Lost in Transfer: How Training Participant Narratives Reveal Training Transfer Experiences

Organizational training transfer refers to the ability of training participants to transfer skills learned in training back into the workplace. Previous research has come primarily from the fields of human resources and organizational development and has relied heavily on posttraining evaluations and survey instruments. This qualitative study expands our understanding of the training transfer experience in two ways. Framing training as a social innovation, Rogers' (1983) theory of diffusion of innovation is used to determine how aspects of the training itself and participants' attitudes toward the training material facilitate the transfer process. The study specifically investigates two exploratory research questions: 1) How do trainee narratives describe the experience of skill transfer? and 2) In what ways are participant experiences of transfer compatible or incompatible with the major themes of the training program? These questions were investigated through interviews of training participants before, during, and three months after mediation training as well as observation of the week-long training and an analysis of the training materials. Thematic analysis of participant interviews highlighted important perspectives of what happens in the transfer process. Three dominant themes included participants' motivation for transfer, need for communication skills, and the training-to-practice gap. These were highly (although not completely) compatible with the training themes, which included listen to both parties, address emotion, acquire communication skills, practice skills, and attend to work environment. The study has implications for theoretical development of training transfer and practical implications for training design and evaluation.