Dimensions of learning in organizations: Validation of the dimensions of the learning organization questionnaire (DLOQ) in the Brazilian context

Abstract

The main objectives of this paper are the validation of a scale of learning culture and the analysis of its relationship with organizational performance, in Brazil. The scale, Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (Dloq), proposed by Marsick e Watkins (2003) was translated from English into Portuguese and was subsequently semantically validated. The questionnaire was answered by 566 employees from a Brazilian organization of the electrical sector. The data were collected via the organization intranet in the second half of 2005. The scale in its full version has 55 items being 43 of learning culture and 12 of organizational performance. The theoretical framework firstly discusses concepts of organizational learning culture and presents studies using Dloq in other contexts. Subsequently, concepts of organizational performance used by Marsick and Watkins (2003) to build the scale are discussed. The application of Dloq full version in Brazilian context showed adequate reliability and convergent validity, however, did not show discriminate validity (CORRÊA; GUIMARÃES, 2006). To solve this problem, this study used a simplified version of that scale, created by Yang (2003), called by the author Dloq-A. This version is composed of 27 items distributed in the seven dimensions of organizational learning culture: learning opportunities; questioning and dialogue; collaboration and team learning; systems to capture and share learning; responsibility and delegation of power; development of a systemic vision of organization; stimulating strategic leadership for learning, and two dimensions of organizational performance: financial performance and organizational knowledge gain. The results of this study showed convergent validity, discriminate validity, reliability and criterion validity, as well as being parsimonious. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the Dloq-A has been validated in the Brazilian context. The survey results showed that the learning culture explains 43% of the variance in organizational performance.