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Editorial verdict
Methodologically rigorous mixed-method study with solid replication value, though self-reported data and retrospective design limit causal inference — the social support and knowledge sharing framework is well-evidenced but generalizability is constrained.
Executive summary
This article examines how workplace training effectiveness can be maximized through two parallel processes: training transfer (applying learned knowledge on the job) and knowledge sharing (disseminating knowledge to colleagues). The authors argue that formal training has regained strategic importance as technological change outpaces informal self-directed learning. The study employs a mixed-method design across two studies: a survey of 541 employees and qualitative interviews with 51 participants tracking changes in knowledge networks before and after training. Drawing on and extending Seiberling and Kauffeld's (2017) training transfer model, the authors test whether motivation and volition mediate the relationship between social support (peer and supervisor) and behavioral outcomes. All five hypotheses were supported: peer support influenced motivation to transfer, while both peer and supervisor support predicted motivation to share knowledge, with motivation and volition serving as confirmed mediators. Study 2 found that 54.90% of participants experienced measurable post-training knowledge network changes, with transfer attempts — rather than mere attendance — driving most network evolution. The authors conclude that training transfer and knowledge sharing represent distinct but parallel pathways to organizational outcomes, and that social support is a critical antecedent to both.
Key insights
- 1Training transfer and knowledge sharing operate as parallel, distinct pathways to organizational outcomes, both mediated by motivation and volition — a novel joint modeling contribution not previously established in the literature.
- 2Only up to 30% of training content is typically transferred to the workplace, underscoring a persistent gap between training investment and realized organizational benefit.
- 3Training transfer attempts, rather than training attendance itself, are the primary driver of post-training knowledge network changes, suggesting active application behavior is more consequential than passive participation.
- 4Peer support and supervisor support have differentiated effects: peer support influences motivation to transfer, while both peer and supervisor support predict motivation to share knowledge.
- 554.90% of study participants experienced measurable changes in their knowledge networks following training, with most new connections remaining within organizational boundaries.
Practical takeaways
- Organizations that evaluate training programs beyond participant satisfaction — incorporating both transfer outcomes and knowledge-sharing metrics — gain a more complete picture of training return, as suggested by the study's findings on parallel pathways to organizational results.
- Supervisors and peers play structurally distinct roles in post-training outcomes: supervisor support is particularly linked to knowledge sharing motivation, while peer support influences both transfer and sharing motivation, pointing to differentiated approaches in post-training environment design.
Frameworks mentioned
Rubicon Model
A motivational and volitional framework distinguishing between the phases of goal setting (motivation) and goal pursuit (volition), used here to underpin the mediating mechanisms between social support and training outcomes.
Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI)
A validated instrument measuring factors that influence training transfer, including social support and motivation; the German version (GLTSI) was used in Study 1 to measure peer and supervisor support and motivation to transfer.
Parker's Work Design Growth Model
A framework referenced in the conclusions to contextualize how motivation and volition interact with work environment factors to produce behavioral outcomes.
Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model
A four-level training evaluation framework cited in the references as a foundational model for assessing training outcomes beyond participant satisfaction.
References
- Personnel Psychology (1988).Transfer of Training: A Review and Directions for Future Research.
- Human Resource Development Quarterly (2000).Development and Initial Validation of the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI).
- American Journal of Sociology (1973).The Strength of Weak Ties.
- Not specified (2017).Seiberling and Kauffeld Training Transfer Model.
Source & Provenance
ejwop
Laura Mehner, Sandra Rothenbusch, Simone Kauffeld
March 6, 2024
Research Study
Europe
Original source metadata is preserved. AI analysis is generated separately.
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