In theoretical and empirical research the elusive phenomenon of training transfer has widely been neglected. Attempts to grasp the many facets of the transfer of training in a comprehensive theory have been few. Transfer has traditionally been regarded as a training product to be measured at a fixed point of time after the course. Alternatively, some authors suggests a process approach to transfer and argue that transfer of training is a complex and discontinuous process of successful skill application and recurring setbacks, of achieved behaviour change and frequent relapse to old habits. Consequently, the identification and measurement of transfer delivers a comprehensive picture only when it sets in at various points of time after the training. Throughout the transfer process the trainee is exposed to factors inhibiting or facilitating the transfer of training to the workplace. The influences of transfer facilitators and transfer barriers are outlined in this text.
Table of Contents
1 Factors inhibiting or facilitating training transfer
1.1 Trainee factors
Motivation-related factors
Ability-related factors
Personality-related factors
1.2 Training design and delivery
1.3 Environmental factors
Job-related environmental factors
Organisation-related environmental factors
2 A socio-cultural approach to training transfer
Socialisation during transfer
Socialisation at the workplace
Objectives and Key Themes
This work examines the complex phenomenon of training transfer, specifically addressing the barriers and facilitators that determine whether skills acquired in training are successfully applied in the work environment. The primary objective is to move beyond a purely technical view of training and to propose a socio-cultural approach that accounts for the influence of social environments on the integration of new behaviors.
- The role of individual trainee factors such as motivation, ability, and personality.
- The impact of training design and delivery on subsequent skill application.
- The influence of the work environment, including superiors, colleagues, and organizational culture.
- The significance of socialisation processes during and after training.
- A socio-technical framework to understand how social dynamics can either support or hinder the transfer process.
Excerpt from the Book
Socialisation at the workplace
Socialisation processes at the workplace regulate the way of performing tasks according to patterns of rules and regulations that mainly originate from the organisational culture. They express formal and informal expectations of how things are to be done, and thus act as a “powerful regulating mechanism” (Analoui 1993: 86) that can exert considerable pressure on individuals.
Trainees returning from a training course are likely to be subjected to intensified scrutiny. During their post-training socialisation process the trainees have to negotiate the application of new skills and knowledge with their immediate social environment (Analoui 1993). Obviously, the primary working group or superiors do not necessarily approve of freshly trained colleagues introducing new behaviours into the well-established organisational routines. Especially when newly trained behaviours “break well-established and religiously-obeyed norms” at the workplace, “a challenging social assault course” (Analoui 1990: 176) may await the trainees back in their organisations. Dealing with criticism or rejection may indeed largely absorb the trainees’ attention and energy during this stage of transfer. Analoui (1993: 94) states that “the transfer of task-related aspects of the job will prove to be marginal, simply because the individual has to spend more time learning how to work with others than actually doing the work.”
Summary of Chapters
1 Factors inhibiting or facilitating training transfer: This chapter analyzes the diverse variables that affect how training is applied on the job, categorizing them into trainee characteristics, training-specific design elements, and organizational environmental factors.
2 A socio-cultural approach to training transfer: This chapter introduces a socio-technical framework, arguing that successful training transfer requires addressing the social dynamics and socialisation processes inherent in both the training site and the workplace environment.
Keywords
Training transfer, work environment, socio-cultural approach, trainee motivation, self-efficacy, training design, organizational culture, socialisation, transfer climate, transfer barriers, transfer facilitators, management support, skill maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on the "elusive phenomenon" of training transfer, investigating why skills and knowledge acquired in a training context are often not effectively applied in the actual work environment.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The central themes include trainee-related factors (motivation, ability, personality), the design of training programs, and the critical influence of the workplace environment, such as management support and organizational socialisation.
What is the primary goal of this publication?
The primary goal is to shift the academic perspective from a purely mechanistic or technical view of training towards a socio-technical approach that emphasizes the social reality of the workplace.
Which methodology is employed in this analysis?
The paper utilizes a comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical research on training transfer, synthesizing findings from various studies to construct a socio-technical framework.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body systematically outlines the barriers and facilitators of transfer, discusses the role of trainee attributes, examines environmental variables, and explores how socialisation processes during and after training impact performance.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include training transfer, work environment, socio-cultural approach, organizational commitment, socialisation, and trainee motivation.
How does the "force field" concept relate to training transfer?
The "force field" refers to the dynamic interplay of various inhibitory and facilitating factors that a trainee encounters upon returning to their workplace, which ultimately determines the success or failure of skill application.
Why is the immediate social environment considered a "gatekeeper" of transfer?
Supervisors and colleagues act as gatekeepers because their attitudes, approval, or disapproval dictate the social reward structure, often determining whether a trainee feels empowered or discouraged from applying new skills.
- Quote paper
- Marco Köster (Author), 2002, The transfer of training into the work environment - a socio-cultural approach, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/25294
