THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL ON INTERNAL LEARNING IN TEAMS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF THE PERCEIVED TEAM STRUCTURE

ABSTRACT Whereas past research on internal learning has focused on evaluating how the observed learning rates affect collaborative interactions among the various actors, we extend this literature by analyzing internal learning in teams and the role of psychological capital in this process. This study aims to analyze the mediating role of the perceived team structure in the relationship between positive psychological capital and internal learning in teams. Therefore, a self-report questionnaire was applied to 480 college students to test this relationship, using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the mediating role of the perceived team structure in the relationship between psychological capital and internal learning in teams. Our work underlines the role of psychological capital in academic settings. On the other hand, due to rapid changes in today’s society, university students who will be future employees need to cultivate psychological capital in order to achieve better learning outcomes.