ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Abbasi Moghadam   M. A. (1)
Bakhtiari   M. (1)
Raadabadi   M. (2)
Bahadori   M. (*)






(*) Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(1) Department of Health Care Management, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(2) Department of Management & Health Economic, School of Management & Medical Information, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Health Management Research Center, Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Sheykh Bahaei St., Tehran, Iran.
Phone: +982182482417
Fax: +9832188057022
bahadori_57@yahoo.com

Article History

Received:   February  13, 2013
Accepted:   April 29, 2013
ePublished:   June 7, 2013

ABSTRACT

Aims Organizational learning is a dynamic process which enable the organization to fit fastly with changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational learning and empowerment in the viewpoint of nurses as the great sources of organizational knowledge and knowledge transfering in hospitals.
Materials & Methods This descriptive-correlative study was performed in 1200 membered nurses society of 4 Tehran University of Medical Sciences’ hospitals between October 2012 and March 2013. 310 nurses were selected by simple randomized sampling method. Data gathering instrument was a standard questionnaire with 3 different parts of demographic data, Gomez 16 questions and 20 questions about employee empowerment. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18 software by Pearson correlation, Independent T and ANOVA tests.
Findings The mean of nurses’ organizational learning score was 2.99±0.73 and of nurses’ empowerment was 3.60±0.57. The strongest correlation of empowerment was with “open space and experimentation” dimension (r=0.51) and the weakest was with “systematic view” dimension (r=0.39). There were significant differences between empowerment (p=0.023) and “open space and experimentation” dimension (p=0.005) and sex. Also, a significant relation was observed between “systematic view” dimension (p=0.015) and nurses’ employment type.
Conclusion There is a strong relation between organizational learning and its dimensions with empowerment.

