A Review of Error Framing and Its Influence on the Development of Innovation Skills within the Adaptive Expertise Framework

Abstract

Innovation is the key to success. This empirical study critically re-examines existing managerial training paradigms to align with the dynamic skill demands of contemporary Multi-National Companies (MNCs), with a particular emphasis on developing innovation skills—a key dimension of adaptive expertise. Anchored in the theoretical foundations of error framing, self-efficacy, and learner-centred instructional design, the study proposes and tests a conceptual model to explore the interrelationships among these constructs. A cross-sectional, survey-based quantitative research design was adopted, with data collected from mid- to senior-level MNC managers using a rigorously validated questionnaire. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to assess both the measurement and structural components of the model, ensuring reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity through composite reliability, AVE, and HTMT ratios. The analysis yielded statistically significant results, indicating that error framing, as an instructional strategy, exerts a direct and positive influence on innovation skills. Moreover, self-efficacy was found to fully mediate this relationship, underscoring its pivotal role in fostering adaptive expertise through metacognitive and motivational pathways. These findings contribute to the advancement of theory in training design and provide actionable insights for engineering and corporate learning ecosystems seeking to build innovation capacity through evidence-based pedagogical interventions.