| This study examined the influence of structured supervisor support on training transfer and the associated outcomes and impact of a Frontline Supervisor Program at a U.S. pediatric hospital. The hospital had a strategic goal to fill 50% of open mid-management and executive-level positions from within. To achieve the goal, the hospital needed a group of competent entry-level managers to fill mid-level management vacancies and a group of qualified, experienced mid-level managers from which to fill internal vacancies at the executive levels of management. With an internal fill rate of less than 10% and hiring managers citing a lack of knowledge and skill among internal applicants as the reason for poor performance against the goal, the hospital determined a performance intervention was necessary. A 10-week online and classroom-based learning intervention, the Frontline Supervisor Program, was developed and implemented to build knowledge and skill in basic management concepts, address the capability gap among managers with less than 3 years of management experience, and establish the foundation for achieving the longer-term goal. However, training transfer studies indicated that training alone does not result in high levels of application and a combination of training and other interventions is more likely to result in job application. Based on the findings, the hospital added structured supervisor support to the program consisting of regular meetings between the trainee and supervisor. The study goal was to evaluate the program and determine how the inclusion of structured supervisor support from the trainees' manager, during the program, influenced the trainees' management capability, post-training application, and business results achieved. The study sample included trainees from one cohort of the program and their supervisors. Robert Brinkerhoff's Success Case Methodology was used to evaluate the program and understand the participants' experiences during the program and post-training application, outcomes, and impact. The findings suggest that trainee learning, application, and achievement can be improved through regular engagement with the supervisor during the learning program. The researcher recommends subsequent studies to determine whether these findings recur when similar studies of supervisor support with larger samples, different programs, and more diverse groups of trainees are conducted. |
