The role of climate for transfer of training and intrinsic benefits in explaining employees' motivation to attend voluntary professional development activities

Abstract

Attendance at organisationally provided internal training and development activities (T&D), is often non-mandatory and therefore, to some degree, contingent on employees’ motivation to attend. Organisational climate for the transfer of training (transfer climate) includes work environment factors that influence the use of skills and knowledge gained during training when back in the workplace. We expected that transfer climate would be a strong determinant of employees’ intention to participate in training activities. Based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) which describes motivation on a selfdetermination continuum involving various degrees of controlled (external) and autonomous (more intrinsic) motivation, we predicted that both transfer climate and perceived intrinsic benefits from attendance at T&D would be linked to more autonomous motivation to attend. This research also investigated the influence of different components of transfer climate factors and perceptions of intrinsic benefits on four types of motivation (amotivation, external regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation) to attend non-mandatory T&D activities. Academic and general staff employees of a regional Australian university completed a self-report Professional Development Survey developed for the study (n = 456). Multivariate analysis using Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the influence of transfer climate factors and intrinsic benefits on four types of motivation. Results showed that transfer climate factors differentially influenced the four types of motivation. Intrinsic benefits was a strong positive predictor of more autonomous types of motivation and a strong negative predictor of more controlled motivation and amotivation. Analysis of mediational models also showed that the relationship between transfer climate factors and type of motivation was partially mediated by intrinsic benefits. Employers should focus on strategies that generate more autonomous motivation to attend nonmandatory T&D among employees. These strategies should include promoting a positive transfer climate using positive reinforcement of the intrinsic benefits of T&D.