The positive gain spiral of job resources, work engagement, opportunity and motivation on training transfer

Abstract

According to previous studies, general environmental characteristics and job‐related factors influence employees' transfer of learned skills to the job. However, among job‐related variables, the role of work engagement in connection with transfer motivation, opportunity and training transfer has not received much research attention. Building upon the theoretical background of the Job Demands‐Resources Model, the present study investigated the relationship between job resources/demands and training transfer through work engagement, transfer motivation and opportunity to transfer. Based on data from 311 working adults who participated in soft skill training programmes, job resources were associated with higher levels of training transfer through increased work engagement, motivation and opportunity to transfer. In contrast, job demands had negative relationships with transfer via work engagement and opportunity to transfer. The findings supported the assumption of the positive gain spiral in the transfer context. We conclude that companies should prioritize the development of job resources to provide a better environment for training transfer.

Training value, employee internal states and training transfer: examining the web of relationships

“…The findings on motivation to transfer and its relationship with training transfer and employee engagement as well as psychological empowerment and its relationship with motivation to transfer, employee engagement and training transfer are similar to the findings by Bhatti et al (2013), Na-nan et al (2017, Na-nan and Sanamthong (2020), Jose and Mampilly (2014), Bansal and Thakur (2013), Gong et al (2020), Meng and Sun (2019), Shah et al (2019), Sharma and Garg (2017) and Creon and Schermuly (2020). Similar to the finding of Salamon et al (2022b), the employee engagement and training transfer relationship was not in line with the assertion of Nafukho et al (2017).…”

“…Psychological empowerment also plays the same mediating role as motivation to transfer in the relationship between training value and training transfer confirming the assertions of Menon (2001) and Creon and Schermuly (2020). Despite the stance of Salamon et al (2022b) and Nafukho et al (2017), employee engagement did not have a mediating effect in this study.…”

“…More so, given that the empirical examination of employee engagement as a predictor construct within the context of training transfer has been carried out in few studies, this current study and the study of Salamon et al (2022b) both found no significant relationship between the two constructs. We suggest that future studies investigate further, the dynamics between employee engagement and training transfer that has so far caused this insignificant relationship.…”

“…Employee engagement, which is sometimes referred to as work engagement, is a positive state of the mind at the workplace that is expressed by employees as vigor, dedication and absorption (Schaufeli et al, 2002). Organizations want their employees engaged to maximize the benefits of the transfer process (Salamon et al, 2022b). According to Sharma and Garg (2017), employee engagement is beneficial to both employees and the organization.…”

“…There are several models and theoretical frameworks of training transfer by human resource development scholars such as Baldwin and Ford (1988), Tannenbaum et al (1993), Holton and Baldwin (2003), Burke and Hutchins (2008), Bhatti and Kaur (2010), Chiaburu et al (2010), Homklin et al (2014), Seiberling and Kauffeld (2017), Muduli and Raval (2018), Park et al (2022), Salamon et al (2022a) and Salamon et al (2022b). Apart from motivation to transfer that can be found in almost all of these models and frameworks, factors such as training value, psychological empowerment and employee engagement together with motivation to transfer are largely absent in these training transfer models and frameworks.…”