Influence of Work Powerlessness and Work Meaninglessness on Employee Learning Behavior: Moderating Role of Political Skill

Abstract: In contemporary times, organizations emphasize learning and development to remain competitive and innovative amidst a constantly evolving environment. In this regard, employee learning behavior has gained enormous attention. Building on COR theory, the current study explores the influence of work powerlessness and work meaninglessness, two critical variants of work alienation, on employee learning behavior. Furthermore, the study theoretically alludes to political skill as a crucial contingent factor on the relationship between work powerlessness and work meaninglessness with employee learning behavior. Using a time-lagged survey collected from the nurses working in the District headquarters hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan, the study tested the hypothesized relationship using SEM in AMOS 24. Furthermore, the study employed Hayes Process Macro in SPSS 26 for the proposed moderation hypotheses. The results revealed that all the hypotheses were supported. In so doing, the study contributes to the different streams of literature and offers several novel practical insights for managers and organizations. Keywords: Work Alienation, Work Powerlessness, Work Meaninglessness, Employee Learning Behavior, Political Skill, COR Theory JEL Classification Number: M5, M150