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A study on relationship among
leadership, organizational
culture, the operation of learning
organization and employees’ job
satisfaction
A study on
relationship
155
Su-Chao Chang
National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC, and
Ming-Shing Lee
Graduate Institute of Business Administration,
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, ROC
Abstract
Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship among leadership,
organizational culture, the operation of learning organization and employees’ job satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research design was employed. A total of 1,000
questionnaires were mailed out and received 134 valid replies.
Findings – The research results indicate that the various operation extents of learning organization
have significant difference under the dimensions of leadership, organizational culture and the
operation of learning organization. Both leadership and organizational culture can positively and
significantly affect the operation of learning organization. In addition, the operation of learning
organizations has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications – Although this research is adopted with questionnaire
investigation and concise questions to the best of one’s ability it is still not known whether the
respondents can substantially understand the original contextual meaning of the questionnaire to
show the results with a true reflection.
Practical implications – The paper shows that, with the increasing number of knowledge workers
in Taiwan, it is impossible for business administrators to satisfy employees’ demands by means of
conventional leadership. Instead, they are required to enhance their own skills in transformational
leadership and, through setting a good example to employees, encouraging innovation and learning
activities, developing employees’ potentials, giving education and training activities, etc, more money
incentives, this is necessary to keep people with excellent talents.
Originality/value – The paper adopts the experimental methodology to observe the learning
achievement within the business organizations in Taiwan. Also, an attempt is made to make business
organizations aware of the effect of organization learning activities in Taiwan and the job satisfaction
of employee.
Keywords Leadership, Organizational culture, Learning organizations, Job satisfaction, Taiwan
Paper type Research paper
The author wishes to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier
versions of this paper.
The Learning Organization
Vol. 14 No. 2, 2007
pp. 155-185
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0969-6474
DOI 10.1108/09696470710727014
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14,2
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Introduction
As to the economic development in Taiwan, from the agriculture in 1940s; the light
industries in 1950s and 1960s; the heavy chemical industries in 1970s; and the high
technology industries in 1980s and 1990s, the industry policies had changed from
protection, award toward the focus on market competition. The points of industry
policies also change from production to R&D and ultimately the global market layout.
It is expected by providing the global market competence and innovation capabilities,
we can win the dominating right over the global markets and technology.
In 2004, the agriculture in Taiwan occupied 2 percent less in GDP. However, the
industrial output has reached 30 percent in GDP; the output of service industries
occupies 68 percent in GDP. With the globalizing trend and technology development,
and the increasing labor cost, from the upgrade of conventional techniques, we face the
bottlenecks. The said situations make Taiwan face the environment challenges with
high uncertainty. Under the business environment with the competition of no national
boundaries, the adaptability in good response to environmental challenges is exactly
the critical element for business organizations to keep running and their competitive
advantages. However, only the environmental adaptability for business organizations
cannot effectively improve the efficiency of business management. It requires
development of the strategies rich in mechanisms to predict the actual trend of
environmental changes. It is necessary to correct the business activities continuously
(Gardiner and Whiting, 1997). After Senge (1990) proposes the importance to create
learning organization in his book entitled: “The fifth discipline: the art and practice of
learning organization”. Various business organizations start to perceive the fact that
knowledge will become the critical resource for business organizations wanting to
create core values. They also use the core disciplines of the learning organization with
emphasis on knowledge accumulation and learning attitude. Also, through the “Fifth
Discipline” proposed by Senge (1990), they cultivate the dynamic thinking models for
business organization members. With those ideas, they can intensify the capability of
business growth and innovation.
Pool (2000) and Hall (2001) suppose that during the process of encouraging
employees to want to learn, it is necessary for the existence of organizational culture to
support the organization learning so that it is available to obtain, improve and transfer
the required knowledge with ease. Furthermore, to enhance the trust between
administrators and employees, this actually poses the critical impact on whether the
learning organization can be successful or not (Gardiner and Whiting, 1997). Because
leaders profoundly affect the organizational culture and organizational operation (the
relationship between leadership and learning organization) the important issue is with
increasing emphasis (Kasper, 2002). From the aforesaid research reports, we find that
leadership, and organizational culture, comes with critical relationship to develop
learning organization, and encourage employees to use the learning facilities. Thus, the
first research motive within this research is intended to investigate the relationship
between leadership, organizational culture and learning organization.
“Employee” is the important resource for every business organization. The success
of business organizations can be reachable, through the continuous learning effort of
excellent talents, creating knowledge, and products with highly added values, which
would make it more profitable. However, it does not mean excellent employees
naturally bring about excellent performance. In particular, with the improved levels of
employee academic backgrounds and work expectations, the business administrator
could improve employees’ job satisfaction by encouraging employees, through
leadership and the work environment, with a flexible and open atmosphere. According
to the research proposed by Davis (1951), job satisfaction can make employees achieve
organizational goals, take more interest in work, and feel honored to be part of their
organization. Within the basic organization behavior mode, proposed by Robbins
(1996), it also indicates that leadership and organizational culture substantially cause
influence on output of personnel resource, e.g. productivity, job resigning, unreported
job absence, and job satisfaction. Thus, the second research motive for this research is
aimed at examining how leadership, organizational culture and learning organizations
affect the job satisfaction of employees.
There have been numerous scholars who have investigated the behaviors of the
learning organization through theoretic contents and operation models (Buckler, 1998;
Popper and Lipshitz, 2000; Hall, 2001). There are still few papers investigating the
possible impacts on the job satisfaction of employee under the operation of the learning
organization. Furthermore, most papers are merely concentrated on individual case
studies or a single industry field. Therefore, within this research, we make an effort to
investigate the relationship among leadership, organizational culture, operation of
learning organization and job satisfaction of employee. Moreover, we can further
investigate the impact on job satisfaction of employee.
Literature review
Leadership
Leadership prevalently exists within people and organizations. Simply speaking,
leadership has the capability to affect others (Bethel, 1990). Bohn and Grafton (2002)
presume that leadership means the way to create a clear vision, filling their
subordinates with self-confidence, created through coordination and communication
todetail.
Heilbrun (1994) divides the leadership theories into three stages for discussion. The
first stage is to define leaders (The theory of leader features). The second stage is to
research leader behaviors (The theory of leader behaviors). The third stage is to focus
on the interaction with personnel, and concerns eventual and material matters between
leaders and subordinates (The theory of contingency leadership). In the latest
publicized leadership theories, we can divide them into transactional leadership and
transformational leadership (Burns, 1978; Bass, 1997).
Pounder (2001) and Kim and Shim (2003) suppose the transactional leadership is
oriented by demands, with focal emphasis on basic and external satisfaction against
demands. It is featured with a reasonable standard process for controlling, and it
means a process of benefit exchange with the purpose to keep organizational stability.
