Alternative organisational learning therapy : an empirical case study using behaviour and U theory

• Published in: Australian educational researcher Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 105 - 124
• Main Authors: Ho, Li-An, Kuo, Tsung-Hsien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2009; Springer Nature B.V; Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)
• Subjects: Adults; Behavior Theories; Behaviour theories; Case studies; Corporations; Correlation; Deep learning; Dependent Variables; Education; Educational Policy and Politics; Educational Psychology; Employee Attitudes; Foreign Countries; Internal Consistency; Learning Processes; Likert Scales; Older Workers; Organisational climate; Organizational Change; Organizational learning; Predictive Validity; Social Influences; Statistical Data; Statistical Significance; Stepwise Regression; Surveys; Taiwan (Taipei); Teaching and Teacher Education; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Workplace learning; Taiwan; Taiwan (Taipei); Behavioural Control; Adult Worker; Plan Behaviour; Behavioural Belief; Strong Predictive Power
• ISSN: 0311-6999; 2210-5328
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03216908

This article draws on the concept and process of deeper learning, namely the U theory. As a driver to get a deeper exploration of organisational change process, the theory of U goes beyond the interpersonal aspects of learning, instead focusing on a deeper personal generative learning that emphasises seven capacities along the deep learning process. Corporations in Taiwan have been striving in a globalised world economy for market competitiveness through organisational learning and change and this study seeks to understand adult workers' engagement with deep learning. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, the study investigated how personal backgrounds, attitude, perceived subject norm and perceived behavioural control affected adult workers' intention of deeper learning using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis. Data were collected from working adults (N=512) in a high tech company located in Taipei. Results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the independent variables, namely adult workers' attitudes, perceived social pressure, and behavioural control, and the dependent variables (i.e., the seven capacities within U theory). In addition, among three independent variables, subjective norm had the strongest predictive power on the successful diffusion of the U theory. [Author abstract]