Building the Climate for Optimal Organizational Transfer of Learning: An Examination of USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Employee Training Motivation and Perceived Training Transfer

Abstract

Significant strides have been made in the human resources field over the last two decades; however, securing transfer of learning from formal training to the work setting still poses a problem. Following Ford and Baldwin’s (1988) Model of Training Transfer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees were surveyed to examine if they are motivated and able to transfer skills learned in formal training into the work environment. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to determine which Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) explanatory variables explained variance in self-perceived content recall and content transfer from an agency training series. This work identified personal, training, and work climate constructs indicative to this particular agency that at times are effective precursors to learning transfer. USDA-NRCS employees who completed the Conservation Boot Camp training series, a 3-week in-boarding training, comprised the sample for the study. A total of 268 responses (50.0%) were returned for analysis. It was concluded that significant relationships do exist between NRCS employees’ self-perceived content recall and content transferred scores and selected demographics and explanatory variables measuring learning constructs