Robbins (2003) contends that transactional leadership creates the goal orientations
through role clarification and task request, and it can also lead and encourage
subordinates through these activities. Namely, leaders will affirm and reward
subordinates’ effort, and satisfy their relevant demands to reach esteem and support
from these activities. Whenever subordinates commit any improper behavior,
immediate corrective punishment should be given promptly (Bass, 1997).
The transformational leadership means the way to improve the higher level for task
request of employee so that it is available to inspire the potential capability of
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employee and it shall allow subordinates with larger responsibility to become an
employee with self orientation and self enhancement capability. Thus, inspired
employees can reach organizational goals and personal materialization achievement
(Burns, 1978; Fry, 2003). Detailed definition about the transformational-leadership is
proposed in Tichy and Devanna (1986). They contend that transformational leaders
should be cognitive of the requirements for organizational improvement, and further
create the changed vision. Thus, they can receive organizational support through the
change process.
Because the learning organization is a new idea of business management within this
research, we also adopt the new leadership theories and divide the leadership into the
transactional leadership and transformational leadership available for subsequent
research.
Organizational culture
Every person is featured with various characteristics and behavioral styles. Various
business organizations also come with their inherit culture to impact the organizational
operation. Schein (1990) reveals that organizational culture consists of two layers of
concepts, namely visible and invisible characteristics. The visible layer means external
buildings, clothing, behavior modes, regulations, stories, myths, languages and rites.
The invisible layer means common values, norms, faith and assumptions of business
organization members. Organizational culture, in addition to the capability to integrate
daily activities of employees to reach the planned goals, can also help organizations
adapt well to external environment for rapid and appropriate response (Daft, 2001).
Because the organizational culture is a concept full of abstract meanings, based on our
research purposes and various research subjects, we hereby conclude various types of
organizational cultures.
Because the learning organization emphasizes the response to environmental
change with the relationship involved with job satisfaction of employee and business
strategies. Thus, within this research, we adopt the proposal of Denison and Mishra
(1995). Reference Item 1: The flexible and stable ways to meet the competitive
environment demands, and Reference Item 2: The strategy focus of two-dimension
elements of internal employees and external customers, we divide the types of
organizational cultures into the adaptive culture (flexible/external), mission culture
(stable/external), clan culture (flexible/internal) and bureaucratic culture
(stable/internal), in total there are four types of organizational cultures available for
subsequent researches.
Learning organization
Learning is the power of growth, and individual learning is also the resource of
business growth. Thus, it is possible to acquire more information within the
information explosive society and there will be more advantages. The capability to
control information means a learning achievement (Hong, 2001). Chou (2003) contends
that organization learning means a procedure through which knowledge is obtained
and created to improve behavior modes. Heijden (2004) contends organization learning
is a type of experience conclusion, meaning a process to explore and create new
knowledge, together with the systematic infusion of the knowledge of organization
input.
The academic definition of the learning organization means that the learning
organization covers individual, grouping and organizational learning with the
simultaneous proceeding effort for organizational and individual learning. It is a type
of collective activity to reach organization-shared vision. However, the learning extent
of an organization actually depends on the response capability against the rapidly
changing environment (Kochan and Useem, 1992; Mathews, 1994; Redding, 1997).
Within the teams of learning organization, organization members work together in a
different way than the conventional operation but with mutual trust and
supplementary aids to achieve common goals and reach excellent achievement
(Senge, 1990). Through the convergence of five disciplines, it will make learning
organizations become an innovation. Despite the separate development for the five
disciplines, they are actually closely correlated. For the establishment of learning
organization, every discipline item is imperatively required.
Aksu and Özdemir (2005) summarize the main points of learning organization as:
.
The learning organization needs to change the current applications and the
views of organizational members.
.
The learning organization has direct bearing on the future of the organization.
.
The learning organization needs changes to improve.
.
The learning of all members in the organization must be easier.
.
The input of all members is needed.
The learning organization dimension within this research, mainly focuses on five
disciplines of personal mastery, improving mental models, building shared vision,
team learning and systematic thinking, proposed by Senge (1990) to serve as the
criteria for measuring the learning extents of the business organizations.
Job satisfaction of employee
Hoppock (1935) indicates that job satisfaction means the mental, physical and
environmental satisfaction of employee and the extent of job satisfaction can be known
by inquiring employees about the job satisfaction extents. The academic definitions of
job satisfaction can be divided into three types. Namely:
(1) Integral definition: This definition emphasizes workers’ job attitude toward
environment with focal attention on the mental change for individual job
satisfaction of employee (Locke, 1976; Fogarty, 1994; Robbins, 1996).
(2) Differential definition: It emphasizes job satisfaction and the difference between
the actually deserved reward and the expected reward from employees; the
larger difference means the lower satisfaction (Smith et al., 1969; Hodson, 1991).
(3) Reference structure theory: It emphasizes the fact that the objective
characteristics of organizations or jobs are the important factors to influence
employees’ working attitude and behaviors but the subjective sensibility and
explanation of working employees about these objective characteristics; the
said sensibility and explanation are also affected by self reference structures of
individual employee (Morse, 1953; Homans, 1961).
Within this research, for the dimension of job satisfaction, we adopt the frequently
applied Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and divide the job satisfaction of
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employee into the external satisfaction and internal satisfaction for the subsequent
researching investigation.
The relationship between leadership and the operation of learning organization
Popper and Lipshitz (2000) contend leadership is the factor to affect organization
learning. Leaders can create organizational structure and shape up the organizational
culture to result in influence through various affairs, actions and service; thus,
leadership actually affects the organization learning. We can know that leadership and
organization learning are highly correlated and leadership can also improve the
process and result of organization learning activities (Lam, 2002; Leithwood and
Menzies, 1998; Leithwood et al., 1998; 1996).
Leadership means the critical factor to affect organization learning. Leaders can
enhance the capability of organization learning through conveying their vision and the
learning opportunities created by leaders allowable for their subordinates can enhance
organization learning as well (Edmondson, 2002; Gilley and Maycunich, 2000; Popper
and Lipshitz, 2000).
Vera and Crossan (2004) adopt the opinion of strategic leadership and propose the
development models for high rank administrator to affect organization-learning
activities. It is aimed to investigate how leaders affect the systematic elements of
organization learning. Also, to face the violent competition, leaders shall, at all times,
be cautious about learning activities to result in organizations allowable for learning.
Lam (2002) conducts a cross-nation investigating research about transformational
leadership and organization learning and indicates that transformational leadership
can actually affect the process and achievement of organization learning. Leithwood
et al. (1998) contends transformational leadership can affect the fruitful efficiency of
organization learning. Transformational leadership can effectively affect organization
learning and also improve the process and achievement of organization learning.
