Associations between workplace learning patterns, social support and perceived competency

ABSTRACT

Despite substantial research in the field of workplace learning and training over the past three decades, these concepts are heavily under-researched in relation to the public sector. By means of survey data, this study explores the use of various learning patterns in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, their association with self-reported competency and the possible interacting role of social support. Descriptive statistics revealed informal guidance to be the most frequently utilised training method, while continuing education at college/university was rated as the least frequently used learning pattern. Paradoxically, multivariate regression analysis indicated that the learning pattern most frequently used had the weakest association with self-reported competency. Despite being one of the least used learning patterns, workplace courses demonstrated the strongest association with self-reported competency. Further multivariate regression analysis was used to explore the interacting role of social support in terms of peer and supervisor support. Results indicated a stronger association between three of the learning patterns and perceived competency for those who experienced higher degrees of supervisor support.

KEYWORDS:

• Workplace learning
• learning patterns
• formal learning
• informal learning
• perceived competency

Acknowledgments

I gratefully acknowledge the following individuals for their insightful comments on earlier versions of this article: Silje Bringsrud Fekjær, Lars Inge Terum, Kåre Heggen and Anton Havnes, Oslo Metropolitan University. I also thank the anonymous reviwers at the Human Resource Development International for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Informal guidance showed significant association with perceived competency only when supervisor support was included in the model.