Elaboration and empirical evaluation of the De Goede learning potential structural model

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As a direct result of having segregated amenities and public services during the Apartheid era where Blackindividuals were provided with services inferior to those of White individuals, the country is currentlychallenged by serious and debilitating issues such as a skills shortage across most industry sectors, highunemployment and poverty rates, and inequality in terms of income distribution as well as in terms ofracial representation in the workforce. The country is furthermore facing social problems such as highcrime rates and high incidence of HIV/AIDS. A discussion is put forward that these challenges are theconsequence of a larger problem. The larger problem being the fact that knowledge, skills and abilities arenot uniformly distributed across all races. The situation is that in the past, and still now, White SouthAfricans have greater access to skills development and educational opportunities. It is this fundamentalcause that must be addressed to in order to create a sustainable solution to the challenges describedabove. It is therefore argued that a means to overcome the challenges the country faces as a result ofApartheid is through skills development – specifically affirmative action skills development. Affirmativeaction skills development will entail giving previously disadvantaged Black individuals access to skillsdevelopment and educational opportunities as to equip them with the currently deficit skills, knowledge,and abilities. It is proposed that affirmative action skills development is one of the most effectivemechanisms through which the aforementioned problems facing the country might be alleviated.A need was therefore identified for Industrial Psychology researchers to assist organisations to identify theindividuals who would gain maximum benefit from such affirmative action skills developmentopportunities. To achieve this, an understanding is required of the factors that determine whether or not alearner will be successful if entered into an affirmative action skills development opportunity. Some studieshave already been conducted regarding this need. One such study was conducted by de Goede (2007).The primary objective of this study consequently was to expand on De Goede's (2007) learning potentialstructural model. Non-cognitive factors were added to the De Goede (2007) learning potential structuralmodel in order to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity underlying learning and the determinantsof learning performance. A subset of the hypothesised learning potential structural model was thenempirically evaluated. The measurement model was found to have a good fit. However, the first analysis ofthe structural model failed to produce a good fit to the data. The analysis of the standardised residuals forthe structural model suggested the addition of paths to the existing structural would probably improve thefit of the model. Modification indices calculated as part of the structural equation modeling pointed outspecific additions to the existing model that would improve the fit. The model was subsequently modifiedby both adding additional paths. Furthermore, when considering the modification of an initially proposed structural model, the question should not only be whether any additional paths should be added, butshould also include the question whether any of the existing paths should be removed. To this end theunstandardised beta and gamma matrices were examined and it pointed to insignificant paths that couldbe removed. The model was subsequently also modified by removing insignificant paths. The final revisedstructural model was found to fit the data well. All paths contained in the final model were empiricallycorroborated.The practical implications of the learning potential structural model on HR and organisations are discussed.Suggestions for future research are made by indicating how the model can be further elaborated. Thelimitations of the study are also discussed.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University