Voluntary or mandatory training participation as a moderator in the relationship between goal orientations and transfer of training

Trainees can participate in organizational training programs voluntarily or mandatorily. To date, research has reported mixed evidence on the question whether voluntary or mandatory participation is associated with higher motivation and transfer of training. Grounded in the frameworks of participatory design, the notion of autonomy in basic psychological needs theory, and the 2 × 2 model of achievement goals, this meta‐analysis examined the relationship between goal orientations and transfer of training in contexts of voluntary and mandatory training participation with a sample of N = 4729 trainees in k = 29 studies. Goal orientations were conceptualized in four dimensions: mastery‐approach, mastery‐avoidance, performance‐approach, and performance‐avoidance. Results of the primary meta‐analysis indicated that mastery‐approach orientation had the most positive correlation with transfer of training, followed by performance‐approach, mastery‐avoidance and performance‐avoidance goal orientation. Meta‐analytic subgroup analysis examined the effects of two conditions for training participation: voluntary participation and mandatory participation. The findings indicated that training participation significantly moderated the correlation coefficients of mastery‐approach and performance‐avoidance goal orientation, with more positive estimates when training enrollment was voluntary. Contrary to expectations, the correlation coefficient between performance‐approach goal orientation and transfer of training was more positive when entry into training programs was obligatory and mandated. Implications for future research and the practice of training design and delivery are discussed.     

Predicting autonomous and controlled motivation to transfer training

In spite of a broad consensus on the importance of motivation for the transfer of learning from training to the job in work organizations, studies investigating motivation to transfer are limited. This study combines the self‐determination theory, the expectancy theory and the theory of planned behaviour to provide a theoretical framework for investigating attitudes towards training content, relatedness and instructional satisfaction as predictors of two dimensions of transfer motivation: autonomous motivation to transfer and controlled motivation to transfer. A total of 444 subjects, trained in 23 occupational health and safety training courses, completed multi‐item questionnaires immediately following training. Structural equation modelling procedures indicate that controlled motivation to transfer was affected by attitudes towards training content and that autonomous motivation to transfer was affected by attitudes, relatedness and instructional satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications for training effectiveness associated with the interplay of motivation and transfer in professional training.     

Linking positive affect and motivation to transfer within training: a multilevel study

Motivation to transfer is a critical element for successful training transfer. Whereas recent research has shown that training‐related factors such as training design are related to motivation to transfer, participants’ affective experiences have been neglected. Based on the broaden‐and‐build theory of positive emotions, we conducted a multilevel study to investigate the relationship between positive affect and motivation to transfer at the individual and at the group level of analysis. A total of 867 training participants drawn from 78 three‐day training programmes were surveyed on the first day (T1) and the last day (T2) of the training. As expected, positive affect was found to be related to motivation to transfer at both T1 and T2. Furthermore, the relationship between positive affect at T1 and motivation to transfer at T2 was mediated by motivation to transfer at the individual and the group level at T1 and by positive affect at the individual level at T2.     

Social support at the workplace,motivation to transfer and training transfer: a multilevel indirect effects model

Supervisor support, peer support and transfer motivation have been identified as important predictors of training transfer. Transfer motivation is thought to mediate the support–training transfer relationship. Especially after team training interventions that include all team members (i.e. whole‐team training), individual perception of these factors might be shared among team members. However, an integration of the team level in the training transfer process is rare, yet still needed. Analyzing 194 employees from 34 teams in the context of whole‐team training interventions, we found similar relationships and processes at both levels of analysis: social support enhances transfer motivation at the individual and team levels. Furthermore, motivation to transfer increases training transfer and serves as a connecting mechanism in the social support–training transfer link. The results underline the importance of: (1) considering multiple levels in theories and research about the training transfer process; and (2) ensuring the practice of individual‐directed support and a shared, supportive climate within teams.     

