RESUMEN
Previous findings suggested that the positive relationship between autonomy and learning outcomes (such as improved task performance) only holds up until a certain optimum level of autonomy has been reached. This assumption was investigated in an experimental study where 95 participants had to learn a computer task. During the learning phase, we manipulated autonomy, distinguishing among no, moderate, and full autonomy. The results revealed that, when learning a task, having autonomy is preferred to having no autonomy. However, increases in autonomy beyond a certain level (i.e., full versus moderate autonomy) will not yield additional advantages regarding the motivation to learn and learning outcomes, and may have disadvantages in terms of learning efficiency.
Asunto(s)
Logro , Motivación , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Autonomía Personal , Solución de Problemas , Juegos de Video , Adolescente , Toma de Decisiones , Femenino , Humanos , Control Interno-Externo , Masculino , Recuerdo Mental , Práctica Psicológica , Desempeño Psicomotor , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Having personal initiative means that workers are self-starting, pro-active, and persistent in pursuing their goals. This study examined whether personal initiative contributed to the prediction of two aspects of well-being (emotional exhaustion and learning motivation). Personal initiative was expected to have direct effects on well-being as well as moderate the effects of relevant work characteristics such as job demands and control. As expected, stepwise hierarchical regression using data from 834 Dutch telecommunications workers yielded positive main effects of personal initiative on both aspects of well-being. Moreover, personal initiative moderated the relationship between control and learning motivation: the positive effect of control on learning motivation was stronger for workers with high initiative. These findings support the hypothesis that personal initiative is a predictor of well-being.
Asunto(s)
Objetivos , Satisfacción en el Trabajo , Motivación , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Adulto , Recolección de Datos , Femenino , Humanos , Control Interno-Externo , Aprendizaje , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Países Bajos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , TelecomunicacionesRESUMEN
Although many theoretical approaches propose that job characteristics affect employee learning, the question is why and how job characteristics influence learning. The present study reviews the evidence on the relationships among learning antecedents (i.e., job characteristics: demands, variety, autonomy and feedback), learning processes (including motivational, meta-cognitive, cognitive and behavioral processes) and learning consequences. Building on an integrative heuristic model, we quantitatively reviewed 85 studies published between 1969 and 2005. Our analyses revealed strong evidence for a positive relation between job demands and autonomy on the one hand and motivational and meta-cognitive learning processes on the other. Furthermore, these learning processes were positively related to learning consequences.