Transformational leadership comes with significantly positive effect on encouraging
and emphasizing teamwork spirits and involvement (Lam, 2002; Sadler, 2001;
Leithwood et al., 1998). Transactional leadership and the operation of learning
organization also come with significant relationship and organizations can improve the
efficiency of organization learning through transactional leadership (Bass, 1997; Bass
and Avolio, 1990).
From above literatures, we can deduce that transformational leadership and
transactional leadership have significantly positive effect on the operation of learning
organization.
The relationship between leadership and job satisfaction
Robbins (2003) indicates the management function of leadership is mainly aimed to
manage employee behavior and by explaining and predicting employee productivity,
resign rate and job satisfaction in an effort to reach the ultimate goals for employees’
aggressive job involvement and the commitment to companies.
From developing the models of causality variables to affect job satisfaction,
Seashore and Taber (1975) proposes that all of the internal organization environment
includes organizational climate, leadership types and personnel relationship can affect
the job satisfaction of employee. Robbins (2003) conducts an experiment with the
subject of Fedex. From the research, it indicates that managers adopting the
transformational leadership management style cannot only bring with better work
performance rated by companies but also trigger their superiors to allow them with
more job promotion opportunities. The subordinates under transformational
leadership in less resign rate than that of transactional leadership but higher
productivity and job satisfaction.
Transformational leadership is positively correlated with the improvement of
subordinates’ working environment, the satisfaction of demands and executed
performance (Liu et al., 2003).
From above discussions, we can deduce leadership has a significantly positive effect
on job satisfaction of employee.
The relationship between organizational culture and the operation of learning
organization
Garrate (1990) contends if the general organizations are required to develop learning
organizations, the administrators shall previously cultivate the learning capability of
individuals and working teams. In addition, it is more necessary to create the climate
ad culture of organizations’ learning (Watkins and Marsick, 1993; Pool, 2000; Hall,
2001). Daft (2001) also suggests the learning organization is a critical feature to possess
the organizational culture with an effort to encourage organizations for change and
adaptation. Nowadays, there is an increasing consensus on the idea that organizations
making the effort to introduce a culture which encourages communication among their
members, experimentation and risk taking, and motivates employees to question
fundamental beliefs and work patterns, will achieve a favorable working atmosphere
for the development of their capacity to learn (Lopez and Ordas, 2004). Yeung et al.
(1999) contends that within the learning organizations, it required for leaders to design
the culture and systems and bring employees with continuous challenges to create the
prosperous futures for organizations.
Based on the above literatures, we can deduce that organizational culture has a
significantly positive effect on the operation of learning organization.
The relationship between organizational culture and job satisfaction of employee
McKinnon et al. (2003) conducts a research with the subjects of diversified
manufacturing company in Taiwan. They find organizational cultural values of
respect for people, innovation, stability and aggressiveness had uniformly strong
association with affective commitment, job satisfaction and information sharing.
Robbins (1996) contends whenever the individual demand is congruent with cultures, it
will result in the highest job satisfaction. For example, the individuals with high
autonomy and high achievement motives will result in higher satisfaction under the
organizational culture with loose supervision and emphasis of achievement rewarding.
Within the research, Huang and Wu (2000) indicates the organizational culture of
public business agencies will cause significant effect on organization commitment and
job satisfaction. Among the cultural dimensions of result orientation, professional
features, severe control and management and practical affairs, the said cultural
dimensions show significantly positive effect on aggressive commitment and job
satisfaction of employee. Also, the closed systems will cause negative effect on every
dimension within aggressive commitment and job satisfaction of employee.
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By reviewing aforesaid scientific lectures, we can find most scholars’ confirmation
of the significant relationship between organizational culture and job satisfaction. It
means organizational culture can actually affect the extent of job satisfaction. Thus, if
employees show higher identity extent to organizational cultures, the extent of job
satisfaction shall be higher naturally.
According to above discussions, we can deduce organizational culture has a
significantly positive effect on job satisfaction of employee.
The relationship between the operation of learning organization and job satisfaction of
employee
Gardiner and Whiting (1997) indicate some well-established research results and the
said research results indicate within the altered behaviors conducted by learning
organizations in response to external environment cannot only bring with beneficial
effect on organization performance but also improve the job performance and
satisfaction of employee. Hong (2001) contends the operation efficiency of learning
organization can allow employees to firmly possess the skills about personnel
companionship interaction and correct social manners so that it is available to boost
morale and reduce the absence rate and job alternation rate. We can find from the
practical researches that the promotion of learning organization can help improve job
satisfaction. Under flexible experiment, the encouragement of continuous learning,
extensive learning of culture, and system thinking, it is available to change employees’
attitude and opinions toward jobs and enhance the internal satisfaction mentally.
Furthermore, improving employees’ idea about values and authorizing employees can
actually enhance job willing and motives and also intensify the external satisfaction.
Seeing from above literatures, we can find the operation of learning organization
has a significantly positive effect on job satisfaction of employee.
Research design and method
Research hypothesis and structure
This research is mainly aimed to investigate the relationship among leadership types,
organizational culture and the operation of learning organization and also explore the
efficacy on job satisfaction of employee affected by leadership types, organizational
culture and the operation extents of learning organization. We hope the firms with highly
willing to adopt organization-learning activities can refer to the research results and
understand the extent of job satisfaction of employee within the learning organizations to
create more competence advantages for firms. After referring to relevant researches and
coordinating with our research motives and goals, the research structures proposed
within this article are shown as Figure 1. Our research structures are mainly framed by
the researched topics of operation extent of learning organization. First, we investigate
the efficacy on the operation of learning organization affected by leadership and
organization. Second, we explore the efficacy on job satisfaction of employee affected by
leadership, organizational culture and the operation of learning organization by means of
questionnaire interviews. Based on the said research structures, we hereby propose
below hypotheses available for further academic examination:
H1. The industry types actually cause significant difference under the dimensions
of leadership, organizational culture and the operation of learning
organization.
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Figure 1.
The conceptual model of
this research
H2. The various operation extents of learning organization cause significant
difference under the dimensions of leadership, organizational culture and the
operation of learning organization.
H3. Leadership and organizational culture have significantly positive effect on the
operation of learning organization.
H3a. Leadership has a significantly positive effect on the operation of learning
organization.
H3b. Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on the operation of
learning organization.
H4. Leadership, organizational culture and the operation of learning organization
cause significantly positive effect on job satisfaction of employee.
H4a. Leadership has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job satisfaction.
H4b. Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job
satisfaction.
H4c. Learning organizations have significantly positive effect on employees’ job
satisfaction.
