UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF TRANSFER OF TRAINING IN THE WORKPLACE.
Michael Anthony Machin, BSc, BA (Hons), MA.
This thesis is submitted as a requirement for the award of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Queensland
CERTIFICATION OF THESIS
I certify that the work contained in this thesis is original and that it contains no material written by another person, except where otherwise acknowledged. I also certify that the material has not been previously published, except where otherwise acknowledged, or submitted for any other award at any other higher education institution.
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Michael A. Machin Date
ENDORSEMENT
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LIST OF PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Machin, T. (1994, July). Training effectiveness and transfer of training: New approaches. Paper presented at the annual Training Research in University and TAFE sponsored by the NCVER. Townsville, Australia.
Machin, M. A., & Fogarty, G. J. (1997). The effects of self-efficacy, motivation to transfer, and situational constraints on transfer intentions and transfer of training [Special Issue on Transfer of Training & Transfer of Learning]. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 10(2), 98-115.
Machin, M. A., & Fogarty, G. J. (1997, June). The effects of self-efficacy, motivation to transfer, and situational constraints on transfer intentions and transfer of training. Paper presented at the Second Australian Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
Machin, M. A., & Fogarty, G. J. (1998, August). The role of transfer climate and implementation activities in the transfer of training to the workplace. Poster paper
ABSTRACT
Post-training self-efficacy is a strong determinant of transfer implementation intentions, which in turn were a strong determinant of implementation activities. Implementation activities were positively related to transfer success. Separate structural models were developed to assess the impact of in-training transfer enhancing activities on learning, post-training self-efficacy, transfer implementation intentions, and implementation activities. Self-control cues, relapse prevention activities, and goal setting (when assessed separately) were found to positively influence post-training self-efficacy and implementation
intentions. Relapse prevention activities and goal setting (when assessed separately) were also found to positively influence implementation activities. The results strongly
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATION OF THESIS... ii
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ... iii
ABSTRACT... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS... vi
LIST OF TABLES... viii
LIST OF FIGURES ... ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION... 1
Overview of the Field ... 1
Models of Transfer of Training ... 5
Training Design Factors Related to the Transfer of Training ... 11
The Influence of Individual Characteristics on Transfer of Training... 23
Contextual Influences on Trainees’ Motivation and Self-efficacy... 32
Aspects of the Environment Related to Transfer of Training ... 36
Interventions Designed to Improve Transfer of Training... 43
Measurement of Training and Transfer Outcomes... 48
Summary of the Literature... 53
General Research Questions... 54
Overview of the First Study... 55
Overview of the Second Study ... 56
CHAPTER TWO: STUDY ONE... 59
Rationale for Study 1 ... 59
The Influence of Goal Setting on Transfer of Training ... 63
Specific Aims of Study 1... 65
Hypotheses Relating to Demographic Variables ... 69
Hypotheses Relating to the First a priori Structural Model... 69
Hypotheses Relating to the Second a priori Structural Model ... 70
Method... 71
Participants ... 71
Procedure... 72
Questionnaire Measures ... 72
First Questionnaire ... 72
Second Questionnaire... 74
Third Questionnaire... 77
Analyses ... 77
Results ... 81
Correlational analyses ... 84
Structural equations modeling... 86
Discussion... 98
Contribution of Study 1... 105
Limitations of Study 1... 106
Conclusions ... 107
Rationale for Study 2 ... 108
The Role of Transfer Intentions ... 112
Determinants of Transfer and Implementation Intentions ... 114
Hypotheses related to the climate for transfer variables ... 120
Hypotheses relating to the influence of self-efficacy and motivation... 121
Hypotheses related to the transfer enhancing activities ... 121
Hypotheses relating to Implementation Intentions, Implementation Activities, and Transfer Success... 122
Method... 124
Participants ... 124
Procedure... 125
First Questionnaire ... 125
Second Questionnaire... 128
Third Questionnaire... 132
Strategy for Analysing Longitudinal Data ... 133
Results ... 137
Data Screening ... 137
Exploratory Factor Analyses... 137
Reliability Analyses ... 141
