ABSTRACT
One of the leading models in literature about the relationship between learning behaviour and psychological work conditions is the demandcontrol-support model (Karasek and Theorell 1990). The ‘active-learning hypothesis’ derived from this model assumes that employees with a high level of task demands, a high level of task control, and a high level of social support have opportunities to control these high task demands and can thus develop new behaviour patterns (learning). The demand-control-support model has been confi rmed by many authors (e.g., Dollard and Winefi eld 1998; Karasek and Theorell 1990; Parker and Sprigg 1999; Taris and Feij 2005). The question can be raised, however, whether these studies measured ‘active learning’ properly. They mostly used rather passive indicators that do not refl ect actual learning behaviour (e.g., self-confi dence and job satisfaction). In this chapter we will investigate the infl uence of the psychological work conditions from the demand-control-support model on more active (behaviour-based) indicators of learning among nurses. Nurses are an excellent target group for such a study because they are very much involved in continuous learning. We will also investigate the mediating role of intrinsic work motivation on the relationship between these work conditions and learning, as a possible explanation for some inconclusive fi ndings from previous studies.
