A behavioral analysis of learning processes amongst construction project team members in China

The driving force behind the development of learning theory is the assumption that individuals require an effective learning ability if they are to succeed in a complex, competitive, and changing world. Hence, the construction firms in China must act upon the knowledge resulting from learning in order to continuously improve their performance. However, as learning must take individuals as agents, the learning processes among construction team members in China are analyzed from the behavioral aspect. The aim is to investigate the relationship between learning behaviors and job performance, which is ultimately aggregated into the whole firm’s performance. In this research, a model is developed and tested to depict the reasonable causalities among project team members’ previous job performances, future learning behaviors, and the subsequent performance by a continuous cycle. The model is developed based on goal-behavior-performance-outcome cycle, together with other learning theories. It is hypothesized that project team members’ previous job performance can influence future learning behaviors, and such influence is mediated by the team members’ feelings of satisfaction. However, depending on the content and depth of the knowledge change within individuals, the learning behaviors in this research are classified into three levels hierarchically: adaptive learning, reconstructive learning, and process learning. Different levels of the learning process result in the different changes of the future learning behaviors. A field study was conducted to quantitatively test the hypotheses by means of a questionnaire elaborated theoretically and situationally. Using the SEM technique, the priori hypothesized structural relations were statistically identified. Consistencies between postulated hypotheses and the empirical outcomes are evident. Testing results show that a project team member’s previous job performance has a significant influence on future learning behaviors. The influence of previous job performance differs according to level of the learning process. Specifically, previous job performance influences behavior pattern resulting from adaptive learning; it influences the goal setting phrase resulting from reconstructive learning; and it influences the team member’s learning orientation resulting from process learning. All those influences are mediated by the team member’s feeling of satisfaction. Through the understanding of the learning processes among project team members, a more thorough understanding enquiry into the nature of learning can be stimulated. This understanding may guide managers of construction firms, as well as the project managers, to better handle their team members’ learning processes, which ultimately leads to continuous improvement. Such performance helps the construction firms survive intense competition.