https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026019855751
Public Personnel Management
1–21
© The Author(s) 2019
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DOI: 10.1177/0091026019855751
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Original Article
The Healthy Learning
Organizations Model: Lessons
Learned From the Canadian
Federal Public Service
Nancy Beauregard
1
, Louise Lemyre
2
,
and Jacques Barrette
3
Abstract
This study evaluates the predictive validity of the Healthy Learning Organizations
(HLO) model in explaining mental health and organizational commitment among
executives from the public sector. Data were derived from a cross-sectional sample of
executives from the Canadian federal public service (N = 1,601). Latent class analyses
(LCA) assessed whether (a) associative patterns in executives’ psychosocial work
environment and organizational learning process expressed a typology of healthy
and learning organizations; and (b) executives’ mental health and organizational
commitment varied according to this typology. LCA yielded a three-latent class
solution, supporting evidence of (a) differential arrangements in the healthy and
learning components of the HLO model; and (b) differential impacts on executives’
psychological distress and organizational commitment (i.e., affective, continuance).
The HLO model offers novel grounds to assess healthy and learning organizations in
the public administration sector.
Keywords
executives, organizational learning, psychosocial work environment, psychological
distress, organizational commitment
1
School of Industrial Relations, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
3
Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Corresponding Author:
Nancy Beauregard, School of Industrial Relations, University of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Downtown
Station, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7.
Email: nancy.beauregard.2@umontreal.ca
855751PPM XX X 10.1177/0091026019855751Public Personnel ManagementBeauregard et al.
research-article 2019