Research variables and measurement
The topics for this research can be divided into four major parts, respectively
leadership, organizational culture, the operation of learning organization and job
satisfaction of employee. Thus, about designing questionnaire, the contents are mainly
based on our research structure, together with the fill-up of respondents’ basic
information, totally five major parts.
All of the independent and dependent variables are measured with multi-items.
Seven-point Likert Scales were used. The definitions of every dimension are as shown
in Table I.
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Table I.
The operational
definition for every
dimension
Dimension
Factor
Definition
Leadership type Transformational Bass and Avolio (1990)
leadership
Transactional
Leaders pursue cost interest
leadership
and the interest exchange with
employees. By means of the
said relationship, it means
employees reach their own
work performance to exchange
with something to satisfy their
demands in material and in
mind
Organizational Mission culture
It emphasizes organizations are
culture
featured with clear goals and
versions. Members can take
responsibility to efficiently
finish the assigned tasks.
Organizations assure
employees of the special award
Adaptive culture The features of the said culture
can satisfy customers’
demands by means of the
strategy focus on external
environment
Clan culture
The emphasis lies in the
involvement of members and
the expectation on the quick
changes of external
environment. The said culture
emphasizes that members shall
play the role with high
efficiency and they shall
express the strong
responsibility sense of
involvement and show more
organizational commitment
Bureaucratic
The said organizational culture
culture
can provide a systematic
method to perform commercial
activities. Also, by means of
the high consistency, obedience
and cooperation among
members, it can enhance
organizational activities and
work efficiency
Learning
Systematic
It conducts the insightful
organization
thinking
thinking on the overall
structures and concentrates on
how to re-establish the
hypothesis to highlight the real
causes of the important issues
so that we can see the high
lever points on the overall
structures
Reference
Bass and Avolio (1990); Wang
(2000)
Denison and Mishra (1995);
Cameron and Freeman (1991);
Zhong (2002)
Senge (1990); Feng (1997);
Chang (2002)
(continued)
Dimension
Employees’ job
satisfaction
Factor
Definition
Reference
Personal mastery It means the true inclination
and version in mind with the
process of continuous
re-focusing and
self-enhancement
Mental model
It means the hypothesis to
reflect and explore mental
conditions to form the mental
models suitable for actual
situations
Shared vision
It means the common image
and version among
organizational members. It can
make all members become
united into one with the
atmosphere permeating all
organizational activities. Thus,
various activities can be well
infused
Team learning
The means the integrating
process for members of
development teams to offer
their overall coordination and
the capabilities to materialize
their common goals
Internal
Workers show their own
Chen (2002); Weiss et al. (1967);
satisfaction
satisfaction extents on the
Feng (1997)
values, responsibility sense,
social status, positions,
autonomy and self-esteem
triggered by tasks themselves.
External
Workers show their own
satisfaction
satisfaction extents on factors
like pay, promotion, superiors’
admiration and affirmation and
colleague interaction rising
from tasks
Leadership
Within this research, the operational indicator about leadership types is defined with
the combination between transformational leadership and transactional leadership.
About the dimension scales, we refer to the MLQ Scale proposed by Bass and Avolio
(1990) and the Leadership Behavior Scale proposed by Wang (2000), they can be
divides into two factors, respectively transactional leadership and transformational
leadership.
Organizational culture
Because our research is focused on learning organizations and employees’ job
satisfaction, the operational definition of cultural dimensions is derived from the
research proposal of Denison and Mishra (1995). We divide the organizational culture
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Table I.
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into two dimensions based the points of organization strategies (internal/external) and
the attitude for organization in response to environment demands (flexible/stable).
They can be divided into mission culture, adaptive culture, clan culture and
bureaucratic culture, totally four types. About measuring scales, we refer the
Organizational Culture Scale proposed by Zhong (2002) and this measuring scale is
amended from Cameron and Freeman (1991), together with the definition for four
organizational culture types proposed by Denison and Mishra (1995). Also, based on
research demands, we further make some necessary modifications.
The operation of learning organization
The operational definition for the operation extents of learning organization within this
research is based on the five disciplines proposed by Senge (1990) and we also refer to
some measuring scales about learning organizations respectively proposed by Feng
(1997) and Chang (2002). Similarly, based on our research demands, we also make some
necessary modifications and divided them into five factors, respectively personal
mastery, improvement of mental models, building shared vision, team learning and
system thinking.
Job satisfaction of employee
The job satisfaction of employee means the subjective sensational response to the
relevant objective factors of jobs. Within this research, the operational definition of
employee job satisfaction is based on the sum of variance between expected
satisfaction and actual satisfaction in the mind or job takers (MSQ) proposed by Weiss
et al. (1967). We also refer to the measuring scales of job satisfaction research
respectively proposed by Feng (1997) and Chen (2002). We divide job satisfaction into
two structural factors namely internal and external factors.
Sampling design
Sampling
In order to obtain representative research results, we make our experimental subjects
focused on 1,000 top local companies in 2003 issued by the Common Wealth Magazine
in 2004. The said experimental subjects include financial insurance industries
(covering banks, security companies, life insurance companies and property insurance
companies), manufacturing industries (including chemical engineering, electronic and
electromechanical engineering, information technology, machine producing, food and
construction engineering industries, etc.) and service industries (including convent
stores, telecommunication companies, trading and department stores, vehicle sales and
airlines, etc.). There are totally 1,000 questionnaires sent out with 150 received and the
receipt percentage is rated at 15 percent. Among them, there are 16 replies with
incomplete answer listed. Thus, there are only 134 questionnaires available with the
receipt percentage of valid replies rated at 13.4 percent.
Sample structure
Within this research, all the company basic information about valid questionnaire
respondents are listed in the Table II with items of industry types and company
employee numbers, wherein, including 40 valid questionnaire replies made by the
financial insurance industries, 65 valid replies received from the manufacturing
industries, 29 questionnaire replies received from service industries. Because our
research samples are adopted from top 1,000 local large and medium business
organizations, the companies with total employee number amounting to 1,000 above,
roughly rated at 65.67 percent. The second group is the companies with 501-1,000
employees, roughly rated at 18.66 percent.
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Common method bias
It probably would be happen the common method bias by a single respondent filled out
the all questionnaire items. To avoid the probably existing problems about the
Common Method Variance, we used Harmon’s one-factor test to check for the presence
of common method variance, as suggested by Podsakoff and Organ (1986). Principle
Component Factor Analysis is used to analyze all questionnaire items of all constructs,
12 eigenvalue larger than 1 were extracted, the cumulative percent of variance is 72.805
percent, explanation variance percent of the first factor is 21.738 percent. The results
show that there are not single factor of a wide rang of data sets, and the first important
factor does not explain the great part of variance. There results suggest that common
method variance is not a significant problem in our data.