Social support and motivation to transfer as predictors of training transfer: testing full and partial mediation using meta‐analytic structural equation modelling

Social support and motivation to transfer are important components in conceptual models on transfer of training. Previous research indicates that both support and motivation influence transfer. To date, however, it is not yet clear if social support influences transfer of training directly, or if this influence is mediated by motivation to transfer. Conceptually, some models assume that motivation to transfer fully mediates the influence of social support on transfer (full mediation models), whereas other models also include direct relationships between social support and transfer of training (partial mediation models). In addition, some models specify finer sub‐dimensions of social support, such as supervisor support, peer support, supervisor sanctions and feedback/coaching. What is the relative influence of these dimensions on the transfer of training? To what extent does motivation to transfer mediate the influence of different support dimensions and transfer? Aimed at answering these questions, the present meta‐analysis (k = 32 studies, N = 5487 participants) examined the relationships between social support, motivation to transfer and transfer of training. Social support was conceptualized in four dimensions: supervisor support, peer support, supervisor sanctions and feedback/coaching. Meta‐analytic structural equation modelling was used to test a partial mediation model and a full mediation model. Full mediation resulted in a better model fit. Peer support was the strongest predictor of motivation to transfer, and feedback/coaching was the strongest predictor of transfer of training. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for developing conceptual models, measurement instruments and training interventions are discussed.     

The influence of the training environment on trainee motivation and perceived training quality

To examine the relationships between the training environment and employee responses to training provided by their organisations, 105 managers employed by different 12 Australian organisations completed measures of the personal aspects of organisational commitment, job involvement, self esteem, and personal control, as well as of the organisational aspects of social support from work, social support outside work, training incentives, training resources, and training needs. The trainees also indicated how motivated they were for the training, and how they judged the quality of the training provided by their organisations—the two outcomes of the study. Eight of the 10 relationships between the organisational aspects and outcomes were significant, but only three of the eight relationships between the personal aspects and outcomes. It is argued that the results suggest that it is how organisations go about managing training, especially how many resources they provide, what training incentives they make available, and how much the training is needed that counts, rather than the personal attributes of the trainees.     

The role of motivation to lead for leadership training effectiveness

In this study, the construct of motivation to lead (MtL) is considered as a predictor of leadership training effectiveness. MtL, the individual preference to take on leadership roles, is a motivation that specifically relates to the content of leadership training. A total of 132 managers participated in a longitudinal follow‐up study. The influence of MtL on training effectiveness is explained by a serial mediation process. Individuals high on MtL benefit more from training by acquiring more leadership competencies, which in turn results in more effective leadership behavior and ultimately higher training effectiveness 1 year later. Understanding the process through which trainees' individual MtL influences building up competencies is important for identifying mechanisms that drive training effectiveness. Organizational support is revealed to further enhance this training process by moderating the influence of MtL on leadership competencies. From a practical perspective, MtL is important for leadership training effectiveness and measures should be taken to enhance MtL.     

Exploring the role of goal theory in understanding training motivation

A model to test conceptions from goal theory within an existing framework of training motivation was developed and tested with employees participating in training in a non‐profit organization. It was hypothesized that goal orientation ('distal factors’) along with self‐efficacy, expectancy and valence (‘proximal factors’) would predict goal intentions as well as training outcomes such as affective responses to training, perceptions of training utility and intention to transfer or use the training provided. Results revealed that goal orientation predicted a significant proportion of variance in the proximal antecedents (valence (33 per cent), expectancy (39 per cent) and self‐efficacy (31 per cent)) whereas the proximal antecedents explained 43 per cent of the variance in goal intentions. In turn, goal intentions were related to training outcomes (affect (b = 0.7), utility (b = 0.6) and transfer intention (b = 0.5)). Goal intentions mediated the relationship between proximal antecedents and training outcomes, providing evidence that goal intentions play a pivotal role in the causal path from proximal factors to training outcomes. Valence alone was found to be a significant mediator of the relationship between goal orientation and goal intentions.     

The effect of error orientation,motivation to learn,and social support on training transfer intentions: A moderated mediation model

This study aims to assess whether trainees’ errors orientation can influence their motivation to learn and their intention to transfer training. Data were collected from 275 trainees participating in a corporate training program offered by a Canadian government agency. Results show that the concept of learning by error positively influences trainees’ levels of motivation and their intention to transfer learning. Results also confirm the mediating role of motivation between the concept of learning by error and the intention of transferring learning. Finally, results confirm the moderating role of social support on the relationship between motivation to learn and the intention to transfer learning. Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2017 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of proactive personality and conscientiousness on training motivation

Training transfer is a ubiquitous but frequently unmet goal of training initiatives amounting to billions of dollars lost annually and masses of under‐skilled workers due to the lack of application of training content to their job. Although research supports the impact trainee proactive personality, conscientiousness and motivation have on training transfer processes, their interrelationships remain understudied. To fill this gap, we utilized data from a multinational sample of trainees and examined a conditional, indirect process model, where proactive personality interacts with conscientiousness to influence transfer intentions through their effects on motivation to learn. Our results suggest that trainee proactive personality positively influences transfer intentions partially through its influence on motivation to learn and that higher levels of conscientiousness weakens this relationship. Our findings provide further evidence supporting the importance of proactive personality and conscientiousness as factors that need to be accounted for in the design of talent development solutions.     

