Porcelain Publishing / JCHRM / Volume 15 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.47297/wspchrmWSP2040-800501.20241504
ARTICLE

Optimizing Adaptive Performance: Exploring Organizational Learning Culture across Generations

Mary Viterouli1 Dimitrios Belias2
Show Less
1 Department of Business Administration, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Geopolis, Greece
2 Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communication, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Egnatia, Thessaloniki, Greece
Published: 9 August 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between the organizational learning culture and the adaptive performance of employees in a diverse, multigenerational public sector workforce consisting of Baby Boomers and Generations X, Y, and Z. We also seek to determine whether specific factorial components of the organizational learning culture, namely employees' active participation in team learning and collaboration, their consistency in dialogue engagement and inquiry ventures for knowledge sharing and acquisition, their perseverance in continuous learning, and the embedded systems that the organization has at its disposal, have a strong positive impact on enhancing their interpersonal adaptability, as well as on the training and learning efforts they exert for improvement as organizational performance outcomes. 

transl

Methodology

Using two measurement instruments, the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) with 7 factors and 21 items, and the Adaptive Performance Scale with 5 factors and 19 items, the current research has adopted a quantitative approach, using the survey method, to collect data from 238 employees of the Public Employment Services (PESs) in Greece. 

transl

Findings

Findings illustrate a lack of statistical significance in the results for Baby Boomers and Generation Z, thus, the analysis focuses on the X and Y generations. Positive correlations, notably within Gen Y and Gen X, are identified between Team Learning and Collaboration (TLC), Dialogue and Inquiry (DI), and Interpersonal Adaptability (IA). Furthermore, Training and Learning Effort (TLE) that both generations put into acquiring new skills and competencies display positive correlations with Continuous Learning (CL) and the Embedded Systems (ES) the organization provides. However, specific negative correlations are generated, indicating intricate associations between dimensions of Organizational Learning Culture and specific facets of Adaptive Performance. These negative associations signify commonalities and differences in preferences and perceptions, and specify complexities in how different generations perceive and respond to organizational environments. Implications for theory and practice:This study indicates practical implications for organizational leaders, emphasizing the positive impact of team learning, collaboration, and dialogue on interpersonal adaptability for Generations X and Y. Tailoring adaptive strategies to each generation's perceptions is important, with Generation X benefitting from a balance between autonomy and stability, while Generation Y improves performance under collaborative leadership and innovative-focused learning programs. Negative associations for Generation X underscore the need for customized training and flexible work arrangements. The research contributes theoretically by validating generational differences and proposing a framework that considers unique traits across workforce generations in the public sector. Insights into work-life perceptions aid HR practitioners in refining strategies to align learning approaches with distinct generational preferences, while observed negative relationships prompt further exploration for refining theoretical frameworks. Originality and value: The research contributes significantly to the field of Entrepreneurship and Human Resources Management by exploring the relationship between organizational learning culture (OLC) and adaptive performance (AP) within a diverse multigenerational workforce – an often-neglected dimension in the public sector. The study not only reaffirms the positive influence of team learning, collaboration, and dialogue on interpersonal adaptability of the employees, but explores deeper generational-specific implications. Practical recommendations for customised leadership approaches, continuous learning initiatives, and the integration of embedded systems enrich the research's applicability. The findings record the challenges faced by the neighbouring Generations X and Y, offering a comprehensive association of their preferences and proposing targeted strategies, alongside practical recommendations and theoretical extensions for joint, homogeneous approaches their leaders and managers can adopt. 