Descriptive Statistics ... 145
Hypotheses related to the climate for transfer variables ... 149
Hypotheses relating to the influence of self-efficacy and motivation... 166
Hypotheses related to the transfer enhancing activities ... 173
Hypotheses relating to Implementation Intentions, Implementation Activities, and Transfer Success... 189
Discussion... 190
Contribution of Study 2... 200
Limitations of Study 2... 201
Conclusions ... 201
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS... 203
Summary of the Research Questions... 203
Models of Factors Influencing the Transfer of Training ... 204
Results of Study 1... 206
Results from Study 2 ... 208
Limitations of Studies 1 and 2... 212
Areas Requiring Further Research ... 213
REFERENCES ... 220
APPENDIX A... 238
APPENDIX B ... 245
LIST OF TABLES
2.1 Number of cases, means, standard deviations & cronbach alphas for all variables in study 1 ... 81 2.2 Intercorrelations for all variables in study 1 ... 82 3.1 Exploratory factor analyses of new scales in Study 2... 139 3.2 Number of items, cronbach alphas, number of cases, means, and standard deviations
LIST OF FIGURES
1.1. Transfer Training Model from Thayer and Teachout (1995). ... 8
2.1. Sequential model of the variables measured at times 1, 2, and 3. ... 66
2.2. First a priori structural model of time 1 and time 2 variables... 67
2.3. Second a priori structural model of Time 2 and Time 3 variables... 68
2.4. Standardised regression coefficients for a priori structural model of Time 1 and Time 2 variables. ... 89
2.5. Standardised regression coefficients for a priori structural model of Time 2 and Time 3 variables. ... 93
2.6. Revised structural model of Time 2 variables impacting on Transfer Goal Achievement T3. ... 95
2.7. Final structural model of Time 2 variables impacting on Transfer Goal Achievement T3. ... 97
3.1. Sequential model of the variables measured at times 1, 2, and 3 in Study 2. ... 118
3.2. Modified Model of Training Transfer (based on Thayer & Teachout, 1995). ... 119
3.3. Initial measurement model specified for all climate for transfer variables. ... 152
3.4. Standardised regression coefficients for the initial measurement model of climate for transfer variables. ... 154
3.5. Standardised regression coefficients for the respecified measurement model of all climate for transfer variables... 156
3.6. Structural model of climate for transfer variables, PA, NA, and Pre-training Self-efficacy and Motivation. ... 159
3.7. Results of initial structural model of climate for transfer variables, PA, NA, and Pre-training Self-efficacy and Motivation. ... 162
3.8. Final structural model of climate for transfer variables, PA, NA, Pre-training Self-efficacy, and Pre-training Motivation. ... 164
3.9. Structural model of the determinants of Implementation Activities... 168
3.10. Standardised regression coefficients for the structural model of the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 170
3.11. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 172
3.12. Standardised regression coefficients for the structural model of Overlearning and the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 175
3.13. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of Fidelity and the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 177
3.14. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of Stimulus Variability and the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 179
3.15. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of Principles-Meaningfulness and the determinants of Implementation Activities... 181
3.16. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of Self-control Cues and the determinants of Implementation Activities. ... 183
3.18. Standardised regression coefficients for the revised structural model of Goal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to acknowledge a large number of people who have assisted me in completing this project. I am extremely grateful for the supervision provided by Professor Gerry Fogarty. He chose to let me follow my instincts and has provided invaluable advice and
encouragement. I have also been assisted by many of my colleagues who are a great bunch of people to work with.
I sincerely thank Paul Thayer and Mark Teachout for allowing me to use the two questionnaires that they developed in my second study.
I have received support from a number of individuals in the Queensland Police Service, but my thanks go especially to the staff in the Information Services Branch and the trainees who completed my questionnaires.
I would like to thank my parents who have always encouraged me to “finish the PhD” as my first priority.
I dedicate this thesis to my wife, Tanya, and my children, Joshua, Jessica, and Sarah. They have seen what effort it has taken and I know that there have been times when they have missed out.
