Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
Events
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Topic Page
Marketing
Start single access now
Access for companies
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Business and Psychology
Published in: Journal of Business and Psychology 1/2010

01-03-2010

Continuous Learning Skill Demands: Associations with Managerial Job Content, Age, and Experience

Authors: Todd J. Maurer, Elizabeth M. Weiss

Published in: Journal of Business and Psychology | Issue 1/2010

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Purpose

Given that competence at continuous learning is increasingly a key part of successful work, we investigated which aspects of managerial work are associated with a need for competence at continuous learning. Also, given the aging work force, we investigated whether age or experience is associated with reported need for continuous learning competence for effective performance.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Using job analysis surveys in a large sample from 50 jobs, we explored which dimensions of managerial work are associated with reported continuous learning skill demands (the latter operationalized as a combination of scholastic aptitude, self-objectivity, a development orientation, and inner work standards).

Findings

Job content dimensions particularly associated with a need for continuous learning were as follows: dealing with information, subordinates, technical problem-solving, and company service and networking. Managerial experience was a unique predictor of continuous learning skill requirements when controlling for age and job, but age was not a unique predictor when controlling for experience and job.

Implications

These results identify characteristics of managerial work that may demand continuous learning of incumbent managers, and also suggest that there are no differences associated with age in a perceived need for continuous learning that cannot be accounted for by experience.

Originality/Value

This moves prior research from more abstract and general characteristics of jobs likely to be associated with learning skill requirements to specific task dimensions in managerial work. Also, this identifies an important pattern of prediction for age and experience.
next article Developing and Validating a Quantitative Measure of Organizational Courage

