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

Abstract

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 impact of structured on-the-job training (S-OJT) on a trainer’s organizational commitment

“…In terms of construct validity issues, however, affective commitment is the most widely studied, as it has consistent relationships with organizational outcomes such as performance, attendance, and retention (Meyer and Allen 1997). In particular, the reliability estimate was found to be remarkably similar to those of studies that were using the Korean version of the Affective Commitment Scale: Cronbach's alpha = .87 (Cho and Kwon 2005), .84 (Lee et al 2001), and .86 (Jung 2000), respectively.…”

“…Some studies have focused on its relationship to workplace learning (Cho and Kwon 2005). Consistently, findings have shown that participation in training programs provided by an organization enhances participants' organizational commitment.…”

“…This study used the eight-item Korean version of the Affective Commitment Scale (Cho and Kwon 2005). Meyer and Allen's model includes three components: affective, normative, and continuous domain.…”

“…By having a social process between the trainer and trainee in S-OJT, development and growth opportunities can be provided to trainers. These opportunities play a significant role as an antecedent of organizational commitment (Cho and Kwon 2005). According to a system view of S-OJT in relation to the trainer, S-OJT trainer preparation through train-the-trainer programs can be viewed as an input.…”

An investigation of the construct validity of the personality trait of self-directed learning

“…While there has been a fair amount of empirical investigation of self-directed learning, the research that bears on self-directed learning as a personality trait has been somewhat piecemeal and fragmented. To illustrate, self-directed learning readiness (which includes initiative in learning, acceptance of responsibility for one's own learning, and seeing one's self as an effective independent learner) has been found to be positively related to creative achievements (Torrance & Mourad, 1978); self-concept and years of education (Sabbaghian, 1980); student participation in learning projects (Hassan, 1982); internal locus of control (Skaggs, 1981;Gardner & Helmes, 1999); life satisfaction of elderly individuals (Gardner & Helmes, 1999) and older adults (Curry, 1983); lower levels of dogmatism (Long & Agyekum, 1983); end of year grades of nursing students (Crook, 1985) occupational categories (Durr, Guglielmino, & Guglielmino, 1996); affective organizational commitment (Cho & Kwon, 2005); and intrinsic learning motivation (Reynolds, 1986). Also, a few studies have examined the validity of Oddi's (1984Oddi's ( , 1985Oddi's ( , 1986 Continuing Learning Inventory (CLI)-which includes proactive drive to learn without obvious external reinforcement and commitment to learning for its own sake-with non-definitive results.…”