A new perspective on transfer of training: when does training at work transfer to family?

This study offers a new perspective on the transfer of training by examining whether skills, knowledge, and attitudes gained during training at work may transfer outside of work to improve employees’ family roles. The current research conceptualizes transfer of training to family as a specific instance of work-family enrichment and highlights the interconnectedness of individuals’ work and family roles via training transfer. An integration of the transfer of training literature with work-family enrichment research and self-determination theory provides a theoretical foundation for the proposed positive transfer of training to family model. Hypotheses were tested in a between-person on-line vignette experiment conducted with 196 full-time employees who are also parents. As part of the experiment, participants rated their intentions to transfer work training to family and also responded to questions regarding their own personal characteristics and work-family interface. Results support the proposed positive relationship between autonomous (versus controlled) motivation for attending training and intention to transfer training to family. Furthermore, tests for moderating factors surrounding this relationship demonstrate that the positive effect of autonomous (versus controlled) motivation on intention to transfer training to family holds only for employees with low work-family segmentation and high proactive personality.