A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF LEARNING STYLE AND SELF-EFFICACY BETWEEN EMPLOYEES IN JAPAN AND INDONESIA

Abstract

This study compared Japanese and Indonesian employees with regard to learning style and two types of self-efficacy beliefs: training and skill utilization self-efficacy. It also examined how learning style affects each of these self-efficacy beliefs after controlling for the demographic characteristics of age, gender, and country. We relied on Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Bandura’s self-efficacy paradigm in theorizing a relationship between learning style and efficacy beliefs. Participants included 801 employees who worked for an automobile parts maker: 398 from Japan and 403 from Indonesia. Results of the independent t-test revealed significant differences in learning style and the two specific efficacy beliefs. Japanese employees were more concrete and active than Indonesian employees and were more likely to possess a diverging learning style, which consists of concrete experience and reflective observation. In contrast, Indonesian employees were more likely to have an assimilating learning style, which is composed of abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. Indonesian employees showed a higher level of the two self-efficacy beliefs, suggesting that Indonesian employees tend to have more self-confidence in specific situations of training and skill utilization. Results of regression analysis revealed that the two learning style variables of concrete experience vs. abstract conceptualization and reflective observation vs. active experimentation were significantly related to training and skill utilization self-efficacy beliefs. Specifically, those who learn by thinking tended to possess a higher level of the two self-efficacy beliefs than those who learn by feeling. Similarly, those who learn by acting were likely to have a higher level of the self-efficacy beliefs than those who learn by reflecting. This study confirms that learning style and self-efficacy differ by country. It also supports the perspective that learning style relates to self-efficacy beliefs, especially concerning specific situations. We discuss the implications of these results.