Training in the 21st century: Some lessons from the last one

Abstract

This paper reviews the major contributions that I-O Psychology has made to the understanding of the effects of training. Moving away from a purely pedagogical perspective, the psychological states of trainees, especially motivation, self-efficacy, and perceived control, combined with the realities of the organisational context, all influence the outcomes of training. Many of these variables have been shown to be malleable within a training context, and this has led to the development of powerful tools, techniques, and interventions that were lacking in the past. From a methodological perspective, research has identified the relevant measurement criteria, as well as when and how evaluation can be conducted. In addition, new instruments that assess organisational transfer climate and continuous-learning cultures are now available. Their use will allow organizations to better understand why they obtain the training results they do, and what they can do to improve training outcomes. Even as the importance of the work environment to training success has been amply demonstrated, it remains a very rare event when training departments intervene effectively to enhance the level of environmental support. Substantial practical suggestions that are theoretically and empirically grounded in research and techniques for enhancing training effectiveness under a variety of organisational conditions, be they favourable or not to training, are described. Several analytical models which may prove of relevance to practitioners and to scholars in guiding the selection and the design of transferable training programs are presented and discussed.