellingson, Advisor Raymond A. Noe Howard J. Klein Copyrighted by Alison McConnell Dachner 2013 Abstract The effectiveness of formal training and development initiatives are becoming more difficult to realize in response to more dynamic and decentralized work environments. Organizations are increasingly relying on employee initiatives to react to rapid changes at work. The current prevalence of informal learning and development in practice emphasizes the need to further explore this phenomenon. To that effect, this dissertation defines self-guided development as a set of knowledge, skill or relationship building learning activities that generate human capital, but are unstructured, voluntary and not administratively or operationally provided by the organization. Self-guided development offers a flexible and efficient method for building human capital in today's work environment. This dissertation has two objectives. First, to embed self-guided development within the development literature as in important type of proactive behavior. Second, to define self-guided development and begin to establish its nomological network. Self- guided development should be influenced by both individual differences (e.g., proactive personality) and contextual variables (e.g., autonomy and training climate). In addition, these individual differences and contextual variables should interact such that employee's who possess traits that are likely to result in self-guided development are most likely to actually engage in self-guided development if the work environment and job support ii expression of those traits. Self-guided development should lead to valuable firm outcomes such as higher performance and knowledge sharing. This effect should be enhanced if employees experience positive exchange relationships at work with their organization, supervisor and coworkers. Field data was collected by surveying 103 employees at two times to examine the nature of self-guided development and test the hypotheses in this dissertation. Sixty-nine employees had data for both surveys that could be matched. Self-guided development was measured using 32 behaviors that met the criteria for being considered self-guided development. Content adequacy results supported the use of the 32 items. Results show that self-guided development was prevalent among employees. In fact, of the 32 self- guided development behaviors identified for this research, every single one was used to some extent by employees. Simple and hierarchical regression was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Both individual differences and contextual variables were found to influence engagement in self-guided development. Proactive personality and training climate each had a positive, significant relationship with self-guided development. However, there was not enough power to detect significant results for most of the other hypothesized relationships. iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to Joel and Liesel who make me happier than I could have ever imagined, as well as to my parents who have always emphasized the importance of hard work and education. iv Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have evolved without the time and effort that Jill Ellingson, Raymond Noe, and Howard Klein dedicated to me and this research. They have been instrumental in developing my skills as a researcher, writer, and teacher. Their patience and support is truly admirable and has given me confidence in my ability as an academic. Each of these members of my dissertation committee have provided me with opportunities that have exceeded all expectations. For these reasons, I am forever grateful to each one of them. The National Center for the Middle Market in the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University funded this research. The Center also connected me with the organization where data was collected and used as the sample in this dissertation. Beth Polin, Brian Saxton, Willie Stormeyer, and Erin Makarius have provided more support and encouragement than I deserve during this dissertation process. Their willingness to listen to ideas and ability to assist when I hit a roadblock has never gone unnoticed. More importantly is their friendship that I can only strive to reciprocate to a similar degree. v Vita 2000 ................................................... Charles F. Brush High School 2004 .................................................... B.S. Human Resources, The Ohio State University 2008 .................................................... M.B.A., Cleveland State University 2008-present ........................................ Graduate Research Assistance, The Ohio State University Publications Dachner, A.M., Saxton, B.M., & Noe, R.A. (Forthcoming) To Infinity and Beyond: Training teams for unknown and dynamic situations using a narrative approach, an example from NASA. Human Resource Development Quarterly. Noe, R.A., Dachner, A.M., & Saxton, B.M. (2011). Team Training for Long-duration Missions in Isolated and Confined Environments: A Literature Review, an Operational Assessment, and Recommendations for Practice and Research. NASA/TM-2011-216162. Noe, R.A., Tews, M.J. & Dachner, A.M. (2010). Learner engagement: A new perspective for enhancing our understanding of learner motivation and workplace learning. Academy of Management Annals, 4, 279 -315. Fields of Study Major Field: Labor and Human Resouces vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: The Importance of Self-Guided Development ................................................. 1 Chapter 2: Defining Self-Guided Development ................................................................. 9 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 9 Employee Development prior to the 1990s ................................................................. 9 Employee Development during the 1990s ................................................................. 12 Employee Development in the 2000s ........................................................................ 