Learning orientation in nursing homes in Poland

Abstract

As a major challenge of a social, economic, and institutional nature, the phenomenon of population ageing is the basis for concern in terms of the direction of further socioeconomic development. By the year 2050, the number of older people around the world will amount to more than 2 billion, constituting 22% of the total population. Over 75, people are faced with increased risk of disability (physical and mental), which can deprive of independent existence. The welfare system will not only have to meet the growing demand for nursing homes, but also the increasing requirements for the safety and quality of services. The innovation of nursing homes will be conditional on the learning of the units of this sector. The scientific goal of the pursued study was to evaluate the influence of learning orientation on the innovation of nursing homes in Poland. Learning orientation has been the subject of the Author’s interest in the context of four constructs: (i) commitment to learning, (ii) shared vision, (iii) open-mindedness, and (iv) intra-organisational knowledge sharing. The article presents the results of a quantitative research conducted on a sample of 169 nursing homes in Poland. The study aimed to examine relationships between the four constructs of learning orientation and organisational innovativeness of nursing homes in Poland. The regression model confirmed the existing statistically significant positive relationship between open-mindedness and organisational innovativeness.