The Effect of the Trainees’ Perception of the Training Design on Transfer of Training

Abstract

It is argued that the measurement of the effectiveness of training programs should go beyond the measurement of the extent to which participants have gained new knowledge, skill, and attitudes from the training programs. Therefore, training effectiveness is often operationalized as the transfer of training: the extent to which professionals use their newly gained knowledge, skills, and attitudes in their daily work. Focusing on determinant factors affecting transfer of training, the training design of eight master of business administration (MBA) programs in Vietnam are studied from a constructivist learning theory perspective. We address the question to what extent trainees’ perception of the training design influences the extent to which transfer of training occurs, taking into account the mediating role of the trainees’ transfer strategies. The results of our survey study consistently support our hypothesis that training design characteristics positively influence the transfer of training. This relation is mediated by the use of transfer strategies by the trainee.