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
American Association of Retired Persons. (1995). American business and older workers: A road map to the 21st century. Washington: DYG.
American Association of Retired Persons. (2000). American business and older employees. Washington: Author.
Berlew, D. E., & Hall, D. T. (1966). The socialization of managers: Effects of expectations on performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 11, 207–223.CrossRef
Borman, W. C., & Brush, D. H. (1993). More progress toward a taxonomy of managerial performance requirements. Human Performance, 10, 99–109.CrossRef
Bray, D. W., & Howard, A. (1983). The AT&T longitudinal studies of managers. In K. W. Schaie (Ed.), Longitudinal studies of adult psychological development (pp. 266–312). New York: Guilford.
Broderick, R. (1983). How honeywell teaches its managers to manage. Training, January, 18–22.
Campbell, J. P., McCloy, R. A., Oppler, S. H., & Sager, C. E. (1993). A theory of performance. In N. Schmitt & W. C. Borman (Eds.), Personnel selection in organizations (pp. 35–70). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Capowski, G. (1994). Ageism: The new diversity issue. Management Review, 83, 10–15.
Cleveland, J. N., & Shore, L. M. (1992). Self- and supervisory perspectives on age and work attitudes and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(4), 469–484.CrossRefPubMed
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Cooke, R. A. (1989). Assessing managerial skills with the “management effectiveness profile system”. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 49, 723–732.CrossRef
Craik, F. I. M. (1977). Age differences in human memory. In J. E. Birren & K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 384–420). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Cranny, C. J., & Doherty, M. E. (1988). Importance ratings in job analysis: Note on the misinterpretation of factor analyses. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73(2), 320–322.CrossRef
Czaja, S. J., & Sharit, J. (1993). Age differences in the performance of computer-based work. Psychology and Aging, 8, 59–67.CrossRefPubMed
Davies, J., & Easterby-Smith, M. (1984). Learning and developing from managerial work experiences. Journal of Management Studies, 2, 169–183.CrossRef
Digman, L. A. (1978). How well-managed organizations develop their executives. Organizational Dynamics, 7(2), 63–79.CrossRef
Doering, M., Rhodes, S. R., & Schuster, M. (1983). The aging worker. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Dweck, C., & Leggett, E. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95, 256–273.CrossRef
Elias, P. K., Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., & Gage, P. (1987). Acquisition of word-processing skills by younger, middle-age, and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 2, 340–348.CrossRefPubMed
Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C., & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4, 272–299.CrossRef
Hall, D. T., & Mirvis, P. T. (1995). The new career contract: Developing the whole person at midlife and beyond. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 47(3), 269–289.CrossRef
Hunt, J. G. (1991). Leadership: A new synthesis. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Hunter, J. E. (1986). Cognitive ability, cognitive aptitudes, job knowledge, and job performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 29, 340–362.CrossRef
Institute of Personnel Management. (1993). Age and employment: Policies, attitudes and practice. London: Institute of Personnel Management.
Jamieson, G. H. (1969). Age, speed, and accuracy: A study in industrial retraining. Industrial Gerontology, 8, 50–51.
Kaufman, H. G. (1974). Obsolescence and professional career development. New York: Amacom.
Kaufman, H. G. (1978). Technical obsolescence: An empirical analysis of its causes and how professionals cope with it. 1978 In ASEE annual conference proceedings, pp. 194–206.
Kausler, D. H. (1982). Experimental psychology and human aging. New York: Wiley.
Kaye, B., & Jordan-Evans, S. (2000). Retention: Tag, you’re it!. Training and Development, 54(4), 29–34.
Kelleher, D., Finestone, P., & Lowy, A. (1986). Managerial learning: First notes from an unstudied frontier. Group and Organizational Studies, 11, 169–202.CrossRef
Keys, B., & Wolfe, J. (1988). Management education and development: Current issues and emerging trends. Journal of Management, 14, 205–229.CrossRef
Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Farr, J. L. (1988). An integrative model of updating and performance. Human Performance, 1(1), 5–29.CrossRef
Kubeck, J. E., Delp, N. D., Haslett, T. K., & McDaniel, M. A. (1996). Does job-related training performance decline with age? Psychology and Aging, 11, 92–107.CrossRefPubMed
London, M. (1983). Toward a theory of career motivation. Academy of Management Review, 8, 620–630.CrossRef
Luthans, F., & Lockwood, D. L. (1984). Toward an observation system for measuring leader behavior in natural settings. In J. G. Hunt, D. Hosking, C. Schreisheim, & R. Stewart (Eds.), Leaders and managers: International perspectives on managerial behavior and leadership (pp. 117–141). New York: Pergamon.
Lykins, K. (1987). Management development survey project. Technical report of the initial findings. Atlanta, GA: BellSouth Human Resources.
Margerison, C. J., & Kakabadse, A. (1984). The American chief executives management development survey. New York: American Management Association.
Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41, 954–969.CrossRef
Maurer, T. (2001). Career-relevant learning and development, worker age, and beliefs about self-efficacy for development. Journal of Management, 27, 123–140.CrossRef
Maurer, T. (2002). Employee learning and development orientation: Toward an integrative model of involvement in continuous learning. Human Resource Development Review, 1(1), 9–44.CrossRef
