Self-development in the twenty-first century: An exploratory analysis of the relationship between new work characteristics and informal workplace learning

Abstract

This article in the journal “Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO)” presents the results of an exploratory study on the relationship between new work characteristics and informal workplace learning (IWL). New ways of working drastically shaped modern workplaces, but their association with workplace learning, a key driver of organizations’ success, remains unclear—little is known about whether and under which circumstances new work characteristics are related to workplace learning. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we tested if new work characteristics (i.e., digitalization, flexibility, dissolution of boundaries, participation, and relevance of work) are positively related to IWL. Moreover, we assumed that learning climate positively influences the strength of the relationship between new work characteristics and IWL. We conducted an online survey involving 291 participants to test our hypotheses. We found a positive overall relationship between new work characteristics and IWL. Examining the new work characteristics in more detail, relative importance analysis showed that this overall relationship seems to be driven by relevance of work, followed by participation and dissolution of boundaries. Digitalization and flexibility showed only weak relationships with IWL. Contrary to our assumption, learning climate did not strengthen the new work characteristics-IWL relationship. Our study introduces new work characteristics as an antecedent of IWL and speaks to their overall benefits for IWL. However, our findings suggest that new work might not be studied as a unified concept, but rather separately for its different characteristics. We hope to inspire further research to help organizations and employees to capitalize on the effects of new work characteristics.