Antecedents of Employees' Involvement in Work-Related Learning: A Systematic Review

Involvement in work-related learning seems to be more complex than a simple supply-demand fit. An interplay of several factors can influence this involvement at different stages of the decision-making process of the employee. The aim of this systematic review is to examine which antecedents of work-related learning have been identified in previous research. In total, 56 studies met the criteria for inclusion. In the current study, we describe how work-related learning was measured and what the empirically observed relationship is between learning intention and actual participation in work-related learning. The results show a positive relationship between intention and participation. A learning intention is most related to the attitude, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and career-related variables of the employee. Important predictors of actual participation in work-related learning are firm size, initial level of education and self-efficacy of the employee, support by managers, and opportunities within the organization.