ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND JOB EMBEDDEDNESS: THE MEDIATION OF ROLE AMBIGUITY ACROSS INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS

Abstract

Organizational learning has allied with employee and organizational performance, but limited attention has given to the processes through which organizational learning processes contribute to employees’ job embeddedness. This study examines the relationship between organizational learning and job embeddedness and explains the mediating role of role ambiguity. Organizational learning studied on four levels: individual-level learning, group-level learning, organizational-level learning, and inter-organizational-level learning. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design used for study, and data collected through a structured questionnaire from 245 employees working in service-sector organizations in Pakistan. Regression analysis and bootstrapping was used to test the proposed relationships and mediation effects. The findings reveals that organizational learning and sub levels are positively related with job embeddedness and negatively with role ambiguity. Whereas role ambiguity is negatively related with job embeddedness. The study explores that role ambiguity significantly mediates the relationships between organizational learning (and each of its four levels) with job embeddedness. The findings suggest that organizational learning helps employees’ job embeddedness by creating opportunities for knowledge acquisition, social connection, reducing uncertainty regarding roles, responsibilities, authority, and performance expectations.