The Effect of Collaborative Learning Service Quality on the Innovative Work Behavior of High-Tech Engineers

Abstract

Corporations are increasingly looking beyond inter-company collaborations to multidimensional collaborative activities between departments and organizational members within the company to strengthen innovative market competitiveness. High-tech corporations, specifically, are adopting collaborative learning approaches to promote work capability among engineers from the perspective of developing new technologies and increasing productivity. This study aimed to empirically verify the effect of the service quality of collaborative learning programs on the innovative work behavior of engineers in high-tech companies. Job autonomy, self-efficacy, and learning transfer were set as mediating variables and their effects on innovative work behavior were analyzed. The sample comprised 298 high-tech engineers in South Korea. Collaborative learning service quality was found to have a direct positive effect on job autonomy, self-efficacy, and learning transfer. However, job autonomy and self-efficacy did not influence innovative work behavior through learning transfer. On the other hand, collaborative learning quality had a positive effect on innovative work behavior through learning transfer. Thus, improving the service quality of collaborative learning programs in high-tech corporations can enhance learning transfer within the organization, leading to innovative business outcomes. Moreover, to maximize the effectiveness of collaborative learning, the service quality of learning programs can be improved by prioritizing learning transfer rather than job autonomy or self-efficacy.