Abstract
To study informal skill transfer via staff networks as a complement to formal training among afterschool childcare providers implementing a health promotion program. Cross-sectional, sociometric network analysis. Boston Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) afterschool programs implementing the iPLAY program. All 91 staff members at 20 sites were eligible; 80 completed the survey (88% response rate). At the network level, network density measured system-level connectedness. At the staff level, the independent variable was out degree, the number of individuals to whom respondents noted a program-related connection. The dependent variable was skill gains, the number of key implementation skills gained from the network. We mapped the staff program-related social network. We utilized multiple linear regression to estimate the relationship between out degree and skill gains, and we adjusted for clustering of staff in sites. Most staff (77%) reported gaining at least one skill from the network, but only 2% of potential network connections were established. The regression model showed that out degree (i.e., number of program-related contacts) was significantly associated with skill gains (beta = .48, p < .01) independent of other variables. Informal skill transfer in staff networks may be a useful complement to formal training for implementation of health promotion programs, but informal skill transfer was likely underutilized in this network. Future research employing longitudinal and/or multisite data should examine these findings in greater detail.
Highlights
To study informal skill transfer via staff networks as a complement to formal training among afterschool childcare providers implementing a health promotion program
This study focuses on opportunities to improve training for nonprofit organizations that provide afterschool child-care, and used the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), as a case study
This study addresses the dearth of published research on the utility of staff networks for knowledge transfer in community/health promotion settings,[6,19] and it uses the example of a network of YMCA afterschool child-care staff who implement a health promotion program in Boston, Massachusetts
Summary
To study informal skill transfer via staff networks as a complement to formal training among afterschool childcare providers implementing a health promotion program. In their review of implementation research, Fixsen et al.[4] noted that staff training models tend to focus on transfer of knowledge and skills They suggest that receiving immediate feedback while testing new skills in the work environment is critical for success. On-the-job feedback from peers often occurs via informal connections among employees[13,14] as components of the staff social network, which is a web of relationships that exists among employees.[15] Peer-to-peer contacts are important channels for spreading innovative ideas and are critical for knowledge transfer.[5,16] Social network theory suggests that the number and quality of staff members’ contacts can drive individual and team performance.[17] by supporting informal training through staff social networks, organizations may be able to support successful implementation of novel programs
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