Understanding the trainers´ view of the effectiveness of continuing professional training: the case of public servants training

Abstract

There is empirical evidence that the research findings on training effectiveness are hardly applied in organizations; one possible reason is that these findings do not reach trainers in a way that could help them make decisions about the design and implementation of training programs. This gap could be explained by the fact that most of those studies have primary been focused on the trainees´ perception of what factors affect the outcomes of training, while the trainers´ perspective on it has barely been studied. The goal of this study was to explore the trainers´ view on the efficacy of training, in terms of transfer outcomes; for this purpose, 300 trainers participating in the implementation of the training schemes addressed to Public Administration employees in Andalusia (Spain) were surveyed. The results showed that the trainers´ perception of training effectiveness was influenced by the characteristics of the current culture of continuing professional training in this organizational sector: an individualistic and centralized conception of training and the absence of the sense of responsibility for training outcomes. Furthermore, five conceptions of effective training were detected: one focused on ensuring that the design of the training event satisfies the trainees, other based on the use of workplace as a learning space, the third concept is concerned about accountability for training results, a fourth focused on addressing the organizational demands and the last reflecting an ecological conception of training effectiveness. It is concluded that research on training effectiveness should be more aligned with the trainers´ concerns if research findings are to be used by practitioners and, thus, they can help transform the culture and practices of employees training.