Mapping the Pathways From Growth Mindset to Workplace Learning – A Mixed-Method Study in Vietnam’s Banking and Retail Industries
Creators: name: Nguyen, Linh
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2025
Subjects: classificationCode: 350503
subject: Human resources management
classificationCode: 350710
subject: Organisational behaviour

description: In today’s knowledge-driven economy, workplace learning (WPL), or the ability of individuals to continuously expand their knowledge base and develop their competences, is crucial not only for the employability and professional success of those individuals but also for sustainable competitive advantages in organisations. However, despite significant investments in learning initiatives, participation rates in WPL often do not meet the expected or necessary levels, particularly in self-regulated, informal settings. This discrepancy underscores the need for more in-depth research into the factors influencing WPL engagement.
Several personal traits, particularly positive psychological attributes such as growth mindset, self-efficacy, and mastery goal orientation, have emerged as key determinants of success in educational outcomes. However, the majority of research in this area has remained focused on educational settings, with less emphasis on their applicability in the workplace. In particular, despite theoretical indications linking these traits with workplace outcomes, the specific connections between psychological characteristics like growth mindset and WPL are still largely unexplored, representing a gap in the literature.
To address these gaps, this sequential explanatory mixed-method study develops and validates a conceptual framework that investigates how psychological attributes interact with and influence WPL through both direct and indirect pathways. The primary aim is to provide a detailed understanding of the psychological mechanisms that facilitate the translation of growth mindset and related psychological states into effective WPL behaviours and outcomes. This understanding is intended to help organisations devise strategies that foster an environment conducive to continuous learning and improvement.
Utilising Tynjälä’s (2013) 3-P model of WPL, the study integrates psychological factors (Presage), both formal and informal WPL (Process), and KSAOs (Product). Theoretical underpinnings from implicit self-theory, social cognitive theory, and goal orientation theory are integrated to expand the Mindset Meaning System framework, providing a robust conceptual model for the research.
A sequential explanatory ‘QUAN → qual’ mixed-methods research design is employed, combining quantitative SEM-fsQCA analysis with qualitative insights. In the quantitative phase, the results from a hybrid SEM-fsQCA analysis using large samples (n = 546 and 976) of Vietnamese retail and banking employees underscore the importance of positive psychological attributes in accompanying learning activities for cultivating competencies. Specifically, growth mindset is found to indirectly and significantly affect WPL through the full sequential mediation of occupational self-efficacy and mastery goal orientation, emphasising the indispensable role of the Mindset Meaning System. Both SEM and fsQCA confirm the critical roles of occupational self-efficacy and mastery goal orientation in enhancing learning as direct antecedents as well as individual and sequential mediators, thereby uncovering various pathways through which psychological attributes can combine to lead to WPL and KSAOs. Interestingly, fsQCA indicates that the Mindset Meaning System, composed solely of psychological attributes, can surpass the influence of WPL processes in developing KSAOs. Moreover, informal WPL is found to be a stronger predictor of KSAOs than formal WPL processes.
The qualitative findings from 26 semi-structured interviews then enrich the quantitative results by uncovering nuanced contextual factors and underlying reasons for such psychological-WPL pathways, providing deeper insights into the practical implementation and variability of psychological impacts. All triangulated insights lead to a practical, actionable framework for organisations to foster and sustain WPL and KSAOs through strategic interventions targeting each psychological touchpoint within the Mindset Meaning System.
Theoretically, this study pioneers a novel framework that connects a growth mindset with WPL and the development of KSAOs, applying robust psychological theories such as implicit self-theory, social cognitive theory, and goal orientation theory to the relatively underexplored field of WPL. This integration not only validates the relevance of these theories in modern organizational settings but also deepens our understanding of their role in competency development. The research introduces the application of the Mindset Meaning System in a business context, offering a fresh perspective from a non-Western viewpoint. This fills a significant gap in the literature regarding Eastern perspectives on these theories and sets a foundation for future comparative studies between Western and Eastern contexts. The study’s exploration of both formal and informal learning types concurrently—an area often overlooked in the literature—highlights their differential impacts on KSAOs, with informal learning showing greater effectiveness. Additionally, the use of a sequential explanatory design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative analyses, enhances theoretical contributions by providing a more nuanced understanding of the relationships among psychological constructs and learning outcomes.
Practically, this research offers significant insights for organizational leaders and HR practitioners, providing a validated and actionable framework to enhance workplace learning and develop KSAOs effectively. This is especially pertinent in Vietnam, where the study’s insights help address the challenges of cultivating an effective learning culture amid burgeoning industrial growth and rapidly changing market dynamics.