Keywords
Public sector
Adaptable performance
Training and learning
Sustainability and resilience
Generational diversity
References
  1. Akers, K. L. (2018). Leading after the boom: Developing future leaders from a future leader's perspective. Journal of Management Development, 37(1), 2-5. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-03-2016-0042 [Baidu Scholar] 
  2. Akhtar, S., Arif, A., Rubi, E., & Naveed, S. (2011). Impact of organizational learning on organizational performance: Study of higher education institutes. International journal of academic research, 3(5), 327-331. [Baidu Scholar] 
  3. Al-Asfour, A., & Lettau, L. (2014). Strategies for leadership styles for multi-generational workforce. Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics, 11(2), 58-69. [Baidu Scholar] 
  4. Ali, A., Wang, H., & Johnson, R. E. (2020). Empirical analysis of shared leadership promotion and team creativity: An adaptive leadership perspective. Journal of organizational behaviour, 41(5), 405-423. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2437 [Baidu Scholar] 
  5. Alonazi, W. B. (2021). Building learning organizational culture during COVID-19 outbreak: A national study. BMC Health Services Research, 21, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06454-9 [Baidu Scholar] 
  6. Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modelling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411-423. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411 [Baidu Scholar] 
  7. Arrington, G. B., & Dwyer, R. J. (2018). Can four generations create harmony within a public-sector environment? International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, 16(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.5590/IJAMT.2018.17.1.01 [Baidu Scholar] 
  8. Arwab, M., Ansari, J., Azhar, M., & Ali, M. (2022). Exploring the influence of training and development on employee's performance: Empirical evidence from the Indian tourism industry. Management Science Letters, 12(2), 89-100. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2021.10.004 [Baidu Scholar] 
  9. Babnik, K., & Trunk Širca, N. (2014). Knowledge creation, transfer and retention: The case of intergenerational cooperation. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 15(4), 349-364. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJIL.2014.062472 [Baidu Scholar] 
  10. Badaan, V., & Choucair, F. (2023). Toward culturally sensitive development paradigms: New shifts, limitations, and the role of (cross-)cultural psychology. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(2), 232-248. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221211073671 [Baidu Scholar] 
  11. Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory (Vol. 1). Prentice Hall. [Baidu Scholar] 
  12. Banville, D., Desrosiers, P., & Genet-Volet, Y. (2000). Translating questionnaires and inventories using a cross-cultural translation technique. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 19(3), 374-387. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.19.3.374 [Baidu Scholar] 
  13. Basten, D., & Haamann, T. (2018). Approaches for organizational learning: A literature review. Sage Open, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018794224 [Baidu Scholar] 
  14. Belias, D., & Trihas, N. (2022a). Human resource training of front office employees and change management in hospitality sector during crisis. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Finance, Economics, Management and IT Business - FEMIB (pp. 101-106). https://doi.org/10.5220/0011060000003206 [Baidu Scholar] 
  15. Belias, D., & Trihas, N. (2022b). Strategic HRM approaches as mediators to change management I the tourism industry: Potential and prospects for future research. In Proceedings of Academicsera International Conference (Vol. 228, pp. 53-60). Hamburg, Germany. [Baidu Scholar] 
  16. Belias, D., & Trihas, N. (2023). How can we predict the integration and the success of organizational change in the hospitality sector? Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2023.2216952 [Baidu Scholar] 
  17. Belias, D., Rossidis, I., Mantas, C., Ntalakos, A., Trihas, N., & Bakogiannis, D. (2023). The effect of strategic leadership on the integration and success of organizational change. In Managing successful and ethical organizational change (pp. 54-75). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0235-4.ch003 [Baidu Scholar] 
  18. Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.238 [Baidu Scholar] 
  19. Bertsimas, D., & Nohadani, O. (2019). Robust maximum likelihood estimation. INFORMS Journal on Computing, 31(3), 445-458. https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2018.0834 [Baidu Scholar] 
  20. Bilan, Y., Hussain, H. I., Haseeb, M., & Kot, S. (2020). Sustainability and economic performance: Role of organizational learning and innovation. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics, 31(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.31.1.24045 [Baidu Scholar] 
  21. Bonfield, C. A., Salter, M., Longmuir, A., Benson, M., & Adachi, C. (2020). Transformation or evolution? Education 4.0, teaching and learning in the digital age. Higher Education Pedagogies, 5(1), 223-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/23752696.2020.1816847 [Baidu Scholar] 
  22. Boudlaie, H., Mahdiraji, H. A., Shamsi, S., Jafari-Sadeghi, V., & Garcia-Perez, A. (2020). Designing a human resource scorecard: An empirical stakeholder-based study with a company culture perspective. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Innovation, 16(4), 113-147. https://doi.org/10.7341/20201644 [Baidu Scholar] 
  23. Bouranta, N., Chitiris, L., & Paravantis, J. (2009). The relationship between internal and external service quality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 21(3), 275-293. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110910948297 [Baidu Scholar] 
  24. Birasnav, M., Chaudhary, R., & Scillitoe, J. (2019). Integration of social capital and organizational learning theories to improve operational performance. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 20(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-019-00206-9 [Baidu Scholar] 
  25. Brix, J. (2018). Innovation capacity building: An approach to maintaining balance between exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. The Learning Organization, 26(1), 12-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-08-2018-0143 [Baidu Scholar] 
  26. Burns, R. (2020). Adult learner at work: The challenges of lifelong education in the new millennium. Routledge. [Baidu Scholar] 
  27. Chai, D. S., & Dirani, K. (2018). The dimensions of the learning organization questionnaire (DLOQ). A validation study in the Lebanese context. The Learning Organization, 25(5), 320-330. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-03-2016-0017 [Baidu Scholar] 
  28. Charbonnier‐Voirin, A., & Roussel, P. (2012). Adaptive performance: A new scale to measure individual performance in organizations. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 29(3), 280-293. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.232 [Baidu Scholar] 
  29. Chaudhuri, K., Drakpa, D., & Zangmo, S. (2022). Organizational culture and learning organization: An empirical study of the colleges in Bhutan. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 30(4), 1-15. [Baidu Scholar] 
  30. Chen, R. H. (2021). Fostering students' workplace communicative competence and collaborative mindset through an inquiry-based learning design. Education Sciences, 11(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11010017 [Baidu Scholar] 
  31. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. [Baidu Scholar] 
  32. Dakkak, A., Mattos, D. I., & Bosch, J. (2021). Perceived benefits of continuous deployment in software-intensive embedded systems. In 2021 IEEE 45th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC) (pp. 934-941). IEEE. [Baidu Scholar] 
  33. Dimock, M. (2019). Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center, 17(1), 1-7. [Baidu Scholar] 
  34. Gazier, B. (2020). The roles of PES in supporting structural changes (Doctoral dissertation, European Network of Public Employment Services). Publications Office of the European Union - ÖSB consulting, ICON Institut. https://doi.org/10.2767/325737 [Baidu Scholar] 
  35. Gorostiaga, A., Balluerka, N., & Rodríguez-López, A. (2022). Assessment of adaptive performance and its role as a moderator of the relationship between person-organization fit and organizational citizenship behaviours. Psicothema34(1), 84-94. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2021.310 [Baidu Scholar] 
  36. Gouda, G. K., & Tiwari, B. (2022). Ambidextrous leadership: A distinct pathway to build talent agility and engagement. Human Resource Development International, 27(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2163101 [Baidu Scholar] 
Share
Back to top
Journal of Chinese Human Resources Management, Electronic ISSN: 2040-8013 Print ISSN: 2040-8005, Published by Porcelain Publishing