15 The Value of Introducing Self-guided Development .................................................... 20 Self-Guided Development Defined ............................................................................... 22 Chapter 3: Nomological Network for Self-Guided Development .................................... 27 Antecedents of Self-Guided Development .................................................................... 27 vii An Interactional Approach ........................................................................................ 28 Proactive Personality and Self-Guided Development ............................................... 29 Job Autonomy and Self-Guided Development .......................................................... 31 The Interaction between Proactive Personality and Job Autonomy .......................... 32 Training Climate and Self-Guided Development ...................................................... 34 The Interaction between Proactive Personality and Training Climate ...................... 35 Outcomes of Self-Guided Development ....................................................................... 37 Self-Guided Development and Task Performance .................................................... 39 The Interaction between Self-Guided Development and Perceived Supervisor Support....................................................................................................................... 41 The Interaction between Self-Guided Development and Organization Commitment ................................................................................................................................... 43 Self-Guided Development and Knowledge Sharing ................................................. 44 The Interaction between Self-Guided Development and High-Quality Relationships ................................................................................................................................... 45 The Interaction between Self-Guided Development and Task Interdependence ...... 47 Chapter 4: Methodology ................................................................................................... 49 Sample ......................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The No Blame Organization
    CRORA Centro di Ricerca sull’Organizzazione Aziendale The No Blame Organization Bernardino Provera, Andrea Montefusco & Anna Canato Bocconi University Email: [email protected] Working Paper no.7 February 2005 20136 Milano Luigi Bocconi Via Sarfatti 25 Università Commerciale 2005 o ann – versità Bocconi Uni – CRORA t Copyrigth 1 The No Blame Organization Bernardino PROVERA, Andrea MONTEFUSCO & Anna CANATO [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Bocconi University, Institute of Organization and Information Systems & SDA Bocconi School of Management viale Isonzo 23, 20136 Milano – Italy Tel: (0039) 02-5836-2632 Fax: (0039) 02-5836-2634 February 2005 Abstract accepted to the 2005 Academy of Management, Management Cognition Division 2 Abstract High Reliability Organizations (HROs) are those organizations in which even a minor error in their processes may seriously hinder the very existence of the firm, together with the safety of external actors (Roberts, 1990). Past field studies have shown that HROs encourage the reporting of errors and near misses, exploiting these accidents to improve their operative processes. We label this practice as a no blame approach to error management, arguing that it enhances organizational learning. In this paper, by taking a cognitive perspective of organizations (Weick, 1979; Grandori, 1984), we draw on existing contributions on HROs in order to discuss the characteristics of the no blame organization. Our purpose is to solve the following paradox: why HROs, which can not afford to commit errors, do not blame operators that spontaneously report them? We attempt to pool together and extend empirical findings, in order to delineate the theoretical grounding of the no blame organization and highlight its essential traits.
    [Show full text]
  • Promoting Organizational Learning in Higher Education to Achieve Equity in Educational Outcomes
    This chapter describes a project in which teams of faculty, administrators, and staff from fourteen colleges 2 and universities engaged in organizational learning for the purposes of identifying and improving inequitable educational outcomes for African American and Latino students. Promoting Organizational Learning in Higher Education to Achieve Equity in Educational Outcomes Georgia L. Bauman Colleges and universities have been highlighted as an example of a type of organization that does not engage in organizational learning effectively (Dill, 1999; Garvin, 1993). While learning is the central work of these insti- tutions, they are believed to lack the attributes needed for organizational learning. According to David Garvin (1993), for an entity to be a learning organization, it must acquire new ideas that lead to improvements in the way it does business. Garvin contends that “many universities fail to qual- ify [because] ...these organizations have been effective at creating or acquiring new knowledge but notably less successful in applying that knowledge to their own activities” (p. 80). For example, colleges and uni- versities have made considerable investments in technology and training to develop their capacity to collect all kinds of information about students, ranging from their incoming SAT scores through every course they take to their graduating grade point averages (GPAs). In addition, higher education now finds itself in an “age of accountability” (Alexander, 2000; Gumport and Sporn, 1999; Ohmann, 1999; Radner, 1996; Sewall, 1996) in which institutions are required to provide innumerable data to outside agencies. Despite this, very little organizational learning is culled from these data. The Knight Higher Educational Collaborative (2000) asserts, “Today, universi- ties and colleges expend more time, effort, and money than ever before in gathering data.