167
Non-response bias
To examining there is whether difference on some important characteristics among the
respondents and population, and determining the delegate of responding samples, we
used Armstrong and Overton’s (1977) suggestion and divided the responding basic
data to the two periods, early respondent and later respondent. Wherein, early response
was received after questionnaires were posted two weeks later; later response was
received from questionnaires posted two weeks and two months earlier. We compared
the dimension of leadership, learning organization, organizational culture and job
satisfaction between early respondent and later respondent by t-test. The result is
shown in Table III, and indicated that there are no significant difference among early
Item
Industry
Employee number
Dimension
Leadership
Organizational culture
Learning organization
Job satisfaction
Financial insurance industry
Manufacturing industry
Service industry
below 100
101-300
301-500
501-1000
above 1,000
Frequency
(%)
40
65
29
0
6
15
25
88
29.85
48.51
21.64
0
4.48
11.19
18.66
65.67
Early respondent (n ¼ 85)
Early respondent (n ¼ 49)
t-value
p-value
4.7835
4.3477
4.8804
4.8081
4.8803
4.5102
5.0442
4.8116
20.549
20.837
21.116
20.023
0.584
0.404
0.266
0.982
Table II.
Characteristics of the
sample firms
Table III.
T-test of non-response
bias
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14,2
168
or later response. We inferred the non-response bias is not significant different,
therefore, responding samples can represent the population.
Factor analysis and reliability examination
Factor analysis is utilized to examine the patterns or dimensions underlying the data.
Its main purpose is to condense or summarize the key features of a large number of
variables for further analysis. This research use principal component factor analysis
and varimax rotation method to extract the relative factor of which eigenvalue is
greater than 1, the values of factor loading is greater than 0.6 and the difference of
factor loading between each other is larger than 0.3 (Wu and Lin, 2000). Finally, we
refer to the textual meanings of constituent factors and factor loading values to
respectively denominate with different names.
In this study, factor is performed on SPSS to verify the dimensionality of constructs.
The Cronbach coefficient alpha is also used to measure the internality consistency of
each identified dimension. To examine the internal consistency of the variables, the
coefficient of Cronbach’s a and item to total correlation are adopted. If the Cronbach’s
a is greater than 0.7 means it has high reliability, if the Cronbach’s a is between 0.5 and
0.6 that the internal consistency of the factor is still acceptable (Robinson and Shaver,
1973), and if the Cronbach’s a is smaller than 0.3 that is has low reliability. According
to Robinson et al. (1991), item to total correlation is better to greater than 0.5. After well
examining the internal consistency and the correlative coefficients of item to total, the
research results indicate all Cronbach’s a values for various items are rated above 0.7;
furthermore, most correlative coefficients of item to total are rated above 0.6. The
results show high reliability of our research variables. To concentrate variables, the
subsequent efforts for this research will replace variables with factors for multiple
variable analysis and linear structure analysis. Table IV, reports the result of factor
analysis and reliability test.
Result and discussion
Within this research, we focus on aforesaid hypotheses and use the received
questionnaire data for statistic analysis and examination. We adopt the MANOVA
Analysis, Scheffe Test, Cluster Analysis and t-test for data examination. Also, we
adopt the LISREL for measurement and the examination of structural models with
results discussed in the following:
Comparisons of research factors under industry types
Within this paragraph, we will examine H1, from Table V, the industry types come
with significant variance within factors of transformational leadership, transactional
leadership, adaptive culture and systematic cooperation. As for leadership types, the
recognition of financial insurance industries, manufacturing industries and service
industries is higher in transformational leadership than that in transactional
leadership. The recognition of the said two types of leadership in the financial
insurance industries is higher that of the other two industries. As for organizational
culture, all three types of industries come with higher recognition about bureaucratic
culture. The manufacturing industries come with higher recognition about adaptive
culture. Despite no significant variance for dimensions of “building shared vision” and
“personal mastery” within the learning organization among various industries, on the
Leadership
Research construct
Transformational leadership
I believe my director has sufficient capability to
overcome hardship from jobs
Whenever my director pinpoints my fault, he
will kindly consider my self-esteem
Whenever my director is punishing me, he will
definitely pose impartial attitude without
personally dogmatic discretion
I regard my director as the best example of
success
Whenever I make some faults on my job, my
director will kindly communicate with me and
find out the faults to take appropriate actions
My director can share his delight and hardship
with me
My director can encourage me to have sufficient
courage to face challenges
My director takes care of me just like one of my
family elders
My director can orient me with a new director
and help me solve problems
My director can hand me over with the ultimate
mission for customer service
On the job, I cannot show my hearty respect and
actually finish the instruction from my director
Transactional leadership
My director will satisfy my demands to ask for
my personal support to him
My director can clearly tell me about the task
goals to reach rewards
Research item
38.526
63.450
3.739
Variable explained
(%)
5.779
Eigenvalue
0.822
0.854
0.590
0.602
0.655
0.682
0.686
0.724
0.733
0.750
0.763
0.778
0.787
Factor
loading
0.8847
0.9262
Cronbach’s
a
(continued)
0.682
0.775
0.432
0.582
0.704
0.752
0.684
0.775
0.796
0.743
0.742
0.782
0.743
Item to
total
A study on
relationship
169
Table IV.
The results of factor
analysis and reliability
test
Table IV.
Organizational culture
My director will punish or reward me according
to my personal work performance
Whenever I finish my special goals, my director
can grant me appropriate rewards
Clan culture
My company highly emphasizes humanity and
respect to every member just like a large family
My company highly emphasizes development of
human resource, being kind to employees and
encouraging teamwork cooperation
The coherent power of my company is
employees’ loyalty and devotion to my company
and high emphasis on teamwork cooperation
Mission culture
The coherent power of my company is high
emphasis on work performance and targeted
achievement
All company members can pay close attention to
work performance and achievement orientation
Adaptive culture
All company members are vested with the spirit
of innovation and adventure
My company aggressively makes R&D effort for
novel products and strategies in the hope of
becoming the innovator among peering
industries
Bureaucratic culture
My company is well regulated and all members
severely obey work codes for daily tasks
Research item
26.681?
