How Personality, Emotions and Situational Characteristics Affect Learning from Social Interactions in the Workplace

The present study examines the effects of social interactions’ situational characteristics, emotions, and personality on self-perceived learning from social interactions at work based on diary and survey data. The sample comprises 43 German vocational education and training (VET) trainees in various apprenticeship programs. During the diary period of ten working days, the participants were instructed to record five typical social interactions at work every day. Quantitative data of 1,328 social interactions were analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Regarding social interactions’ characteristics, the analysis revealed the baseline level of instrumentality, an interruption of the social interaction, its instrumentality and questions asked by the trainee during the interaction as positive predictors of self-perceived learning. A trainee’s higher speech proportion, however, was a negative predictor. Regarding state emotions, the emotional experiences of bored and motivated were identified as significant positive predictors of learning from social interactions at work. Emotions’ baseline level as well as personality traits had no significant influence. The results indicate that social interactions’ situational characteristics have the biggest influence on self-perceived learning from social interactions.