A review of transfer of training studies in the past decade

This article reviews some major studies that were conducted in the past decade (19891998) on the transfer of what employees learned from training programmes back to their jobs. A conceptual framework is developed for this article to better present the `̀ popular’’ constructs that have been tested empirically. The achievement is twofold. First, this review paper highlights that some individual, motivational and environmental factors are related to transfer of training. Second, some directions for further studies have been suggested. For example, longitudinal study was highly recommended for measuring transfer outcomes. Some new individual (e.g. achievement striving), motivational (e.g. trainee-control-over-training) and environmental (e.g. transfer climate) constructs are recommended to be incorporated in newly created models. These models can then be examined using structural equation modelling. After extensive testing and refinement of these models, a set of critical constructs can be distilled. By that time, convergence of research efforts focusing on major themes can be achieved. Introduction Training has been regarded as an expensive investment. Especially when we know that only 10 percent of total training expenditures could lead to positive transfer of training in the USA (Georgenson, 1982), we are more concerned about how to ensure the transfer of learned skills to the work situation. It is clear that practitioners usually adopt a trial and error approach to manage training transfer, which can be costly and time-consuming and cannot deliver a desirable result. They do not have a thorough understanding of the underlying principles, and so they are often puzzled by the training transfer outcomes. Therefore, they need to rely on good transfer theories since a good theory that withstands rigorous empirical testing could offer valuable advice. Although scholars have undertaken transfer of training research over decades and some published research findings are of value to management practitioners, there is still a long way to go in order to reach the mature stage. In fact, more efforts are expected to build a united and coherent research framework. The purpose of this paper is to review recently published articles on transfer of training. Our suggestions, which are based on major findings on training transfer, can complement the existing transfer literature and may form T h e r e s e a r c h r e g is t e r f o r t h is jo u r n a l i s a v a i la b le a t http://www.mcbup.com /research_registers T h e c u r r e n t is s u e a n d f u l l te x t a rc h iv e o f th is jo u r n a l i s a v a i la b le a t http://www.emerald-library.com/ft The authors would like to thank anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier versions of this article.