Influences of Individual Learning and Psychological Capital on Thriving at Work

Abstract

This dissertation aims at understanding the associations among psychological capacities of an individual, organisational learning environment and immediate supervisor s leadership behaviours. Thriving at work and psychological capital are emerging constructs in positive organisational behaviour literature which are employed in this study. There is a strong research evidence indicating positive influence of thriving at work on performance of employees. This study analyses the effects of factors in the work context, which influence employees thriving at work. Identified factors are individual learning, psychological capital and transformational leadership. In this study, how organisational learning flows, transformational and transactional leadership behaviours of immediate supervisors influence learning stock of employees has been analysed in depth. Data set consists of 502 individuals working in capacities of junior, middle and senior managerial levels in manufacturing and service organisations. A mixed mode, online and paper based method has been used for data collection. Quantitative analysis has been performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method. Results indicate substantial influences of transformational leadership, psychological capital and learning stock on employees thriving at work. This study finds that transformational leadership behaviours exhibited by immediate supervisors have a direct, significant and positive influence on employees psychological capital and through which it positively effects thriving. Further employees learning stock increases when supervisors exhibit transformational leadership behaviours. Finally, transformational leadership and psychological capital emerge as major drivers for individual learning and thriving at work. This study adds and significantly contributes to the scarce empirical studies present in organisational learning literature.