Employees' participation in informal learning activities benefits their
workplace performance, and ultimately their long-term career
development. While research has identified several individual- and
organizational-level factors that promote participation, to date, the
role of human resource management (HRM) in facilitating informal
learning activities is not well understood. We investigate the effects
of perceptions of performance appraisal quality and HRM system strength
on three informal learning activities: reflection on daily activities,
knowledge sharing with colleagues, and innovative behavior. Using a
sample of 238 employees from 54 work teams, we examine over a year
changes in levels of participation in the informal learning activities.
Performance appraisal quality was found to be positively associated with
increased participation in each activity over time, and HRM system
strength positively moderated these relationships. Implications of the
findings for educational institutions and other organizations are
discussed.