46.684
65.937
84.315
1.800
1.733
1.654
Variable explained
(%)
2.401
Eigenvalue
0.8087
(continued)
0.679
0.616
0.794
0.873
0.616
0.7625
0.669
0.699
0.858
0.669
0.763
0.715
0.8017
0.810
0.719
0.849
0.811
0.8956
0.867
0.788
0.776
Item to
total
0.745
Cronbach’s
a
0.820
Factor
loading
170
Research construct
TLO
14,2
Learning organization
Research construct
The power to enhance the coherence of my
company is high emphasis of organization codes
and policies and the maintenance of normal
administrative operation
Building shared vision
My company can allow timely vision adjustment
depending on company development
My company has clear plans to materialize
visions step by step
My colleagues can commonly map out the future
development of my company through
conferences
My company has clear visions well understood
by all colleagues
Personal mastery
I can make self-examination about my work
performance
On my job, I can firmly remember my faults and
those of others to improve my capability
Whenever I am confined to actual conditions on
my job, I will try to find out available solutions
Whenever there is any dispute happening in my
job, I will never be stubborn with my own
opinion and view the conflict solutions as a part
of learning activities
Systematic cooperation
All my company colleagues can trust mutually.
Even under opinion disagreement, I can also
treat the counterpart as my best work partner
Research item
27.540
51.597
71.352
2.887
2.371
Variable explained
(%)
3.305
Eigenvalue
0.765
0.675
0.818
0.869
0.869
0.765
0.793
0.881
0.884
0.669
Factor
loading
0.7745
0.8648
0.9097
Cronbach’s
a
(continued)
0.518
0.770
0.815
0.734
0.732
0.732
0.863
0.860
0.679
Item to
total
A study on
relationship
171
Table IV.
Table IV.
Employees’ job
satisfaction
The admiration after job completeness
The attitude superiors pose toward subordinates
Available monthly wage remuneration
The companionship among colleagues
The directors’ capability of decision making
The promotion opportunities of current job
position
The organization carries out the method of the
policy
Work environment (well ventilated, lighting,
equipment).
Internal satisfaction
The capability of self-judgment at work
Try one’s own work methods at work
Assume current job position with one’s own
capability and technique
The opportunities to instruct others at work
The opportunities to serve others at work
My director can make himself set a good
example for every company member and lead
colleagues to reach work goals
My company colleagues can clearly understand
the job contents of every position
My company can often review business
development and amend some measures out of
dates
External satisfaction
Research item
3.035
4.009
Eigenvalue
50.184
30.836
Variable explained
(%)
0.717
0.658
0.568
0.473
0.532
0.601
0.590
0.520
0.586
0.8028
0.618
0.628
0.832
0.773
0.774
0.695
0.678
0.587
0.615
0.642
0.591
0.764
0.759
0.713
0.681
0.680
0.630
0.508
0.646
0.8680
0.604
0.651
Item to
total
0.632
Cronbach’s
a
0.747
Factor
loading
172
Research construct
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14,2
5.669
5.044
Personal mastery
Systematic cooperation
Notes: * p , 0:05;**p , 0.01;***p , 0.001
The operation of learning
organization
5.500
4.569
4.123
4.392
4.408
4.500
4.435
3.942
4.581
4.508
4.663
3.863
4.775
4.369
Organizational culture
4.769
Transformational
leadership
Transactional
leadership
Clan culture
Mission culture
Adaptive culture
Bureaucratic culture
Building shared vision
Leadership
2
Manufacturing
industries
n65
5.480
Factor
Dimension
1
Financial insurance
industries
n40
5.724
4.905
4.529
4.552
4.172
4.776
4.543
4.293
5.044
3
Service
industries
n29
1.075
3.248
1.538
0.570
2.403
0.838
0.164
3.792
6.461
(2.1)
(2.1)
–
–
–
–
–
–
(2.1)
0.025***
0.219
0.567
0.094*
0.435
0.849
0.344
0.042**
Scheffe
test
0.002***
F-value p-value
A study on
relationship
173
Table V.
Comparison of research
factors among industries
TLO
14,2
whole, all three types of industries can put higher emphasis on personal mastery.
However, as for the financial insurance industries, the recognition of “systematic
cooperation” is higher than that of the other two industries. The results finally make
some contents of H1 well established.
174
Cluster analysis
This research is also aimed to examine H2. Hereby, we make extent grouping for the
learning organizations operated by various business organizations. We further adopt
t-test to make comparison with the dimensional variance on leadership, organizational
culture and job satisfaction of employee. First, we adopt the Minimum Variance
Method within Hierarchical Methods or Ward’s Method to determine and divide into
two groups in consideration of optimal group numbers. Thereafter, we view k-means
as the major grouping results. Among them, the number of the first group samples is
58 and the sample number of the second group is 76. The overall hit rate is roughly at
97.76 percent and the Press Q value is 122.27 to show the excellent grouping effect.
The difference analysis for various operation extents from learning organizations
exerted on to operation factors of learning organization
Knowing from Table VI, within both groups of samples, it exists in significant
variance among three factors within this dimension. Among the three factors, namely
building shared vision, personal mastery and systematic cooperation; the averages of
group 1 are larger than those of group 2. On the whole in group 2, it exists in higher
operation extent of group 2. Thus, within this research, we denominate the group 1 as
the learning organization with low operation and the group 2 as the learning
organization with high operation.
The difference analysis for various operation extents from learning organizations
exerted on every dimension
We adopt t-test to perform variance analysis for efficacy of various operation extents
from learning organizations exerted onto every dimension. Table VII is exactly the
proved experimental results. Namely, it actually exists in significant variance for the
efficacy of various operation extents from learning organizations exerted onto every
dimension. Also, the learning organizations with high operation come with more
significant performance in both leadership and organizational culture than those of
learning organization with low operation; by the way, the former ones also come with
higher job satisfaction of employee. We can know that the H2 is well established.
Table VI.
The difference for various
operation extents from
learning organizations
exerted on to operation
factors of learning
organization
Learning organization
Group 1
n ¼ 58
Group 2
n ¼ 76
t-value
p-value
Building shared vision
Personal mastery
Systematic Cooperation
3.4353
5.1034
3.9828
5.2039
5.9770
5.3947
2 11.481
2 7.795
2 11.691
0.000***
0.000***
0.000***
Notes: * p , 0:05;**p , 0.01;***p , 0.001
Dimension
Factor
A study on
relationship
Learning
organizations with
low operation
Learning
organizations with
high operation
t-value
p-value
4.3843
5.4258
27.068
0.000***
3.7155
4.8322
26.036
0.000***
***
Leadership
Transformational
leadership
Transactional
leadership
Organizational Clan culture
culture
Mission culture
Adaptive culture
Bureaucratic
culture
Job
External
satisfaction
satisfaction
Internal
satisfaction
3.4252
5.0134
28.731
0.000
3.7241
3.5517
3.9397
5.1053
4.6842
5.1776
27.304 0.000***
25.787 0.000***
26.6652 0.000***
3.8858
5.0329
28.031
0.000***
4.7690
5.6105
27.224
0.000***
Notes: * p , 0:05;**p , 0.01;***p , 0.001
LISREL model analysis
This research is aimed to investigate the influential relationship for every dimension of
leadership, organizational culture, the operation of learning organization and job
satisfaction of employee. By investigating the causality of the four dimensions and
based on the results of the factor analysis, the routes of the LISREL model within this
research is mapped out in Figure 2. The analysis results of LISREL models are shown
as Table VIII with overall suitability rated at x2 ¼ 46:121 (freedom degree rated as 34,
P ¼ 0.08), GFI ¼ 0.944, AGFI ¼ 0.901, RMR ¼ 0.049, and NFI ¼ 0.949. Almost all the
results well conform to the principle requirements and it indicates that the modal
structures are suitable sufficiently.