Employee participation in non‐mandatory professional development – the role of core proactive motivation processes

With a focus on the self‐initiated efforts of employees, this study examined a model of core proactive motivation processes for participation in non‐mandatory professional development (PD) within a proactive motivation framework using the Self‐Determination Theory perspective. A multi‐group SEM analysis conducted across 439 academic and general employees of an Australian regional University provided initial support for the model. Results indicated that when employees are autonomously motivated to participate in non‐mandatory PD, intrinsic benefits are the most salient aspiration that also mediate the influence of autonomous motivation on transfer implementation intentions. Extrinsic benefits are likely to be a secondary outcome which does not directly relate to transfer implementation intentions. Further research should replicate and extend this core model in other organizational settings where participation in non‐mandatory PD is a critical factor in the effectiveness of the organization.     

An investigation into the relationship between training evaluation and the transfer of training

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between training evaluation and the transfer of training in organizations. We hypothesized that training evaluation frequency will be related to higher rates of transfer because evaluation information can identify weaknesses that lead to improvements in training programs and create greater accountability among stakeholders for training outcomes. The data were obtained from 150 training professionals who were members of a training and development association in Canada. The results indicated that training evaluation frequency is positively related to training transfer. However, among Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation criteria, only behavior and results criteria were related to higher rates of transfer of training, indicating that the level of evaluation criteria is important for training transfer. These results indicate the importance of organizational‐level initiatives such as training evaluation in addition to individual‐level practices for facilitating the transfer of training.     

Leader influences on training effectiveness: motivation and outcome expectation processes

Training effectiveness is a function of trainee characteristics, training design and contextual factors. Social exchanges in the work environment have received less attention compared with other training effectiveness predictors. We focus on the extent to which leaders (through their relationships and exchanges with followers) influence skill transfer, maintenance and generalization. We also examine two intervening processes (training motivation and outcome expectancy). Our findings, based on surveys from 495 employees, argue for the importance of leader–member exchange for training transfer, with training motivation and outcome expectancy as intervening mechanisms.     

The relationship between perceived training opportunities,work motivation and employee outcomes

The purpose of this study was to explore alternative relationships between training opportunities and employee outcomes. A cross‐sectional survey of 343 trainees from a broad range of Norwegian service organizations showed that the relationship between perceived training opportunities, and both task performance and citizenship behaviors were fully mediated, and that the relationship between perceived training opportunities and turnover intention was partially mediated by employee intrinsic motivation. In addition, intrinsic motivation was found to moderate the relationship between perceived training opportunities and organizational citizenship behaviors. The form of the moderation revealed a positive relationship for those with high intrinsic motivation. In sum, the variables included as predictors in our study explained 13 per cent of the variance in task performance, 19 per cent of the variance in organizational citizenship behavior and 24 per cent of the variance in turnover intention. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.     

Assessing the antecedents of transfer intentions in a training context

This study examined the underlying structure of transfer climate and those aspects of transfer climate that were related to pre‐training self‐efficacy, pre‐training motivation, and post‐training transfer implementation intentions. Positive and negative affectivity (PA and NA) were also measured in order to better understand the relationship of these variables to trainees’ perceptions of the transfer climate and the other training‐related variables. Transfer climate was best represented by two underlying constructs, although these were correlated. After controlling for PA and NA, none of the transfer climate variables were significantly related to pre‐training self‐efficacy, while only positive reinforcement was significantly related to pre‐training motivation. Pre‐training self‐efficacy was also a significant predictor of pre‐training motivation, even after controlling for PA and NA. Negative affectivity was the only significant predictor of post‐training transfer implementation intentions. Further research needs to clarify whether PA and NA are contributors to the trainees’ perceptions of the transfer climate or are a product of these perceptions.     

