Service training intervention and time-variant personal growth

Abstract

Training is a vital means to continuously improve service quality. Although much literature has concentrated on the relationship between on-the-job training and job outcomes, these studies are usually static and cross-sectional in research design, which fails to capture the dynamic changes of training outcomes. This study attempted to address this issue by adopting a learning and development perspective. Drawing on psychological capital theory and self-determination theory, we examined how training progress facilitates trainees’ personal growth and psychological development. Specifically, we utilized the latent growth modeling approach to examine hotel employees’ trajectory of change regarding service knowledge, self-efficacy and job satisfaction over the pre-training, mid-training, and post-training stages. By surveying full-time trainees working in three luxury hotels, we found that the mean level of employees’ service knowledge would increase over time, while this improvisation would also result in gradual enhancement of self-efficacy and job satisfaction.