Observing from basic suitability, all of the leadership variables (X1?X2),
organizational culture variables (X3?X4?X5?X6), learning organization variables
(Y1?Y2?Y3) and employees’ job satisfaction variables (Y4?Y5) reach the significant
levels onto the dimensional explanation (t-value. 2:58, namely the significant level
with p-value, 0:01).
As the results of interaction suitability shown, leadership/the operation of learning
organizations (g11), organizational culture/the operation of learning organization (g12),
leadership/organizational culture (F21) and the operation of learning
organization/employees’ job satisfaction (b21) all reach their significant levels with
positive effect existing. However, both leadership/employees’ job satisfaction (g21) and
organizational culture/employees’ job satisfaction (g22) do not reach significant levels
statistically.
Within the relationship investigating between leadership and organizational
culture, we know that leadership is positively and influentially correlated to
organizational culture significantly (F ¼ 0:671).
Within the effect investigating among leadership, organizational culture and the
operation of learning organization, we can know some situations as shown in the
following:
175
Table VII.
The difference for various
operation extents from
learning organizations
exerted on to every
dimension
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14,2
176
Figure 2.
The LISREL model of this
study
.
.
Leadership has a significantly positive effect on the operation of learning
organization (g11 ¼ 0:504).
Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on the operation of
learning organizations (g12 ¼ 0:539).
Within the effect investigating among leadership, organizational culture, the operation
of learning organization and the job satisfaction of employee, we find some situations
in the following:
.
Leadership has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job satisfaction
(g21 ¼ 0:031).
.
Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job
satisfaction (g22 ¼ 0:103).
.
The operation of learning organization has a significantly positive effect on
employees’ job satisfaction (b21 ¼ 0:953).
To summarize aforesaid discussion results, the examined results about our hypotheses
within this research are shown as Table IX.
The effect analysis among various variables
In view of the overall influential effect, the operation of learning organization cause
significantly positive effect on job satisfaction. Although leadership causes some
positive effect, yet it comes without significant results. In addition, organizational
culture causes negative effect onto job satisfaction but comes without significant
results. However, if the operation is through the process of organization learning
Overall suitability
Internal suitability
Basic suitability
Rating indicator
Leadership n Organizational culture (F21)
Chi-square/p-value
GFI
AGFI
RMR
NFI
0.671
46.121/0.08
Learning organization g Job satisfaction of employee (g21)
F
b
Transformational leadership ( · 1)
Transactional leadership ( · 2)
Clan culture ( · 32)
Mission culture ( · 42)
Adaptive culture ( · 52)
Bureaucratic culture ( · 6)
Lambda Y/0.5-0.95
Building shared vision ( · 1)
Personal mastery ( · 2)
Systematic cooperation ( · 3)
External satisfaction ( · 4)
Internal satisfaction (· 5)
g
Leadership g Learning organization (g11 )
Leadership g Job satisfaction of employee (g21 )
Organizational culture g Learning organization (g12 )
Organizational culture g Job satisfaction of employee (g22 )
Job satisfaction of employee
Learning organization
Organizational culture
Leadership
Parameter/determine principle
Lambda X/ 0.5-0.95
4.715***
p . 0.05
0.944
0.901
0.049
0.949
0.953
0.504
0.031
0.539
0.103
0.837
0.513
0.869
0.849
0.708
0.892
0.684
0.908
0.801
0.638
0.782
Parameter
coefficient
. 0.9
. 0.9
,0.05
. 0.9
1.833*
4.593***
0.110
5.055***
0.333
9.498***
6.203***
–
–
8.006***
7.906***
–
11.448***
9.923***
7.558***
–
t-value
A study on
relationship
177
Table VIII.
The analysis result of
LISREL Model
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178
Table IX.
Research hypotheses and
experimental results
Research hypothesis
Experimental result
H1. The industry types actually cause significant difference under the
dimensions of leadership, organizational culture and the operation of
learning organization
H2. The various operation extents of learning organization cause
significant difference under the dimensions of leadership, organizational
culture and the operation of learning organization
H3a. Leadership has a significantly positive effect on the operation of
learning organization
H3b. Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on the
operation of learning organization
H4a. Leadership has a significantly positive effect on employees’ job
satisfaction
H4b. Organizational culture has a significantly positive effect on
employees’ job satisfaction
H4c. The operation of learning organizations has a significantly positive
effect on employees’ job satisfaction
Partial support
Support
Support
Support
Not support
Not support
Support
activities, it will do good to the enhancement of employees’ job satisfaction. Knowing
from aforesaid table, the largest impetus of employee’s job satisfaction is derived from
organization learning activities. Leadership is ranked as the second important one,
wherein, transformational leadership plays the main role. Namely, under the
management of high rank leadership, the most acceptable management manners shall
be the way with generous concern. Through the said leadership, it is just available for
employees to inspire internal potentials and reach the best job satisfaction (Table X).
Conclusion
Within this research, we take the top 1,000 local business organizations 2003 listed in
the Common Wealth Magazine to work as our experimental subjects. By questionnaire
investigation, after prudent lecture review together with questionnaire data design and
analysis, we reach the research conclusion as below:
Hypotheses conclusions
All various operation extents of learning organization cause significant difference on to
every dimension factor
The companies with high operation of learning organization come with higher
performance in leadership and organizational culture than those of the companies with
low operation. It means leadership behaviors and organizational culture really cause
significant effect on the operation of learning organization. Also, the companies with
Table X.
The results of effect
analysis
Dependent variable
Independent variable
Direct effect
Learning organization
Leadership
Organizational culture
Leadership
Organizational culture
Learning organization
0.504
0.539
0.031
0.103
0.953
Job satisfactional
Indirect effect
0.481
0.514
Total effect
0.504
0.539
0.512
0.617
0.953
high operation of learning organization come with higher internal and external job
satisfaction simultaneously. It means the implementation of learning organization
activities can really enhance the job satisfaction of employee.
Leadership and organizational culture cause significantly positive effect on the operation
of learning organization
If we can make good use of leadership, especially the transformational leadership,
organizations are highly willing to create the inclination for building shared vision,
personal mastery and systematic cooperation. If organizational culture falls into the
clan type or task type of culture, it also helps establish the shared vision and
systematic cooperation within organizations.
