Development and validation of the learning culture scale for small- and medium-sized enterprises

Purpose An important prerequisite for innovation is continuous employee learning. Organizations can set out to increase employee learning by creating positive conditions within the organization that facilitate employee learning and development. However, the dimensions of such a learning culture and the potential beneficial outcomes have been studied particularly in large organizations. This study therefore aims to develop the Learning Culture Scale (LCS) that measures learning culture in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach The measurement instrument presented in this paper focuses on the extent to which employees perceive the following six practices/policies within their SME to be geared towards learning behavior: learning-oriented tasks, reflexivity and experiential learning, collaborative learning, learning-oriented leadership, organizational learning structure and external network learning. The LCS has been tested and validated using two studies among 1,825 employees in 59 Dutch SMEs. Findings Confirmatory factor analyses and analysis of intercorrelations show support for the internal structure and validity of the LCS. The LCS also showed predictive value on actual learning behavior in terms of the amount employees engaged in formal courses and training. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to develop an instrument measuring the construct of learning culture specifically within SMEs. In addition, the LCS could be implemented as an audit tool, in which organizations could unveil which organizational learning issues are strong and which are weak. This would provide guidance for targeted action and improvement.