Examining the role of work context, transfer design and transfer motivation on training transfer

Examination of the influence of transfer opportunity, assimilation of training content and motivation to transfer in the training transfer process

Purpose

Research has established that 38%, 56% and 66% of training is not transferred to work immediately, six months and 12 months after training, respectively. This has led scholars to advocate the continuous examination of factors that enhance training transfer to have a comprehensive understanding of the factors that enhance it. As a result, this study aims to examine transfer opportunity as a pretraining factor and its influence on assimilated training content (in-training factor); the influence of assimilated training content on motivation to transfer (post-training factor) and training transfer; the influence of motivation to transfer on training transfer; and the mediating role of motivation to transfer in the relationship between assimilated training content and training transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation model is developed to test the five hypotheses formulated in this study using survey data obtained from 195 respondents who attended various training programs across different organizations. Following the assessment of the measurement model, the determination of the significance of the hypothesized paths is assessed based on the bias-corrected and accelerated confidence intervals obtained from the bootstrapping of 10,000 subsamples.

Findings

The findings of this study are that: transfer opportunity positively influences assimilated training content; assimilated training content positively influences motivation to transfer and training transfer; motivation to transfer positively influences training transfer; and motivation to transfer plays a complementary mediation role between assimilated training content and training transfer.

Practical implications

The nature of the work environment regarding the opportunity to transfer training influences trainees’ assimilation of the training content when they undergo training. Hence, organizations need to ensure that employees are always afforded the opportunity to transfer training content assimilated from previously attended training programs to assimilate the content of subsequent training programs. Furthermore, for training to culminate in training transfer, organizations and, more specifically, learning and development practitioners ought to pay attention to trainees’ assimilation of the content of training programs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to empirically consider transfer opportunity as a direct antecedent of assimilated training content. More so, it is one of few studies to empirically examine the influence of assimilated training content on training transfer.

Training design in mediating the relationship of participants’ motivation, work environment, and transfer of learning

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship among training design, trainee motivation and work environment on the transfer of learning for teachers enrolled in a continuing professional education (CPE) training program and the confirmation of potential positive, predictive relationships of trainee motivation, work environment and training design to transfer of learning. This study investigated the contribution of training efficiency and relevance as measured by the training design; work environment as measured by work autonomy, work complexity and work variability; and trainee’s motivation of training (learning- and job-oriented) to the transfer of knowledge and skills from the training program to their workplace. Both direct and indirect effects of mentioned components on the learning transfer were explored.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included 160 teachers working in high-needs schools with large numbers of English learners (ELs) Southwest USA. Teachers in this study primarily needed professional development to empower them and enhance their instructional capacity for ELs and economically challenged students. During the recruitment, participants completed a demographic information (e.g. gender, ethnicity, number of years teaching, age, educational background) survey.

Findings

A mediation model with training design as the mediating factor was developed and analyzed. The results revealed that training design fully mediated the relationship between trainees’ work environments and the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitude acquired from the training to their workplace. Furthermore, it partially mediated the relationship between learning-oriented motivation and the transfer of learning. These findings further amplify the significance of CPE program training design and foster important considerations for future research regarding the isolation of specific training design aspects that significantly contribute to the mediation of these relationships.

Research limitations/implications

Considering the significance of learning transfer in developing professional knowledge and skills for target employees and trainees, confirming the mediating effects of training design on training transfer holds critical implications for future research. Specific and purposeful attention needs to be given to the design of CPE training. Investigations into the effects of training design and successful elements such as the training platform (online, hybrid or in-person), sample size, group structure, facilitation and participant demographics are warranted.

Practical implications

The finding of this research provides a preliminary guide for scholar-practitioners. Results of the study confirmed the role that learning-oriented motivation, job-oriented motivation, work variability or flexibility, work complexity and training design play in transfer of learning. In practice, training professionals will be more comfortable pinpointing the factors that lead to the transfer of learning or the lack of it.

Originality/value

Learning transfer has been found to be imperative for target employees and trainees to develop professional knowledge, skills and attitudes. Results of this study reveal variables that promote the positive transfer of learning to the workplace.