Leadership, organizational culture and the operation of learning organization cause
positive effect on to job satisfaction of employee
We can find both leadership and organizational culture cause positive effect on job
satisfaction of employee but no significant results reached. If by means of the learning
operation of establishing vision, personal mastery and systematic cooperation, it can
positively and significantly enhance both internal and external job satisfaction of
employee.
Research findings
The lower transformational leadership extent in manufacturing industries and service
industries
Within the variance analysis for the efficacy of industry types exerted onto
transformational leadership, we can find that although the transformational leadership
of financial insurance industries, manufacturing industries and service industries are
higher than that of transactional leadership, the transformational leadership of both
manufacturing industries and service industries is lower than that of financial
insurance industries. Thus, the organization learning inclination of systematic
cooperation is also lower naturally.
The development of learning organization can be viewed as a type of organizational
transformation. If the transformation lacks the leader with transformational
leadership, the organization learning will definitely become prattling speech. In
special, the conventional industries in Taiwan are now facing the extremely large
menace and challenge. If business organizations cannot make some breakthrough from
current rigid family-owning business management and they shall be defeated by
continuously upcoming challenges. Thus, it is exactly the critical tasks for business
administrators to fulfill their skills in transformational leadership. They cannot be
vested with system thinking capability but also the impetus to trigger employees’
potentials and encourage employees for continuous learning.
Business organizations in Taiwan have no significant learning inclination about team
learning activities, improvement of mental model and system thinking
Current business organizations in Taiwan are all featured with the inclination toward
learning organization (above averages), but they show no concrete and significant
performance in team learning activities, improvement of mental model and system
thinking. According to the concepts proposed by Senge (1990), five disciplines of
A study on
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179
TLO
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180
learning organizations shall be imperatively coordinated and integrated firmly
together and no one can be ignored. In special, the system thinking is actually the
foundation of other four disciplines. Thus, whenever business organizations are
performing organization-learning activities, it is required to make alert use of thinking
models and arrange with wholesome layout for team learning activities. Through open
communication channels and information share, they can enhance the teamwork
spirits and system thinking among departments and organization members. Business
organizations can also implement knowledge management to encourage employees
allowable for information share so that it is available to reach the ultimate goals for
organization members’ lifelong learning activities.
Implication
Despite numerous research reports about learning organizations, some case studies
actually focus on some specific industries (especially numerous reports focusing on
high technology industries). Within this research, we actually work on the
experimental researches about various industries and our research results shall be
available for ordinary business organizations for reference.
Through this research, we hope we can make business organizations know about
the effect of organization learning activities in Taiwan and the job satisfaction of
employee. Thus, it is available for clear orientation when the organization learning
activities are implemented.
Research contribution
(1) Despite numerous research reports about learning organizations, some case
studies actually focus on some specific industries (especially numerous reports
focusing on high technology industries). Within this research, we actually work
on the experimental researches about various industries and our research
results shall be available for ordinary business organizations for reference.
(2) Through this research, we hope we can make business organizations know
about the effect of organization learning activities in Taiwan and the job
satisfaction of employee. Thus, it is available for clear orientation when the
organization learning activities are implemented.
Suggestions for the practitioners
Our research results indicate both leadership and organizational culture cause positive
effect on job satisfaction of employees but lack significant effect. However, through the
operation of learning organization, it can cause significantly positive on job
satisfaction of employee. Within the increasing numbers of knowledge workers in
Taiwan, it has been unavailable for business administrators to satisfy employees’
demands by means of conventional leadership. Instead, it is required to enhance their
own skills in transformational leadership and through setting a good example for
employees, encouraging innovation and learning activities, developing employees’
potentials, giving education and training activities etc, more inducements out of the
money, it is just available to keep excellent talents.
Although business organizations incline to rigid deadlock with the growing scales
to cause the fact that organizational culture prefers to bureaucracy unavailable for
flexible response to demands from environment and customers. However, as Robbins
(2003) says, leaders still can overcome the obstacles of environment and organizational
culture. Thus, leaders should maintain long run competitive advantages by developing
visions, encouraging the learning activities and establishing the company core values.
About creating the organizational culture suitable for learning activities, it should be
allowable for employees to adventurously commit faults with best brainstorm so that
the teams can bring about much more creativity. Because organizational culture is
exactly an important contextual factor to support or impede organization learning
(Yang and Wang, 2002), whenever the learning organizations are under development, it
is required to take previous consideration whether the existent deep-layer culture
within companies will impede organization learning activities.
The concept of learning organization is still under development and there have been
numerous research reports with results indicating that every walk of life should
become learning organizations to reach the largest efficiency. Under current business
climate in Taiwan, business organizations actually face extremely large challenges and
uncertainty. Only through the physique of business organizations with continuous
learning impetus, can we survive from the competition and host the global stages.
Thus, we hereby offer our suggestion to local small and medium business
organizations should make effort on some novel knowledge about leadership,
management and techniques. In addition, the large business organizations should
avoid organization rigid deadlock and re-adjust organizational structures to result in
active organizational culture. About the core meaning of organization learning, it is
required to keep the core values within the 5 disciplines proposed by Senge (1990) but
avoid any blundering chase.
Suggestions for future research
(1) This research is aimed to investigate the job satisfaction of employees who
come from the business organizations with general learning organization
arrangement. For the upcoming research, it is available to investigate the
learning variance among different industries. It is also available to make
comparison of the extents of organization learning from various countries.
(2) Currently, there have been numerous researches focusing on the causes of
learning organizations (the setting factors to affect the development of learning
organizations) and results (organization performance, innovation capability, job
satisfaction of employees, work stress). However, there is no research involved
with developing processes of learning organization (the practical affairs and
detail about organization learning, learning methods and the process of five
disciplines). Thus, it is available for upcoming research effort to investigate the
operation process of learning organization.
(3) The upcoming researchers can adopt other research methods to implement
insightful investigation about learning organizations. If it is available to locate
influential factors by using DEA, we can, therefore, establish the indicative
learning organizations.
Research limitations
(1) This research actually belongs to the management fields of social science. Thus,
on the research concepts and phrases used within the questionnaire contents,
A study on
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181
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182
we are probably confined to reach perfect congruence between theoretic
assumptions and practical affairs.
(2) Although this research is adopted with questionnaire investigation with concise
question contents as best as we can, yet, actually we still cannot realize whether
the respondents can substantially understand the original contextual meaning
of our questionnaire to reflect the interviewed results with best trueness.
(3) Confined by time and resource conditions, we cannot make the research with
larger sample pools and this is quite a pity. We sincerely hope for subsequent
researching effort on this issue for best supplementary works. See Table IV.
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