Presentation of PhD work at SDS Networking event as part of a short breakout session. Lyndsey Middleton (March 2019)

1. Exploring the development of
innovative work behaviour of
employees in multiple workplace
contexts
Presented by: Lyndsey Middleton
Final year PhD student, Edinburgh Napier University
Skills Development Scotland PhD Networking Event, 15th March 2019
Supervised by:
Professor Hazel Hall
Professor Robert Raeside
Dr Laura Muir
Twitter: @Middleton_LyPhD Blog: lyndseyjenkins.org Email: L.Middleton@napier.ac.uk

2. Session structure
• Background to the PhD
• Key concepts
• Where the PhD fits in the
literature
• Methods (brief overview)
• Key findings
2

3. Background to the PhD
• The Scottish Economic Strategy (2015)
• Fair Work Agenda (2016) and
associated action plans
Centre for Work-
based Learning
3

4. Innovation as a concept
Recognise Create
ChampionImplement
Innovative work behaviour
4

5. Workplace learning as a concept
“Workplace learning is understood as the acquisition of employment and
organisational specific skills and knowledge, through means of gaining experiences
within the organisation itself. Workplace learning encapsulates multiple ways in
which people learn in organisations, such as through formal training delivery or
informal interaction and knowledge sharing processes.”
Billet (2012)
Jacobs & Park (2009)
Ramage (2014)
5

6. Workplace learning versus
work-based learning
Skills Development Scotland Lyndsey’s doctoral research
• Acquisition of knowledge
within a workplace setting
through ‘doing’ and the
benefits of ‘doing’
• Educational framework –
hands on experience/practical
(e.g. apprenticeships)
• Used to be ‘vocational’
• European models - upper
quartile (OECD)
• One route for delivery of
workplace innovation
• Multiple workplace contexts
and types
• Everyday workplace tasks
• Not specific to training,
development or education in
the workplace
• Focus on all employees
• Links with innovative work
behaviour
6

7. Recognise Create
ChampionImplement
Formal
workplace
learning
Informal
workplace
learning
Workplace
learning
Ellström (2010); Høyrup (2010); Lundkvist & Gustavasson (2018)
Innovative work behaviour
7

8. Information Science
Organisational
Studies
PsychologySupportive
leaders
Individual
abilities
Training
Digital tools
Appealing
workspace
IWB
Information
behaviours
Information
literacy
8

9. RQ1: Which factors support the development of
innovation at national level in European
countries?
RQ2: How do contextual factors support
innovative work behaviour for application at
individual and collective levels in the
workplace?
RQ3: How does information literacy (including
the associated information behaviours) support
successful workplace learning as related to the
development of innovative work behaviour?
Research questions
RQ4: What are the determinants of successful workplace learning in relation to
learning to innovate?
RQ5: How can successful workplace learning be identified in relation to learning
to innovate? 9

10. Anticipated outcome -
novel contribution to knowledge
Workplace learning
Innovative work behaviour
… plus a practical (and useable) outcome
10

11. How?
11

12. A multimethod approach
Literature search:
Organisational studies
Literature search: Information
Science
Literature search: Psychology
Literature
review
Research
questions
(5 developed)
How do I explore the research questions?
Considerations to research methods
Determination of approach
(mainly) Qualitative Quantitative
Case study 1
Case study 2
Case study 3
Interviews
Focus groups
Surveys
Secondary data analysis
12

13. Sample for 3 case studies
One LARGE case study
• A publically funded university
• Based in Scotland
• Non-academics (e.g.
professional services)
• 59 employees for interviews
and focus groups
• 205 participants for the
quantitative survey
One SMALL case study
• A National Health Service Trust
• Based in England
• Clinical and non-clinical staff
• 12 employees for interviews
• 104 participants for the
quantitative survey
One SMALL case study
• A publically funded university
• Based in Finland
• Non-academics (e.g.
professional services)
• 12 employees for interviews
• 18 participants for the
quantitative survey
13

14. Interviews and focus
group findings
14

15. Findings: qualitative analysis
1. Highlight themes that emerge
2. Explore relationships between themes
3. Explore why the patterns occur (and give evidence) 15

