A systemic perspective of training transfer

Abstract

This chapter represents a brief overview of past literature that has helped shape training transfer thinking and practice. Once the key factors found to influence successful training transfer, motivation to learn and motivation to transfer are identified and described, the predominant conceptual framework governing traditional training transfer research and thinking is also explained. The absence of studies and models linking training transfer to organizational cultural characteristics is also highlighted. The chapter concludes with the presentation of a systemic training transfer framework which links training transfer, motivation to learn, and motivation to transfer to high-performance cultural characteristics as well as individual and organizational performance. The presented systemic model postulates that a positive training transfer climate is more likely to exist in organizations that exhibit a change-driven high-performance organizational culture. This is due to the fact that in high-performance organizations training is perceived to be an important contributor to total system optimization and therefore receives the support system it needs in order to be effective.