Abstract:
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The purpose of this study is to examine the factors affecting the training transfer of civil servants in the case of Mongolia. The following specific objectives were aimed at: 1) to explore the impact of the major factors (such as individual characteristics, training design, and work environment) on learning and the transfer of training; 2) to identify the relationships among the variables; 3) to explain the impact of individual characteristics on learning and the transfer of training through the moderation of the demographic factor on their relationships; and 4) to examine the direct and indirect causal effects among the factors. This study used a mixed methods approach, which included quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative approach was conducted, as the main method, by testing six hypotheses through using multiple regression and path analytical approaches in order to answer the research questions of this study; and the qualitative approach was applied as a secondary method to support the results gained through the quantitative study. The qualitative approach was carried out by conducting in-depth interviews with 10 participants from different public organizations. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) individual characteristics, training design and work environment were significant predictors of learning and training transfer, depending on their relevant subdimensions; 2) those three types of factors were also positively interrelated with one another; 3) age did not play a moderating role in the relationship between individual motivation and learning, or individual motivation and training transfer; 4) individual motivation, training objective, training content, peer support, and opportunity were positively and directly related to the transfer of training. Contrary to expectation, instructional method, feedback and supervisory support did not have direct effects on the transfer of training. However, indirect causal effects on the transfer of training were depicted from individual motivation, training objective, supervisory support, peer support, and opportunity to use. Amongst them, only supervisory support had a negative indirect effect on the transfer of training. Therefore, this study suggests that positive transfer could happen in conjunction with individual characteristics, training design and work environment, depending on their relevant sub-dimensions, as seen in most previous studies. However, based on the findings and limitations of this study, the following recommendations should be considered in relation to future civil servants’ training and the development of Mongolia. First, in order to enhance the positive transfer of training, training should be developed systematically and operate as a partnership among stakeholders such as managers, trainees, and trainers, who must work in partnership. Secondly, pre- and post-training evaluation is needed to look for change in how well the learners have mastered the skills and knowledge. Thirdly, an interactive approach to research is also needed to study the variety of linkages which have not been adequately examined in the present study. Fourthly, recurrent training is appropriate for civil servants and this will make practice and exercise realistic and work-related. Finally, public and private partnership is crucial to share good practice, and encourage the diffusion of innovative approaches to training and development. In this regard, organizations will be able to maximize their return-on-investment with regards to training and implement value-creating strategies through effective transfer of training by considering all three determinants. Strategies can be linked to practice by implementing value-creating strategies through the transfer of training that is a value-creation process of employees, and in turn, that process can produce effective and measurable payback for the job. Furthermore, it can create real human capital, whereas training transfer is a key vehicle for linking individual change to the requirements of the organizational system.
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