Enabling Young Professionals to Learn from Errors - the Role of a Supportive Learning Climate in Crossing Help Network Boundaries

Abstract

Learning from errors is crucial for individuals’ as well as organizations’ performance. Yet, learning does not automatically follow from erring: the fear of negative consequences may prevent professionals from learning. These social costs of making an error, receiving negative judgments or experiencing feared punishment, need to be lowered for learning from error to take place. This study explores whether a supportive learning from error climate enables young professionals to engage in help-seeking behavior for learning after making an error. Using a social network approach, information from 157 young professionals in the domain of auditing reveals that not all help-seeking after errors is learning-oriented. Especially help-seeking from hierarchical superiors depends on the organization’s learning from error climate: perceptions of this climate moderate the relationship between social costs of help seeking within a hierarchical work setting and the learning value of help sought. This study contributes to existing literature through its focus on a specific learning from error behavior, help-seeking, its triangulation of climate measures, as well as its focus on professionals’ actual error experiences in their work environment.

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