Informal learning for employees’ protection behavior in organizations

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of informal and formal learning processes on protection behavior with a focus on the role of resilience as a potential mediator.Design/Methodology/ApproachUsing web-based survey questionnaires on informal and formal learning, protection behavior, and resilience the survey collected information from 329 employees working in various organizations in India. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze employees’ protection behavior in protecting organization resources.FindingsFindings indicate that informal learning has a significant positive effect on employees’ protection behavior, in protecting organization information. Further, resilience is found to be having a small mediation effect on informal learning and protection behavior relationships. Formal learning has no impact on employees’ protection behavior.Originality/valueOne of the scarce empirical research works that have substantiated the informal learning effect on organization protection behavior among employees.Practical implicationsInformal learning increasing the protection behavior has implications for the organizations in promoting social interactions. Formal learning not impacting protection behavior implies that organizations may reduce the expenses of sending their employees to formal training on information protection behavior.