Maurer, T. J., & Tarulli, B. (1994). Perceived environment, perceived outcome, and person variables in relationship to voluntary development activity by employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 3–14.CrossRefPubMed
Maurer, T. J., & Tarulli, B. (1997). Managerial work, job analysis, and Holland’s ‘RIASEC’ vocational environment dimensions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50(3), 365–381.CrossRef
McCall, M. W., Lombardo, M. M., & Morrison, A. M. (1988). The lessons of experience: How successful executives develop on the job. Lexington: Lexington Books.
McCauley, C. D. (1986). Developmental experiences in managerial work: A literature review. (Rep.No. 26). Greensboro: Center for Creative Leadership.
McCauley, C. D., Ruderman, M. N., Ohlott, P. J., & Morrow, J. E. (1994). Assessing the developmental components of managerial jobs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 544–560.CrossRef
McDowd, J. M., & Filion, D. L. (1992). Aging, selective attention, and inhibitory processes: A psychophysiological approach. Psychology and Aging, 7(1), 65–71.CrossRefPubMed
Morse, J. J., & Wagner, F. R. (1978). Measuring the process of managerial effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 21, 23–35.CrossRef
Noe, R. (1986). Trainee’s attributes and attitudes: Neglected influences on training effectiveness. Academy of Management Review, 11, 736–749.CrossRef
Noe, R. A., & Schmidt, N. (1986). The influence of trainee attitudes on training effectiveness: Test of a model. Personnel Psychology, 39(3), 497–523.CrossRef
Ohlott, P. J. (1998). Job assignments. In C. McCauley, R. Moxley, & E. Van Velsor (Eds.), The center for creative leadership handbook of leadership development (pp. 127–159). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Prien, E. P. (1963). Development of a supervisor description questionnaire. Journal of Applied Psychology, 47, 10–14.CrossRef
Rabbitt, P. M. A. (1977). Changes in problem solving ability in old age. In J. E. Birren & K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 606–625). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Rhodes, S. R. (1983). Age-related differences in work attitudes and behavior: A review and conceptual analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 93, 328–367.CrossRef
Salthouse, T. A. (1982). Duration estimates of two information processing components. Acta Psychologica, 52(3), 213–226.CrossRefPubMed
Salthouse, T. A. (1994). Aging associations: Influence of speed on adult age differences in associative learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 20(6), 1486–1503.CrossRef
Salthouse, T. A., & Maurer, T. J. (1996). Aging, job performance, and career development. In J. E. Birren & K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (4th ed., pp. 353–364). San Diego: Academic Press.
Sanchez, J. I., & Fraser, S. L. (1994). An empirical approach to identify job duty-KSA linkages in managerial jobs: A case example. Journal of Business and Psychology, 8(3), 309–325.CrossRef
Schippmann, J. S., Prien, E. P., & Hughes, G. L. (1991). The content of managerial work: Formation of task and job skill composite classifications. Journal of Business and Psychology, 5, 723–736.CrossRef
Schmidt, F. L., Hunter, J. E., & Outerbridge, A. N. (1986). Impact of job experience and ability on job knowledge, work sample performance, and supervisory ratings of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 432–439.CrossRef
Shearer, R. L., & Steger, J. A. (1975). Manpower obsolescence—New definition and empirical investigation of personal variables. Academy of Management Journal, 18, 263–275.CrossRef
Sieman, J. R. (1976). Programmed material as a training tool for older persons. Industrial Gerontology, 3, 183–190.
Stagner, R. (1985). Aging in industry. In J. E. Birren & W. K. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (2nd ed., pp. 789–817). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Thompson, P., Dalton, G., & Kopelman, R. (1974). “But what have you done for me lately”—the boss. IEEE Spectrum, 11, 85–89.
Van Velsor, E. (1998). Assessing the impact of development experiences. In C. McCauley, R. Moxley, & E. Van Velsor (Eds.), The center for creative leadership handbook of leadership development (pp. 262–288). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wexley, K. N., & Baldwin, T. T. (1986). Management development. 1986 Yearly Review of Management of the Journal of Management, 12, 277–294.
Wick, C. W. (1989). How people develop: An in-depth look. HR Report, 6(7), 1–3.
Metadata
Title
Continuous Learning Skill Demands: Associations with Managerial Job Content, Age, and Experience
Authors
Todd J. Maurer
Elizabeth M. Weiss
Publication date
01-03-2010
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Business and Psychology / Issue 1/2010
Print ISSN: 0889-3268
Electronic ISSN: 1573-353X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9126-0

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

Journal of Business and Psychology 1/2010 Go to the issue

OriginalPaper

Commitment of Cultural Minorities in Organizations: Effects of Leadership and Pressure to Conform

OriginalPaper

Relationship Quality and Purchase Intention and Behavior: The Moderating Impact of Relationship Strength

OriginalPaper

Developing and Validating a Quantitative Measure of Organizational Courage

OriginalPaper

Determinants of Partner Opportunism in Strategic Alliances: A Conceptual Framework

OriginalPaper

Establishing a Diversity Program is Not Enough: Exploring the Determinants of Diversity Climate

OriginalPaper

Organizational Support and Contract Fulfillment as Moderators of the Relationship Between Preferred Work Status and Performance

Premium Partner

    Image Credits