Contextual Factors Influence Training Effectiveness

This is another research summary from my consulting archives. The title of the research paper is:

The Influence of Individual Characteristics and the Work Environment on Varying Levels of Training Outcomes.

I found this study to be particularly helpful to my consulting work because it provided evidence of the effects of contextual factors on off-the-job learning.

NOTE: In the research paper, "training" and "training program" refer to off-the-job learning events.

The aim of this research was to gain a better understanding of factors that influence training effectiveness, and in the process to validate, clarify and extend previous research.

Hypothesised Model

First, the researchers developed a causal model that linked together several individual and work-related antecedents of training with two types of training outcomes:

The components of the model are defined below. These definitions are largely deduced from the research paper since most components were not explicitly defined.

JOB INVOLVEMENT: The extent to which the job situation is central to an individual and his/her identity.

ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT: The extent to which an individual is committed to the organisation. This may be influenced by perceptions of the value of training.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Comprises three related dimensions:

• Management Support: The extent to which an individual’s manager is supportive of training, e.g. by articulating its relevance and utility.
• Job Support: The extent to which the design of an individual’s job and nature of work assignments enable completion of training and its application.
• Organisational Support: The extent to which organisational systems, such as appraisal and reward, indicate the training and its application is important.

PRE-TRAINING SELF-EFFICACY: The extent to which an individual believes s/he has the capacity to learn new knowledge and skills during training. (Self-efficacy is an individual’s self-confidence in relation to a specific task/activity and situation.)

PRE-TRAINING MOTIVATION: The extent to which an individual feels motivated to learn during training (assessed prior to the training).

REACTIONS: Comprises two types of reactions to training:

• Affective Reactions: The extent to which a trainee likes or enjoys the training.
• Utility Reactions: The extent to which the training is perceived as applicable or useful for subsequent job performance.

LEARNING: Comprises two types of knowledge acquisition:

• Declarative Knowledge: This is ‘knowing about things’. Also known as descriptive knowledge.
• Application-based Knowledge: This is ‘knowing how to do things’. Also known as procedural knowledge.

Data Collection

To test the model, the researchers collected survey data from 115 entry to mid-level managers and 305 of their direct supervisors and co-workers in relation to a two-and-a-half-day program on basic managerial knowledge and skills. The program covered a range of topics, including selection procedures, train-the trainer, performance management, and leadership skills. The 420 managers involved worked for 10 hotels, which formed part of a 40-hotel organisation in the United States.

Two surveys were administered. The first was distributed about one week before the course and covered all of the components of the model except training outcomes. A second survey, which assessed reactions and learning, was completed by the trainees immediately after training. The table below gives the number of survey items per measure plus one of the items as an example:

With the exception of the learning measures, response choices were 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The declarative knowledge items were multiple choice questions and the application-based knowledge items were short-answer and essay questions.

Revised Model

Using a statistical approach known as ‘structural equation modeling’, the researchers determined that the following revised model was valid and better fitted the survey data than the hypothesised model:

Note the addition of two new paths (links) to pre-training motivation – from job involvement and from work environment. Organisational commitment is no longer included as a causal factor because it wasn’t significantly correlated with pre-training self-efficacy.

Key Points

Tracey et al state, “Although training design, content, and implementation are vitally important to effective training, it is evident that factors outside the training context must also be considered” (p. 18).

A particularly important finding is the link between the work environment and training outcomes via pre-training self-efficacy and pre-training motivation. As the authors put it, “current results provide additional evidence that work settings have a broad influence on training and development activities” (p. 19). It is likely that the work environment also has some influence on motivation to learn via job involvement.

The authors' statement that “personnel and process-oriented changes in the workplace may be needed to enhance training effectiveness” (p. 20) is a significant understatement in the light of research to date. They give two examples of such changes: (i) providing trainees with the time and opportunity to prepare for training and to use new knowledge and skills on return to work, and (ii) crafting training policies that communicate and reinforce the importance of the necessary changes.

Reference

J. Bruce Tracey, Timothy R. Hinkin, Scott Tannenbaum & John E. Mathieu. The Influence of Individual Characteristics and the Work Environment on Varying Levels of Training Outcomes. Human Resource Development Quarterly. Volume 12, Issue 1, Spring 2001, pp. 5-23.

You can obtain a free copy from UConn Husky Pack [link ]

Addendum (2024)

An enormous amount of research into the effects of the work environment on training effectiveness has been conducted over the last 40+ years. The results generally indicate that contextual factors, especially management support, have a significant influence on 'formal learning' and more so on its application in the workplace.

You can find some information about management support in these articles:

A Training Credibility Problem

Transfer of Training at Shell SA

The Danger of a Negative Transfer Climate

Transfer Wisdom from the 1980s

More Transfer Wisdom from the 1980s

Author

Throughout my L&D career I have continuously researched and experimented with ways to increase learning effectiveness. Along the way I have immersed myself in the 'science of learning' and the 'science of instruction' and have learned from successes and failures.

I know from experience that training can be very powerful if appropriate and implemented properly, which means addressing both drivers in the Training Effectiveness Equation . I have personally been involved in designing and implementing training programs that consistently produced an ROI in excess of 100%.

Over the last 20+ years I have successfully delivered many professional development programs for learning specialists. I have also created and delivered programs to help managers get better results from employee development.

My programs are based on the Predictable Performance Design Methodology and implemented according to the Ready-Set-Go-Show Model . Thanks to the model, I won a Gold Award at LearnX in the category Best Learning Model: Custom/Bespoke. Check out my article: Ready-Set-Go-Show Wins Gold .

If you would like to chat about my research or how I can help you, please email me at [email protected] .