Returning the favor: positive employee responses to supervisor and peer support for training transfer

Drawing on social exchange theory and associated notions of reciprocity, we argue that interpersonal support for training transfer in the workplace is associated with increased employee task performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and reduced turnover intention. We test our hypotheses using survey data from 786 Chinese retail employees. The findings show that when employees perceive high levels of supervisor/peer support for training transfer, they are more likely to deliver higher levels of task performance and OCB in response, which in turn, lead to reduced turnover intention. We also found that the strength of the relationship between supervisor/peer support for training transfer on individuals’ OCB varied across regions within China. The results confirm the moderating role of regional context (coastal and inland regions) on the relationship between supervisor/peer support for training transfer on individuals’ OCB, with a stronger effect found in less economically developed inland regions. The moderating effect of region indicates that cross‐cultural researchers need to be aware of possible within‐country variations in employee attitudes and values.     

Policy borrowing: lessons from European attempts to transfer training practices

Globalisation has provided an impetus to the borrowing of policies and ‘best practices’ between countries. This article looks specifically at such borrowing in the field of Continuing Vocational Training (CVT). Using case study data drawn from a wider evaluation of a European programme, the FORCE programme, it illustrates some of the barriers encountered when attempting to transfer training principles, practices and delivery systems from one country to another, focusing on structural and institutional factors rather than cultural ones. While acknowledging the importance of ‘learning’ at a broader level, the article argues that ET systems are embedded within a wider societal, institutional and cultural context that limits the success of transfer.     

Cultural factors and beliefs influencing transfer of training

Most organizations invest in people for training. Training effectiveness is arguably constrained because of inadequate transfer of learning from the training environment to the workplace environment. Training‐job relevance and the extent of transfer have been found limited. Although performance is affected by a number of factors, training is often used as a solution to all problems. Trying to fix non‐training problems with training solutions is futile, yet often attempted in the context of Nepal. Thus, the growing recognition of the problem of inadequate transfer of training has been recognized as a compelling issue. This article presents a brief discussion of the data and corresponding findings pertaining to one of the research questions included in a recent doctoral study. The purpose of the study was to examine the extent of transfer of learning from the training environment to the workplace environment, and identify cultural factors and beliefs held by stakeholders influencing such transfer in the context of civil and corporate sector organizations in Nepal. What are the cultural factors and beliefs that influence the extent of transfer of training? This was one of the questions that prompted the study.     

The relationship between job dissatisfaction and training transfer

The high rates of training transfer failure that prevail still puzzle practitioners as well as researchers. The central aim of the present study is to analyze the relatively under‐researched role of job dissatisfaction in the training transfer process. Specifically, we expect that job dissatisfaction would have a negative effect on transfer but that this effect would be buffered by the expectation of positive transfer consequences and motivation to transfer. To test these hypotheses, 220 participants in different training programs completed an online questionnaire 1 year after training. The results support our assumptions. They reveal that job dissatisfaction has a detrimental effect on training transfer, but that motivation to transfer and the expectation of positive transfer consequences have a buffering effect. The more motivated a person is towards transfer, the less negative is the effect of job dissatisfaction on actual transfer, but only if a person expects positive outcomes from transfer, such as acknowledgment or rewards. The findings are discussed in relation to existing training transfer models, as well as models of job (dis)satisfaction.     

From mandatory to voluntary: consumer cooperation and citizenship behaviour

Customer participation of mandatory (ensuring the completion of a service delivery) and voluntary behaviours (achieving the optimal results of the service) influence the outcomes of service organizations. This study examines how service firms transform from coproduction to cocreation in sharing economy by enhancing customer voluntary behaviour through encouraging customer mandatory behaviour. This study explores the mediating effect of perceived value on the mandatory–voluntary relationship, and the driving effect of customer readiness on mandatory behaviour. A total of 181 valid questionnaires were collected from the Taiwanese bed and breakfast sector and analysed by structural equation analysis. The results reveal: (1) the strong impact of customer mandatory behaviour on voluntary behaviour, (2) the partial mediating effect of perceived value on the mandatory-voluntary relationship, and (3) the distinct effects that cooperation has on helping others and word-of-mouth. The findings support the influential roles of customer readiness factors, especially ability, on triggering mandatory behaviour.