| dc.description.abstract | Purpose: As absenteeism in organizations has been shown to be both socially and
financially costly, exploring methods to reduce this can be beneficial. This study
explored the relationship between Open-To-Learning conversation (OTL) and sickness
absence, with trust as a mediating variable.
Methodology/approach/design: A classic field experimental design was applied to
investigate the effect of OTL workshops with the use of an online questionnaire. In
order to measure OTL workshops, a longitudinal design with pre and post testing was
conducted, including both a treatment group and control group. Randomly selected
schools in Norwegian school districts were chosen to participate which consisted of 43
leaders and 73 teachers.
Findings: There were limited significant results in our study, however, the correlation
matrix showed that there was a positive relationship between sickness absence and
trust. Additionally, and surprisingly, our ANOVA analysis indicated that the control
group experienced the lower percentage of sickness absence. Potential Explanations
for these results are discussed.
Originality: Previous research has highlighted the importance of trust between leader
and employee in relation to sickness absence, however this study is the first to introduce
OTL conversations as a method to minimize absenteeism from work. As OTL
conversations can be an important method in establishing trust between leader and
employee, and leader-employee trust has been found to reduce sickness absence, OTL
training might shed light on a new method in reducing absenteeism in organizations.
Keywords: Open-To-Learning conversations, sickness absence, relational trust,
learning. | nb_NO |
