Iranian journal of management sciences

Iranian journal of management sciences

A Structure for Learning: Analyzing the Mediating Role of Trust in the Link Between a Fun Workplace and Informal Learning

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Nahid Radmanesh 1
Jafar Moradi 2
Nooshin Razmi 3
1 assistant professor, Department of Managemet, Government Managemant Branch, Islamic Azad university, kazerun, iran
2 PhD student, Public Administration, Organizational Behavior, University of Tehran, Center, Iran
3 , insrructor of the of Managemet gourp,Islamic Azad university of kazerun, iran
100/jiams.2026.8821.7715
Abstract
Background and purpose: This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the mediating role of organizational trust in the relationship between fun at work and informal learning in public organizations in Shiraz. Method: The current research is practical in terms of its purpose, the research is survey-analytical and based on covariance matrix analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM). Using stratified random sampling method, 171 managers and vice presidents of different organizations were selected as samples. Findings: In examining the relationships between variables, despite the mediating role, direct, indirect and total effects should be examined. If the relationship between fun at work and trust or the relationship between trust and informal learning is not significant, then the mediation will be complete and if all relationships are significant, then there will be a partial mediation, which according to the obtained value, organizational trust has a partial mediation in the relationship between fun at work and informal learning. Results: The results of the research show that all the direct and indirect effects between the variables, that is the effect of fun at work on organizational trust, fun at work on informal learning and organizational trust on informal learning were all confirmed. It should be noted that the strongest effect coefficient is related to the effect coefficient of fun at work on organizational trust, and the weakest coefficient is related to the coefficient of organizational trust on informal learning.
Keywords
"
Organizational Trust"
fun at work"
, "
Informal Learning"
Subjects
1.    7.      De Jong, B. A., Dirks, K. T., & Gillespie, N. (2016). Trust and team performance: A meta-analysis of main effects, moderators, and covariates. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8), 1134–1150. https://doi.org/ 10.1037/apl0000110
8.      Everett, A. (2011). Benefits and challenges of fun in the workplace. Library Leadership and Management 25(1), 1–10
9.      Georganta, K., & Montgomery, A. (2022). Workplace fun is not enough: the role of work engagement and trust. Cogent Psychology, 9(1), 2060603.
10.   Karl, K., Peluchette, J., Hall-Indiana, L., & Harland, L. (2005). Attitudes toward workplace fun: A three sector comparison. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 12(2), 1-17.
11.   Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Ang, S. H., Leong, S. M., Tan, C. T., & Ho-Ming, O. (2012). Principles of marketing: an Asian perspective. Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
12.   Kramer, R. M. (2010). Collective trust within organizations: Conceptual foundations and empirical insights. Corporate Reputation Review, 13(2), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1057/crr.2010.9
13.   Lesener, T., Gus, B., & Wolter, C. (2019). The job demands-resources model: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies. Work and Stress. 33(1), 76–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2018.1529065
14.   Jyoti, J., Dimple, & Dimple, D. (2022). Fun at workplace and intention to leave: Role of work engagement and group cohesion. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(2), 782–807.
 https://doi. org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2021-0704
15.   McDowell, T. (2004), “Fun at work: Scale development, confirmatory factor analysis, and links to organizational outcomes”, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University
16.   Muceldili, B, Erdil, O. (2016). Finding fun in work: The effect of workplace fun on taking charge and job engagement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 304-312
17.   Noe, R. A., Tews, M. J., & Marand, A. D. (2013). Individual differences and informal learning in the workplace. Journal of vocational behavior, 83(3), 327-335.
18.   Owler, K., Morrison, R., & Plester, B. (2010). Does fun work? The complexity of promoting fun at work. Journal of Management and Organization, 16(3), 338–352.https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.16.3.338
19.   Plester, B, & Hutchison, A. (2016). Fun times: The relationship between fun and workplace engagement.  Employee Relations. 38(3), 332–350. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/ER-03-2014-027
20.   Plester, B., Cooper-Thomas, H & Winquist, J. (2015). The fun paradox. Employee Relations, 37(3),380- 398 https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2013-0037 
21.   Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293–315. https:// doi.org/ 10.1002/ job.248
22.   Shaw, N. (2014). The mediating influence of trust in the adoption of the mobile wallet. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(4), 449-459.
23.   Stromberg, S., Karlsson, J. C., & Bolton, S. (2009). Rituals of fun and mischief: The case of the Swedish   meatpackers. Employee Relations, 31(6), 632–647.https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450910991776
24.   Taheri, M., Motealleh, S., & Younesi, J. (2022). Workplace fun and informal learning: the mediating role of motivation to learn, learning opportunities and management support. Journal of Workplace  Learning, 34(3), 229-241.
25.   Tannenbaum, S. I., Beard, R. L., McNall, L. A., & Salas, E. (2010). Informal learning and development in organizations. In S. W. J. Kozlowski & E. Salas (Eds.), Learning, training, and development in organizations (pp. 303-332). New York: Routledge
26.   Tan, N., Yam, K. C., Zhang, P., & Brown, D. J. (2021). Are you gossiping about me? The costs and benefits of   high workplace gossip prevalence. Journal of Business and Psychology, 36(3), 417–434.  
https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10869-020-09683-7
27.   Tews, M. J., Michel, J. W., & Noe, R. A. (2017). Does fun promote learning? The relationship between fun in the workplace and informal learning. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 46-55.
28.   Tews, M., Michel, J. W., & Allen, D. (2014). Fun and friends: The impact of workplace fun and constituent attachment on turnover in a hospitality context. Human Relations, 67(8), 923–946. https://doi.org/10.
1177/0018726713508143
29.   Van der Klink, M., IJM Van der Heijden, B., Boon, J., & Williams van Rooij, S. (2014). Exploring the contribution of formal and informal learning to academic staff member employability: A Dutch perspective. Career Development International, 19(3), 337-356.