Learning Agility at Work: An Investigation of the Concept, the Factors that Influence It and the Outcomes It Fosters

This thesis delves into learning agility within the context of knowledge workers, focusing on how dispositional and work design factors influence its development and impact on positive work outcomes. Traditional research has primarily centered on leadership, often merging both ability and motivation in definitions related to leadership performance outcomes. This thesis introduces "learning-agility-at-work" (LAW), specifically tailored for knowledge workers with an emphasis on ability, highlighting Cognitive Flexibility (CF) and Work-related Learning Speed (WLS) as core components. A new LAW scale was developed and validated through three-phase studies in a total online sample of 824 knowledge workers. Then, the thesis constructs two theoretical models within the nomological network of learning agility, using this scale to examine the roles of personal and work characteristics in promoting learning agility and their collective impact on significant work outcomes. These models are grounded in the frameworks of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the Job Characteristics Model, and Action Regulation Theory. Initial findings from the first model tested in an online sample of 481 knowledge workers focusing on work characteristics and LAW led to refinements in a second theoretical model. This revised model repositions personal characteristics as main predictors of LAW and is tested in a field sample of 362 knowledge workers from a Chinese knowledge-intensive manufacturing company. This aims to pinpoint how these elements function as independent contributors or moderators of LAW. A qualitative study with ten semi-structured interviews complements the quantitative analysis, offering deeper insights into how these variables dynamically affect learning agility in work scenarios. By integrating quantitative models and qualitative insights, this research provides a nuanced understanding of learning agility among knowledge workers, extending the theoretical landscape and informing human resource management strategies aimed at fostering a learning-capable workforce in dynamic environments. This thesis fills significant gaps in the literature and offers insights into optimising work design and personal development strategies to enhance learning agility in the workplace.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Management

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Luo, Jin

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Boxall, Peter
• Cheung, Wai Hung Gordon

• Learning-Agility-at-Work (LAW)
• Employee Learning at Work
• Work Design
• Job Demands–Resources Model
• Job Characteristics Model
• Action Regulation Theory
• Knowledge Workers
• Scale Development & Validation
• Mixed-Methods Research

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/72235

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/72235