Impact of training design on trainees' motivation: an empirical study

Purpose

This study aims to advance understanding of the critical role of training variables (trainer performance, transfer design and an identical element) and motivation to improve work through learning (MTIWL) the least researched construct of motivation in human resource development (HRD).

Design/methodology/approach

A self-report online survey was conducted to collect responses from 280 managers working in different industries. Participants attended open skills training program organized by an in-house training institute in India.

Findings

The trainer performance and transfer design had a positive and significant impact on MTIWL. However, an identical element found no significant direct impact on MTIWL.

Practical implications

The trainer performance positively cultivates trainees’ MTIWL and training approaches according to trainees’ preferences improve MTIWL. The training content is needed to resemble with work assignment for enhancement of trainees MTIWL.

Originality/value

This study improved understanding of the impact of training variables on a comprehensive and practical aspect of trainees' motivation in HRD, MTIWL.

Towards an analysis of the transfer of training: empirical evidence from schools in Spain

Purpose

The transfer of training has been identified with the effectiveness of training. The purpose of this work is to analyse the impact of training stages (training needs analysis, application and evaluation) as they relate to training transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

The study participants correspond to a sample of 116 teachers with managerial responsibilities (management teams and department heads) from 17 secondary schools in Spain. This work hypothesises five significant relationships: needs analysis and application of training, application and transfer of training, evaluation and analysis of training needs, evaluation and application of training and evaluation and transfer of training. The hypotheses were tested using structural equations, namely, the partial least squares–structural equation modelling technique and SmartPLS version 3.2.9.

Findings

The relationships between application and transfer of training, between evaluation of training and needs analysis, application and transfer of training are positively contrasted. The relationship between the analysis and application of training is not contrasted.

Originality/value

This work analyses the relationship between the training process’s different phases (analysis, application and evaluation) in the training output (training transfer) and emphasises the role of evaluation in the training process.

Exploring readiness of learners to transfer training: an interactionist approach

Purpose

Purpose of this study is to investigate the role of learner readiness in enhancing transfer of training by empirically testing a moderated mediation mechanism in which learner readiness influences transfer through motivation to transfer, and this indirect impact is moderated by supervisor support.

Design/methodology/approach

The perception of trainees about the constructs considered has been captured through a survey of 250 employees of a unit of a manufacturing organization in India. For hypotheses testing, PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2013) has been used.

Findings

Results have confirmed the significant role played by learner readiness in predicting transfer. This apart, supervisor support has been proved to moderate the indirect impact of learner readiness on transfer.

Practical implications

Trainees need to have pre-requisite knowledge to learn the content of a training programme, which would enable them to grasp such content and transfer the same subsequently to work. It is also essential that trainees are willing to attend any training voluntarily. Specific interventions may be designed for supervisors to bolster their catalytic role in training transfer.

Originality/value

An interactionist approach has been adopted by focussing on learner readiness as a less-studied trainee characteristic and supervisor support as a situational factor of transfer. This is construed as a significant contribution of this study to training literature. The potential overlap between learner readiness and motivation to transfer as trainee characteristics is seen to be neutralized by the presence of supervisor support as a moderator. Findings help in understanding how a trainee’s readiness and motivation, together with supervisor’s positive attitude, can enhance transfer.

Moderating effect of career planning on job support and motivational process of training transfer

Purpose

This study aims to examine the direct effects of job support and the indirect effects of individual career planning on the motivational process of training transfer, which consists of the structural relationship between learning goal orientation, learning motivation, transfer motivation and training transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was administered to 255 respondents in South Korea, and 252 valid responses were used for analysis. A hypothetical model was examined using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis.

Findings

This study found that the synchronous process model of training transfer was well validated in the Korean context; moreover, job support promoted employee motivations that led to their training transfer. In addition, career planning was found to have a moderating role in the relationships explored in this study. That is, when the level of career planning was high, job support directly affected the motivation to transfer, and the link between intrinsic learning orientation and motivation to learn was highly activated compared to the group with a low level of career planning.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by the single-dimensional measurement of its constructs, including job support, goal orientation and motivation to transfer. This limitation should be considered when interpreting the study’s results. In terms of implications, the study suggests that organizations should help individuals identify their career interests and establish a strategy to achieve their career goals by providing information about specific areas of interest.

