The influences of individual and contextual variables on the identification of self -reported training needs and self -supervisor agreement in the needs assessment process

Previous training research has often overlooked the importance of the needs assessment process. Organizations regularly rely on employee or supervisor reports of training needs to justify curriculum content, training assignments and resource allocations. However, the variables driving the identification and report of training needs have not been extensively researched. This study attempted to comprehensively examine the relationships among individual and contextual variables on the self-report of training needs. Secondly, this study aimed to clarify some of the variables influencing self-supervisor agreement of reported training needs. An integrated model (the Assessment Model) was developed and tested using a series of confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling. Although, results provided limited support for all hypotheses, they did indicate that the influences of contextual variables significantly outweigh the influences of individual differences in the self-report of training needs. Specifically, a positive organizational training context was significantly related to training motivation and training motivation was significantly related to employee feedback-seeking behavior. Further, information specificity and employee feedback-seeking were found to impact the degree to which employees and their supervisors agreed on training needs. No moderating effect was found for other variables, such as interaction frequency and similarity of comparison standard. Results are discussed in terms of implications for practice and future research.