The Impact of the Physical Environment on Supervisory Communication Skills Transfer

Abstract

This ethnographic study extends the findings of earlier research that examined the impact of workplace design features on newly acquired communication skills back on the job. The qualitative nature of this earlier study, however, limited quantitative measurement of the design features and learned skills. The present study examined supervisor perceptions about the relative importance of organizational factors affecting transfer, measured relationships between learned skills and workplace design features, and prioritized the importance of the design features to support learned communication skills. Participants in this case study held nonacademic supervisory positions at a major land-grant university. The supervisors had attended a communication skills training workshop and had been applying their learned skills for about 6 months. The findings indicate that workplace design appears to play a vital role in facilitating as well as impeding communication skills transfer in face-to-face interaction with employees. As a case study, organizations should not infer that these findings apply to all work settings as it may depend on the relevancy to the particular work situation and circumstances.

Citizen Relationship Management System Users’ Contact Channel Choices: Digital Approach or Call Approach?

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“…Individuals would copy their online public service use behaviors in one area in others and users' habits take priority among channel choice determinates [6,55]. As in this study's Hypothesis 1, citizens' digital information use behaviors in library e-services lead the citizens to become more familiar with the digital environment and information about governmental policies and announcements, and this in turn influences their digital technology use of 311.…”

The effects of perceived organizational support and job satisfaction on transfer of training

“…Trainee characteristics include their motivation to transfer (Devos et al, 2007), self-efficacy , job involvement (Elangovan and Karakowsky, 1999), organizational commitment (Kontoghiorghes, 2004) and employees' personality (Yamkovenko and Holton, 2010). Work environment factors include supervisor support (Saks and Belcourt, 2006), peer support (Martin, 2010), top management support (Kupritz and Hillsman, 2011), preferred support (Pham et al, 2013), opportunity to transfer (Burke and Hutchins, 2008), training rewards (Rouiller and Goldstein, 1993), organizational learning culture (Tracey et al, 1995), accountability for transfer (Burke and Saks, 2009), job constraint (Lim and Johnson, 2002), job autonomy (Pham et al, 2013) and job design (Kupritz and Hillsman, 2011).…”

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“…Literature indicates that work environment and personal emotions are most relevant factors that motivate trainee for transfer of training (Zumrah & Boyle, 2015). Work-environment related factors include peer support (Martin, 2010), supervisory support (Saks & Belcourt, 2006), preferred support (Pham, Segers, & Gijselaers, 2013) and top management support (Kupritz & Hillsman, 2011). Whereas, personal factors include motivation to transfer (Devos et al, 2007), employees' personality (Yamkovenko & Holton, 2010) and self-efficacy (Velada et al, 2007).…”