When more is not better: The effect of the number of learning interventions on the acquisition of process-oriented thinking. Issue 2 (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wollersheim, Jutta; Leyer, Michael; Spörrle, Matthias
• Is Part Of: Management learning. Volume 47:Issue 2(2016:Apr.)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Knowledge transfer -- learning styles -- organizational learning -- organizational memory -- organizational structure -- tacit knowledge; Industrial management -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Executives -- Training of -- Periodicals; Organizational learning -- Periodicals; Knowledge management -- Periodicals; 302.35
• DOI: 10.1177/1350507615587447
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-7307

Abstract

Given that process-oriented organizations appear to be more successful than function-oriented organizations, organizations increasingly search for effective ways to implement process orientation internally as they grow from having a functional to a process-oriented structure. In this study, we examine whether increasing the number of learning interventions simultaneously used increases the acquisition of process-oriented thinking. The data ( N = 304) indicate that increasing the number of learning interventions contributes to learning process-oriented thinking to a certain extent: using one learning intervention increased the acquisition of process-oriented thinking more than using no learning intervention, and two learning interventions contributed more to learning process-oriented thinking than using a single learning intervention. However, by increasing the number of learning interventions to three, this increase in the acquisition of process-oriented thinking could not be further enhanced. More fine-grained analyses revealed that using multiple learning interventions was beneficial for relatively unstructured but cognitively demanding process-related tasks, whereas using multiple learning interventions did not increase learning acquisition for relatively structured but cognitively less-demanding process-related tasks. Our findings provide insights into how process-oriented knowledge should be fostered.