Graduation Year
2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
D.B.A.
Degree Granting Department
Business
Major Professor
Joann Quinn, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Paul Solomon, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Loran Jarrett, D.B.A.
Committee Member
Jung Chul Park, Ph.D.
Keywords
Climate, Learning application, Trainee, Workplace atmosphere
Abstract
Considerable evidence from science and business practice suggests that a tremendous amount of money and effort is spent by organizations on designing and delivering training programs so that employees adopt and use their newly acquired skills and knowledge when they return to their jobs. A large percentage of that money is often wasted due to missed opportunities to create a conducive transfer climate for workers expected to change the way they work as an outcome of training. The extensive literature on training transfer supports the existence of work environment factors that influence the application of training. The focus of this study was to explore the training transfer factors that were commonly found to be absent during technical training at credit unions. The qualitative research design, consisting of semi-structured interviews and focus groups conducted with credit union leaders and staff members, provided an in-depth view into the work environment surrounding their training events. The results from rigorous data analysis revealed multiple absent training transfer factors which when analyzed produced four emergent themes: climate, leadership, support, and financial incentive. The themes represent the groups of factors missing within the work environment that act as enablers of transfer when present; but when missing, these factors may inhibit or dilute the transfer of knowledge. The results also suggest the presence of the overarching theme: leaders are in the most influential position to control the presence or absence of the transfer factors. Therefore, the contribution of this study to academia and practice posits the leader as the primary factor owning the accountability of creating a work environment which promotes training transfer.
Scholar Commons Citation
Summers, Michael, "Elevating Training Effectiveness: Exploring the Factors in the Learner’s Environment that Influence Training Transfer" (2020). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/8594
