Linking ‘positive reactions’ to utility reactions and trainee satisfaction: a structural equation modeling approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of trainee reactions on perceived training utility and trainee course satisfaction and tests the effect of utility reactions on trainees’ satisfaction with training. 171 civil service officers participated in this study. The responses were analyzed using the Partial Least Square Approach of Structural Equation Modeling. The results support the proposed hypotheses, suggesting that both positive training reactions and utility reactions affect trainees’ satisfaction with the training. Also, while all reaction components are predictive of utility reactions and trainee satisfaction, the perceived usefulness of training has the most significant effect. This study has implications for policymakers on both a theoretical and practical level, given their roles in designing training programs and imparting them to civil servants. This paper extends management perspectives on training evaluation by examining the relationship between trainee reactions, utility reactions, and trainees’ satisfaction. Practical implications and directions for further research are also discussed.