Kolb’s Learning Styles and Managerial Concern for People and Task: A Reflective Measurement Model

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to develop a reflective measurement model utilizing the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), and employing Kolb’s four learning styles (activist, reflector, theorist & pragmatist) as predictors for the two managerial orientations (task & people) espoused by the Blake & Mouton’s Managerial Grid. The survey included 120 academic and academic-support managers from six higher education institutions in Metro Manila, Philippines. We assessed the PLS path using Consistent PLS algorithm and measured the construct’s convergent validity using both the Cronbach Alpha, rho A, and Composite Reliability, while the Fornell-Larcker test was used to measure the discriminant validity of the variable constructs. Outer loadings and Outer weights of the latent variables were extracted using the PLS Algorithm. We ran a complete bootstrapping to statistically test the significance of the PLS-SEM results. Among the findings of this research was the strong positive association of the activist learning style with managers’ task orientation while reflector, theorist and pragmatist learning styles have weak positive association with the people orientation of managers.

Keywords: Learning styles, Managerial orientation, Leadership orientation, Philippines

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-9-02

Publication date:March 31^st 2020