16. Findings: interviews/focus groups
FACTOR Scotland England Finland
Organisational strategy X X X
Annual reviews X
Formal qualifications X
Formal training X X
Informal training X
Communication X X X
Collaboration X
Organisational culture X X X
Promotion of values X
Promotion of learning and innovation X
Leadership X X X
Change and risk taking X X X
Learning opportunities X
Infrastructure X
Resources X X
Information behaviours X X X
Knowledge sharing X X X
Cognitive factors (e.g. attitudes, skills and abilities) X X X
16

17. Findings:
Scottish case study
Leadership within the
organisation
Organisational culture
Information behaviour
Skills/abilities of
employees
English case studyFinnish case study
Information literacy
Leadership within the
organisation
Organisational culture
Information behaviour
Communication:
(skills/abilities)
Information literacy
Organisational culture
(including leadership)
Information behaviour
Skills/abilities of
employees
There are different
themes for the
English case study.
Why?

18. Concluding points
• So what does this mean?
• Policy implications?
• Importance of a framework
that is applicable across
multiple contexts (to
businesses and policy makers
– how they embed innovation
into the culture)
• What next?
 Potential of a toolkit? 18

19. Thank you!
Email: L.Middleton@napier.ac.uk
Twitter: @Middleton_Ly
PhD Blog: lyndseyjenkins.org
Napier Page:
https://www.napier.ac.uk/people/lyndsey-
middleton
19

20. References
• Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs,
NJ.
• Bandura, A. (2004). Health Promotion by Social Cognitive Means. Health Education & Behaviour, 31(2), 143-164.
• Battistelli, A., Montani, F., & Odoardi, C. (2013). The impact of feedback from job and task autonomy in the relationship
between dispositional resistance to change and innovative work behaviour. European Journal of Work and Organizational
Psychology, 22(1), 26–41.
• Billett, S. (2012). Workplace Learning. In Seel, N.M. (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of the Sciences of Learning
• (3446-3483). New York: Springer.
• Blanco, A. (2011). Applying Social Cognitive Career Theory to predict interests and choice goals in statistics in Spanish
psychology students. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 78(1), 49-58.
• Bock, G. W. & Kim, Y-G. (2002). Breaking the myths of rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge
sharing. Information Resources Management Journal, 15(2), 14-21.
• Crawford, J., & Irving, C. (2009). Information literacy in the workplace: a qualitative exploratory study. Journal of
Librarianship and Information Science, 41(1), 29-38.
• Dalkir, K. (2011). Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). The MIT Press: London: England.
• Ellis-Ormrod, J. (2004). Human learning. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.
• Hauschildt, J. (1996). Innovation, creativity and information behaviour. Creativity and Innovation Management 5(3), 169-
178.
• Høyrup, S. (2010). Employee-driven innovation and workplace learning: basic concepts, approaches and themes.
Trasnfer, 16(2) 143–154.
• Jacobs, R. L., & Park, Y. (2009). A Proposed Conceptual Framework of Workplace Learning: Implications for Theory
Development and Research in Human Resource Development. Human Resource Development Review, 8(2), 133–150.
• Liao, S., & Wu, C. (2010). System perspective of knowledge management, organizational learning, and organizational
innovation. Expert Systems with Applications 37(2), 1096-1103.
• Pálsdóttir, A. (2013). Social cognitive theory. In Wilson, T. D. (Ed.). Theory in information behaviour research. Sheffield,
UK: Eiconics Ltd. [E-book] ISBN 978-0-9574957-0-8.
• Ramage, C. (2014). Learning to learn through university accredited work-based learning: a threshold conception. Journal
of Workplace Learning, 26(8), 488-510.
• Wood, R. E., & Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory of organizational management. Academy of Management
Review, 14, 361-384. 20

21. • Session structure slide: http://www.olmcridgewood.com/index.php/session-6-students
• human head: http://productinnovationnow.com/innovation-definition/
• Workplace learning: https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/learning-and-development/
• Question mark bubble: https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/choosingsources/chapter/purpose-of-research-questions/
• Puzzle: https://purplepedagogy.com/2014/10/23/activate-demonstrate-first-thinking-to-best-thinking/
• All logos were taken from official websites and used under Fair Use concepts.
• Innovation word cloud created by Lyndsey Middleton
• All photographs were taken by Lyndsey Middleton
Image credits
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