    [Show full text]
  • In Search of Individual and Organizational Fairness in Policing
    International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research 2018, Vol 3 No 1: Online doi: 10.22324/ijhrdppr.3.102 In Search of Individual and Organizational Fairness in Policing Steven Chase, Director of People, Thames Valley Police This paper considers individual and organizational fairness in policing and explores the opportunities to promote a culture of learning, drawing on organizational justice research literature, together with practice reflection. An attempt is made to synthesize the two into a working model of fairness in organizations. The paper examines how leadership style might influence such an ambition and how adopting a culture of learning and fairness might produce more organizationally just outcomes in Human Resources policy and practice, such as misconduct and performance procedures. The paper concludes that further research through the lens of ‘organizational story telling’ would add a richness to the research to date much of which has tended to be quantitative in nature. Key words: policing, leadership, organizational justice, fairness, learning, culture Introduction The aim of this paper is to provide a scholarly-practice consideration of how organizations might begin to construct pathways to promote a culture of learning in the context of the increasingly important and politically sensitive dimension of organizational fairness and justice. The paper is situated within UK police practice and draws, critically, on extant research and the experience of the author from 20 years in Human Resource Management within a UK police force. The paper makes no claim to be an empirically based ‘answer’ to the problem of fairness and justice within organizations. Rather it provides a discussion platform from which organizations might seek to develop and sustain their own policies and practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview on the Importance of Organizational Learning and Learning Organization
    Journal of Research and Development Vol. 1, No.2, 2013 OVERVIEW ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND LEARNING ORGANIZATION Shahram Gilaninia Department of Industrial Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran Mir Abdolhasan Askari Rankouh Department of Education Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran Milad Abbas Poor Gildeh M.A. Student of Business Management (Corresponding Author), Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran Abstract Given that there is the dynamics of environmental changes in the present time, manager of modern organizations is a something very complex and ways that was used to manage organizations in the past, have lost their effectiveness. Thus to deal with this issue in the management field, we are always seeing new ideas. Necessary to implement such ideas, this is that organizations create basic changes in their management and learning methods that always ready to learning and new ideas embrace for adapt with changes. One of the ideas of modern management is called learning organization that emphasis on learning and adaptation is continuous. Keyword: Learning, Learning Styles, Organizational Learning and Learning Organization Introduction Learn is the main, key and requirement factors of organization that wants remain in the economic modern world and competitive environment. Thus, organizations must be prepared people through constantly learning, for deal with changes and to have the ability to adapt with conditions changes and challenges moderns, must be able to institutionalize learning within the organization. In other words, become to a learning organization. Learning organizations are bold and powerful organizations that their foundation are based on learning and the best way to improve performance in the long run, consider learning.
    [Show full text]
  • Findings from an Organizational Network Analysis to Support Local Public Health Management
    Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Vol. 85, No. 4 doi:10.1007/s11524-008-9277-8 * 2008 The New York Academy of Medicine Findings from an Organizational Network Analysis to Support Local Public Health Management Jacqueline Merrill, Michael Caldwell, Maxine L. Rockoff, Kristine Gebbie, Kathleen M. Carley, and Suzanne Bakken ABSTRACT We assessed the feasibility of using organizational network analysis in a local public health organization. The research setting was an urban/suburban county health department with 156 employees. The goal of the research was to study communication and information flow in the department and to assess the technique for public health management. Network data were derived from survey questionnaires. Computational analysis was performed with the Organizational Risk Analyzer. Analysis revealed centralized communication, limited interdependencies, potential knowledge loss through retirement, and possible informational silos. The findings suggested opportunities for more cross program coordination but also suggested the presences of potentially efficient communication paths and potentially beneficial social connectedness. Managers found the findings useful to support decision making. Public health organizations must be effective in an increasingly complex environment. Network analysis can help build public health capacity for complex system management. KEYWORDS Public health, Complex systems, Network analysis, Organizational theory, Information management. INTRODUCTION There is a national need to manage public health organizations efficiently and effectively and to augment public health managers’ abilities to build adaptive organizations in an increasingly complex environment.1 Organizations are complex information processing entities in which internal structures and processes evolve – contingent upon environmental conditions.2 5 Within an individual public health organization performance is influenced by complex interactions among employees, tasks, specialized knowledge, and resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Organizational Culture As the Driver of Dense Intra-Organizational Networks
    Organizational Culture as the Driver of Dense Intra-organizational Networks Eckenhofer Eva, Ershova Maria Abstract Shared norms and values are essential for connecting individuals in social networks as well as triggering exchange of information and joint cooperation. Trust, proximity and reciprocity are also relevant to having a positive outcome within social networks as they are linked to Social Capital, competitiveness of organizations, advantages of the economies of scales and scope as well as decrease in transaction-costs. Organizational culture impacts on most aspects of organizational life, especially when it comes to people and their relationships. Even though it is widely acknowledged that culture plays an important role in social network building and the qualities of these connections, there has not been much research on it. Therefore, the question which usually arises is which type of organizational culture is most likely to have a positive influence on the intra-organizational networks and lead to a higher density of the network. Based on a literature study and a case study analysis of two Austrian organizations, the authors’ aimed at providing some clarifications on the impact of organizational culture on the density of intra-organizational networks. This paper uses the Competing Values Framework and the Social Network Analysis for that purpose. Key words: Organizational Culture, Intra-organizational Networks, Social Network Analysis, Competing Values Framework. 1 INTRODUCTION External and internal relationships are more and more acknowledged by scholars and practi- tioners to play a crucial role in the success of organizations. Solid and dense networks within an organization are the source of improved organizational learning, developed technologies and resources and a unique and dependable competitive advantage (Reagans & McEvily, 2003; Beugelsdijk & Van Schaik, 2005).