Keywords: Organizational Learning, Empowerment, Nurses, Hospitals,

CITATION LINKS

[1] Jerez-Gomez P, Cespedes-Lorente J, Valle-Cabrera R. Organizational learning capability: A proposal of measurement. J Bus Res. 2005;58(6):715-25.
[2] Hornstein HA. Empowerment as a way to facilitate change: Can process consultation help? OD Practitioner. 2006;38(1):4.
[3] Teymournejad K, Sarihi Asfestani R. Effects of organizational learning on psychological empowerment in the ministry of economic affairs and finance. J Manag Stud Dev. 2010;62:37-59.
[4] Std.com [homepage on the Internet]. Learning-org dialog on learning organizations. c2001 [update 2002 July 21]. Available from: http://www.std.com
[5] Yeung AK, Ulrich DO, Nason SW, Von Glinow MA. Organizational learning capability: Generating and generalizing ideas with impact. USA: Oxford University Press; 1999.
[6] Templeton GF, Lewis BR, Snyder CA. Development of a measure for the organizational learning construct. J Manag Inform Syst. 2002;19(2):175-218.
[7] Otala L. Industry-University partnership: Implementing lifelong learning. J Eur Ind Training. 1994;18(8):13-8.
[8] Zhang L, Tian Y, Qi Z. A conceptual model of organizational learning based on knowledge sharing. Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society; 2006.
[9] Paajanen P, Kantola J, Karwowski W, Vanharanta H. Applying systems thinking in the evaluation of organizational learning and knowledge creation. J Syst Cybern Inf. 2006;3(3):79-84.
[10] Yaghoubi M, Karimi S, Javadi M, Nikbakht A. A correlation study on organization learning and knowledge management in staffs in selected hospitals of Isfahan university of medical sciences. J Health Admin. 2011;13(42):65-75.
[11] Abeysekera I. The project of intellectual capital disclosure: Researching the research. J Intellect Cap. 2006;7(1):61-77.
[12]Aghdasi M, Befruei MK. Comparative study of organizational learning capabilities as an organizational source of knowledge in public and private hospitals of Tehran: Nurses perspectives. Iran J Nurs. 2009;21(56):69- 79.
[13] Yaghoubi M, Javadi M. Relationship between knowledge management and team learning in selected hospitals of Isfahan university of medical sciences. Iran J Med Educ. 2012;11(9):1083-90.
[14] Bennet D, Bennet A. The rise of the knowledge organization: Handbook of knowledge management. Washington, DC: Washington State University; 2005.
[15] Gagne M, Deci EL. Self‐determination theory and work motivation. J Organ Behav. 2005;26(4):331-62.
[16] Goh S, Richards G. Benchmarking the learning capability of organizations. Eur Manag J. 1997;15(5):575- 83.
[17] Lahteenmaki S, Toivonen J, Mattila M. Critical aspects of organizational learning research and proposals for its measurement. Br J Manag. 2002;12(2):113-29.
[18] Alegre J, Chiva R. Assessing the impact of organizational learning capability on product innovation performance: An empirical test. Technovation. 2008;28(6):315-26.
[19] Easterby-Smith M, Lyles MA. Handbook of organizational learning and knowledge management. New York: Wiley-Blackwell Publisher; 2011.
[20] Levitt B, March JG. Organizational learning. Ann Rev Soc. 1988;14:319-40.
[21] Lei D, Slocum JW, Pitts RA. Designing organizations for competitive advantage: The power of unlearning and learning. Organ Dyn. 2000;27(3):24-38.
[22] Prugsamatz R. Factors that influence organization learning sustainability in non-profit organizations. Organ Learn Sustain. 2010;17(3):243-67.
[23] Bahadori M, Hamouzadeh P, Qodoosinejad J, Yousefvand M. Organizational learning capabilities of nurses in Iran. Int J Glob Bus Manag Res. 2012;4:248-54.
[24] Yang SB, Choi SO. Employee empowerment and team performance: Autonomy, responsibility, information and creativity. Team Perform Manag. 2009;15(5-6):289-301.
[25] Khan Alizadeh R, Asadollah K, Fani AA, Moshabaki A. Study of the relationship between organizational learning and empowerment. Transform Manag J. 2010;2(3):20-45.
[26] Ali Ahmadi A, Ahmadi SAA, Hatami Naghani F. Relationship between organizational learning and empowerment in Iranian oil workers’ pension fund staff. Modiriyat-e-Farda J. 2010;9(25):67-82.
[27] Fry LW, Vitucci S, Cedillo M. Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement and establishing a baseline. Leadersh Q. 2005;16(5):835-62.
[28] Aghdasi M, Bafruei MK. Measuring level of organizational learning capabilities in hospitals. Int J Ind Eng Product Manag. 2008;19(4):71-83.
[29] Bahadori M, Hamouzadeh P, Qodoosinejad J, Yousefvand M. Organizational learning capabilities of nurses in Iran. Glob Bus Manag Res. 2012;4(3-4):248-54.
[30] Bowen GL, Rose RA, Ware WB. The reliability and validity of the school success profile learning organization measure. Eval Program Plann. 2006;29(1):97-104.
[31] Dastgerdi K, Goudarzi M, Asadi H, Dastgerdi M. To determine the relationship between employees’ empowerment and organizational learning in physical education organization. J Sport Manag. 2010;2(7):111-24.
[32] Crossan MM, Berdrow I. Organizational learning and strategic renewal. Strat Manag J. 2003;24(11):1087-105.
[33] Spreitzer GM, Kizilos MA, Nason SW. A dimensional analysis of the relationship between psychological empowerment and effectiveness satisfaction and strain. J Manag. 1997;23(5):679-704.
[34] Salehi H. Assessing the impacts of learning capacity on employee and customer satisfaction. Iran J Pub Health. 2005;11:34.
[35] Huber GP. Organizational learning: The contributing processes and the literatures. Organ Sci. 1991;2(1):88-115.
[36] Slater SF, Narver JC. Market orientation and the learning organization. J Mark. 1995;59(3):63-74.
[37] Grant RM. Prospering in dynamically-competitive environments: Organizational capability as knowledge integration. Organ Sci. 1996;7(4):375-87.
[38] Garvin DA. Learning in action: A guide to putting the learning organization to work. Watertown: Harvard Business Press; 2000.