Impact of Organizational Communication, Innovation Culture, and Organizational Commitment on the Effectiveness of Informal Learning in Korea

This study examined the impact of organizational communication, innovation culture, and organizational commitment on the effectiveness of informal learning in Korea. Secondary data derived from Human Capital Corporate Panel which were collected and organized by the Ministry of Labor in South Korea and Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training were examined. Respondents were 11,473 full-time employees (managers, team staff, and operations employees) in 467 sample companies in South Korea's manufacturing, financial, and service industries. Structural equation modeling was applied to these data. Study results revealed a positive relationship of organizational communication with organizational commitment and demonstrated their impact on the effectiveness of informal learning. Further, this study showed that organizational commitment mediated organizational communication and innovation-oriented culture and the effectiveness of informal learning. An innovation-oriented culture did not influence directly or significantly the effectiveness of informal learning. The interpretation was that excessive or non-communicative innovations might offset the advantages of an innovation-oriented culture by discouraging employees' informal learning. Implications for practice and recommendations for further research are discussed.