Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety
This study advances theorizing on human resource development by conceptualizing a training group’s age diversity composition as an antecedent of participants’ learning outcomes in organizational training courses. Drawing from social identity theory, we propose that a high age diversity of the tra...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Routledge
2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82505 |
| _version_ | 1848764513859403776 |
|---|---|
| author | Gerpott, Fabiola H Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nale Wenzel, Ramon Voelpel, Sven C |
| author_facet | Gerpott, Fabiola H Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nale Wenzel, Ramon Voelpel, Sven C |
| author_sort | Gerpott, Fabiola H |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This study advances theorizing on human resource development by conceptualizing a training group’s age diversity
composition as an antecedent of participants’ learning outcomes in organizational training courses. Drawing from
social identity theory, we propose that a high age diversity
of the training group can inhibit participants’ learning outcomes because individuals are less likely to share knowledge than in age-homogenous groups. Furthermore, we
expect that psychological safety serves as a buffer, such
that participants who perceive a high level of psychological
safety in a training group will engage in knowledge sharing
and consequently report high learning outcomes, regardless of the training group’s age diversity composition. We
tested the proposed moderated mediation model in a sample of 211 employees participating in an interactive oneday training at an automobile manufacturer. We found that
perceived age diversity, but not objective age diversity, was
negatively linked to participants’ learning outcomes and
that this relationship was mediated by knowledge sharing.
Participants’ perceptions of psychological safety served as a
buffer against the negative effect of perceived age diversity. We discuss implications for the conceptual understanding of learning as an active process shaped by the training
group and encourage scholars to broaden their understanding of training design elements. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:20:33Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-82505 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:20:33Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Routledge |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-825052021-07-15T06:20:17Z Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety Gerpott, Fabiola H Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nale Wenzel, Ramon Voelpel, Sven C 1503 - Business and Management This study advances theorizing on human resource development by conceptualizing a training group’s age diversity composition as an antecedent of participants’ learning outcomes in organizational training courses. Drawing from social identity theory, we propose that a high age diversity of the training group can inhibit participants’ learning outcomes because individuals are less likely to share knowledge than in age-homogenous groups. Furthermore, we expect that psychological safety serves as a buffer, such that participants who perceive a high level of psychological safety in a training group will engage in knowledge sharing and consequently report high learning outcomes, regardless of the training group’s age diversity composition. We tested the proposed moderated mediation model in a sample of 211 employees participating in an interactive oneday training at an automobile manufacturer. We found that perceived age diversity, but not objective age diversity, was negatively linked to participants’ learning outcomes and that this relationship was mediated by knowledge sharing. Participants’ perceptions of psychological safety served as a buffer against the negative effect of perceived age diversity. We discuss implications for the conceptual understanding of learning as an active process shaped by the training group and encourage scholars to broaden their understanding of training design elements. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82505 10.1080/09585192.2019.1640763 English Routledge restricted |
| spellingShingle | 1503 - Business and Management Gerpott, Fabiola H Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nale Wenzel, Ramon Voelpel, Sven C Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title | Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title_full | Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title_fullStr | Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title_short | Age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| title_sort | age diversity and learning outcomes in organizational training groups: the role of knowledge sharing and psychological safety |
| topic | 1503 - Business and Management |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82505 |