    [Show full text]
  • How Organizational Learning Occurs in Networks
    1 The Networked Non-profit: How Organizational Learning Occurs in Networks A doctoral thesis presented by Yechiel Hoffman to The School of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the field of Education College of Professional Studies Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts February 2014 2 Abstract In non-profit organizations driven by a crowded marketplace for ideas, resources and information, learning occurs as a process of creating new knowledge and understanding amongst individuals and groups networked throughout an organization. In order to increase opportunities for organizational learning, and its impact on organizations and their ecosystem, non-profits intentionally design and facilitate networks for individuals to connect and learn together. This study explored how organizational learning occurs within intentional networks, impacting the individuals and their relationships with each other. Additionally, this research identified the various ways network dynamics engender learning, according to the perspectives of those within the networks. This qualitative case study utilized Organizational Learning and Network theoretical frameworks to guide the research’s questions, methodology, analysis and findings. The study focused on a single non-profit, the School Network, whose mission was to serve a membership base of schools within a sector of the field of Jewish education. The four study participants represented three of the non-profit’s network groups. At the time of the study, these groups had been in operation for less than one year, and each had been created by the School Network to serve a defined group of school leaders within its network of schools. Findings of the research study concluded that networks formed around small groups of individuals were able to enact organizational learning when the networks addressed the individuals’ needs for connectivity and served their common interests.
    [Show full text]
  • A Knowledge Management Approach to Capture Organizational Learning
    International Journal of Information Management xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Information Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijinfomgt Research Note A knowledge management approach to capture organizational learning networks ⁎ Alexandre Barãoa, José Braga de Vasconcelosa, , Álvaro Rochab, Ruben Pereirac a Knowledge Management and Engineering Research Group, Universidade Atlântica, Fábrica da Pólvora de Barcarena, 2730-036 Barcarena, Portugal b Departamento de Engenharia Informática, Universidade de Coimbra, Pólo II - Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal c Department of Science and Information Technology, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Effective knowledge management practices in organizations are focused on knowledge creation and knowledge Knowledge management transfer activities. Thus, intelligence and competencies matters at the organizational workplace. For most Ontology design knowledge intensive organizations is fundamental the continuous availability and development of domain ex- Intellectual capital pertise. This paper describes an ongoing research project to develop an organizational knowledge architecture Social network analysis that is being specified and developed to support collaboration tasks as well as design and model predictive data Organizational knowledge analysis and insights for organizational development. The primary goal of this research is to create a suitable architecture
    [Show full text]
  • Business Life Cycles and Five Elements Theory
    Business Life Cycles and Five Elements Theory Kuang-cheng Wang Doctoral Program, Graduate Institute of Business Administration, National Taipei University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper proposes a five-stage life cycle model to describe business development from birth to death with the five elements theory. A five-stage model, including birth, survival, success, decline, and renewal, is developed in terms of interactions of business functions, which are classified into the Chinese five elements. Each stage of the business life cycle could be characterized by the different combinations of the Water-Fire, Fire-Metal, and Earth-Water effects. The Water-Fire effect marks the beginning and direction of business development, the Fire-Metal effect indicates a firm’s competitiveness in the industry, and the Earth-Water effect signifies its capabilities of organizational learning and innovation. The business life cycle could be more clearly understood and explained by means of these three effects. At the birth stage, firms create a profitable and sustainable vision (a new Water-Fire effect). As firms move into the survival stage, they seek to grow by developing their learning capacities (the Earth-Water effect) and increasing their competitiveness in cost. The success stage could be illustrated mainly by the strong Fire-Metal effect, which is manifested by the increasing profit and competitiveness. The decline stage is characterized by deteriorating profits and a loss of market share (the weak Fire-Metal effect) and by lack of learning capabilities. The renewing firms have to rebuild their learning and innovative capabilities (the Earth-Water effect) and shape a new profitable direction for business.
