Organizational Characteristics Associated With Participation in Continuing Education by White-Collar Industrial Employees
Oldham, Linda Byrum
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/66029
Description
Title
Organizational Characteristics Associated With Participation in Continuing Education by White-Collar Industrial Employees
Author(s)
Oldham, Linda Byrum
Issue Date
1981
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Industrial
Language
eng
Abstract
Historically, continuing education research has concentrated on the relationship between the characteristics of individuals and their participation in continuing education. The present study's investigation of the relationship between organizational characteristics and participation in continuing education proved insightful. When compared and contrasted with the personal characteristics of white-collar workers, organizational characteristics explained more variance in self-selected continuing education.
The organizational characteristics of job dimensions, organizational policies, and organizational climate were investigated in the present study. Job dimensions were not highly related to either self-selected or company-required continuing education, but were significantly related to plans to participate in the company's tuition aid plan.
Plans to participate in the tuition aid plan was positively associated with skill variety, autonomy, feedback, and the overall motivating potential of the individuals' jobs. Individuals who were more likely to plan to participate in the tuition aid plan were younger, newer to their job and the organization, and they were employed at lower job levels. The relationship between job dimensions and continuing education was not moderated by growth need strength, but was moderated by education.
The organizational policies were not highly related to participation in continuing education but were significantly related to plans to participate in the tuition aid plan. Employees expected to receive organizational rewards for their participation in continuing education regardless of their supervisor's more negative view of the likelihood. Persons who perceived their supervisor as encouraging them to participate in continuing education were more likely to participate in company-required continuing education.
Organizational climate had few significant relationships with either type of continuing education. But the few relationships that did exist were found mostly in the less humanistic organization. It appeared that under less humanistic climate conditions, the dimensions of reward, structure, and support related significantly to participation in company-required continuing education.
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