The influence of knowledge sharing on motivation to transfer training: a Malaysian public sector context

Organisations wishing to enhance their return on investment from training must understand the variables associated with transfer of training so that they can promote those which enable transfer and intervene to limit those which inhibit transfer. In the international literature on training transfer, researchers and practitioners have acknowledged that transfer of training will occur only when trainees have the desire or motivation to transfer training to the job. In Malaysia, despite increasing investment in public sector training, there has been very little research on transfer of training. This thesis contributes to a greater understanding of transfer of training variables and how they affect trainees’ motivation to transfer their training. Further, as the role of training has progressively changed from a focus on programs to a broader focus on learning, creating and sharing knowledge, this thesis tests the hypothesis that knowledge sharing behaviour influences a trainee’s motivation to transfer their training. Using a research framework constructed from an adaptation of two key Human Resource Development models (Holton 1996; Holton et al. 2000) and the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen 1991), this thesis explores the contention that trainees’ motivation to transfer training is influenced by a number of secondary influence variables, expected utility variables, transfer climate variables, enabling variables and ability variables as well as the variables associated with sharing behaviour. Through a questionnaire administered to 437 government employees attending training programs in the National Institute of Public Administration, a central training organisation for government employees in Malaysia, the thesis created an empirical database from which to study the phenomenon of transfer of training. This work culminated in the development of a structural model for motivation to transfer training which incorporates knowledge sharing behaviour and extends our understanding of the operation of the precursors to motivation to transfer. The findings of this thesis impact on HRD functions in the Malaysian public sector at two broad levels: pre training and post training. The thesis makes a contribution to both HRD practice by detailing the sorts of HRD activities which will enhance transfer of training and secondly, makes a contribution to theory through the creation of a new model of motivation to transfer training which features knowledge sharing behaviour