    [Show full text]
  • Must Heads Roll? a Critique of and Alternative Approaches to Swift Blame
    r Academy of Management Perspectives 2017, Vol. 31, No. 3, 222–238. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2015.0118 ARTICLES MUST HEADS ROLL? A CRITIQUE OF AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO SWIFT BLAME DANIEL P. SKARLICKI University of British Columbia ADAM A. KAY University of British Columbia KARL AQUINO University of British Columbia DAVID FUSHTEY Simon Fraser University When mistakes or perceived wrongdoings occur in the workplace, managers—like most human beings—demonstrate the tendency to locate someone to blame, including assign- ing responsibility and sanctioning perceived wrongdoers for their actions. We highlight that although this response can be motivated by organizational, legal, and psychological factors, blame can be detrimental to the organization and its employees when it occurs in a spontaneous and nondeliberative manner, which we label swift blame.Wearguethat swift blame can involve distorted perceptions and judgment, exacerbate conflict, erode employee engagement, and stifle organizational learning. We further argue that managers have a special responsibility to thoughtfully and carefully consider how they react to perceived wrongdoings. Drawing from dual processing theory of cognition, we propose that managers can respond more effectively by adopting perspectives that slow down these tendencies and promote more thoughtful reactions. To this end we highlight re- search opportunities for three alternatives to swift blame: (a) a no-blame approach, (b) systems of inquiry and accountability, and (c) mindfulness training. A patient at City Hospital was given the wrong medi- Scenes like this play out in different forms every day cation, causingher to go into a coma and die. Elizabeth, in workplaces all over the world.
    [Show full text]
  • „‚ Three Approaches to Organizational Learning
    ❚❘ THREE APPROACHES TO ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING Anthony J. Reilly “I do OD.” “We’re into OD in our organization.” The term Organization Development, or “OD” as it is popularly called, has become part of the applied behavioral science jargon. In some instances it is confused with other terms, such as management training or management development. Although there is some overlap, both conceptually and operationally, among the terms, there are real differences as well. The attempt here is to show how the three terms complement one another on the one hand and how they differ on the other. An implicit expectation of any kind of management enrichment program is that of learning, which generally involves some relatively permanent type of change— behavioral, attitudinal, or cognitive. Therefore, the different kinds of learning are of particular interest to us in this paper. MANAGEMENT TRAINING When I think of “training,” I think of one kind of learning. Training conveys to me the idea of making people more alike than different in some respect and trying to deemphasize individual differences in some particular area. For example, a number of persons are trained to operate a complicated piece of equipment. Once the equipment is designed and built, hopefully to the specifications that optimize a person’s ability to operate the machine, training programs are implemented in order that the operator may “fit” himself or herself to the machine. Individual differences among people in terms of how they operate the machine may cut down on the machines’ efficiency. Time-and- motion studies represent another approach where training may be utilized to make people respond to a set behavioral pattern.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Network Approach to Organizational Learning
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Clute Institute: Journals Journal of Applied Business Research – Second Quarter 2006 Volume 22, Number 2 Social Network Approach To Organizational Learning Miha Škerlavaj, (Email: [email protected]), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Vlado Dimovski, (E-mail: [email protected]), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia ABSTRACT Organizational learning is one of the most promising concepts and propulsive areas of research in modern managerial literature. So far, it was proved that higher-level organizational learning contributes to organizational performance. Research question that remains explained inadequately is how learning occurs. Based on exploratory social network analysis conducted on a learning network within a software company, we offer eight propositions. First, the greater the experience of the employee in a certain field, the bigger the probability that co-workers will seek to learn from this person. Then, respectively, physical proximity (e.g. shared office or geographical proximity), similarity in level of expertise, and complementarities in personal characteristics augment the probability that co-workers will learn from each-other. Next, network size and age affect its density. Finally, knowledge-based organizations seem to have cohesive structure of relationships among their members. Further confirmatory research is needed in order to develop and test propositions offered. INTRODUCTION ocial networks are seen as a specific set of linkages among a defined set of persons, with the additional property that the characteristics of these linkages as a whole may be used to interpret the social behaviour of S the persons involved (Mitchell, 1969).
    [Show full text]