Originality/value

This study proposes that the motivational mechanisms leading to training transfer are affected by trainees’ level of career planning. In addition, the study findings emphasize the importance of organizations’ role in guiding individual employees’ career planning to facilitate performance through training transfer.

Training transfer climate: examining the role of high performance work system and organizational performance in the power sector of India

Purpose

Benchmarking research has explored the role of organizational practices and business processes rooted with human capabilities for achieving growth performance. The role of high performance work system as an organizational practice and business process is yet to be studied. Even if studied, no study has been conducted on the role of training transfer climate on high performance work system and organizational performance. The current research aims at examining high performance work system on organizational performance. Further, the study also examine training transfer climate as a mediating variable between HPWS and organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected from 415 executives of a high performance-based power sector company of Gujarat, India. The survey instrument consists of high performance work system, training transfer climate and organizational performance. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for a simultaneous assessment of overall and specific elements of measurement validity and reliability. Structural equation modelling used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The result proved the capability of high performance work system to predict organizational performance. Further, the result supports the hypothesis that training transfer climate acts as a mediator between high performance work system and organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The result has important theoretical and managerial implications. Theoretically, the research extends the scope of benchmarking to high performance work system. The managerial implications have been discussed from the training transfer climate perspectives.

Originality/value

The originality of the study lies with proving the role of high performance work system and training transfer climate as an organizational practice and business process within benchmarking research.

Linking the employee value proposition (EVP) to employee behavioural outcomes

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between employee value proposition (EVP) dimensions, employee commitment and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study collected data from 134 employees of a government department using a survey method. The collected data were analysed with a regression method using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24.

Findings

The regression analysis shows that perceived organisational support, and work environment (WE) influence employee commitment. Also, the relationship between organisational commitment (OC) and OCB was found to be significant. The analysis also confirms that OC mediates the relationship between the EVP variables and OCB.

Research limitations/implications

This study is cross-sectional research, future studies may adopt a longitudinal method or multi-sourced data for further research insights. Due to the adopted research design, the findings should be interpreted with this in mind.

Practical implications

This study helps to understand the impact of EVP attributes on employee commitment in organisations. The finding would benefit organisations on the need to enhance EVP fulfilment, and its benefits findings from the study show perceived organisation support and WE affects OC while OC affects OCB. It is crucial for organisations to consider and align EVP strategies in their people management strategies.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the EVP theory by analysing the role of affiliation dimension of the EVP on employee commitment. Prior research appears to have neglected the influence of the EVP on employee commitment.

Employer branding: perceived organisational support and employee retention – the mediating role of organisational commitment

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between employer branding attribute of organisational support and employee retention in a government agency in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is cross-sectional in design, and an online survey method was used to collect data from 134 research participants. Research participants were recruited from a local council in New Zealand. The Process Macro Regression method was employed to analyse the collected data.

Findings

The main findings from this study are: first, the study shows that perceived organisational support (POS) as an employer branding technique affects employee retention. Second, POS significantly influenced employees’ organisational commitment (OC) as a predictor of employee retention. Third, the relationship between organisational support and employee retention was mediated by OC in this study.

Research limitations/implications

This study examined POS as an employer branding strategy; the findings have a number of valuable implications for organisations. This study suggests that organisations should develop adequate organisational support mechanisms as a way of acquiring the status of a better employer among different stakeholders.

Practical implications

Precisely, the findings imply that organisations should focus on increasing organisational support to attract, maintain and retain employees because employees desire conducive and favourable work environments.

Social implications

A well-crafted and efficiently implemented organisational supportive strategies may enhance the reputational status of the organisation as an employer brand among its future job applicants.

Originality/value

This study tested POS as an employer branding attribute in the New Zealand context; research on POS as an employer branding strategy is scarce. The results suggest that organisations that embrace organisational support mechanisms as employer branding strategy succeed in maintaining and retaining their talents for a longer time.