The Influence of Leadership in Informal Learning of Multigenerational Teams

Abstract

Several research papers focussing on the role of leadership in organizational learning have been published. In contrast, few papers been published on the role of leadership in informal team learning. This study examines the role of team leadership in informal learning, specifically in a multigenerational team. The way team leadership affects the team climate consequently influences informal team learning. Three latent variables were hypothesized to have a positive effect on informal team learning, which in turn was expected to improve the speed of task accomplishment. Data was collected from a qualitative study with 21 interviewees and a quantitative survey study with 184 respondents. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the model. The results provided strong support for two out of three of the proposed latent variables. Team leadership influenced team climate significantly, but team leadership did not have a direct impact on effective informal team learning while the team climate did. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4p411