A Review on Learning Transfer to Job Performance

Organisations globally spend huge sums of money on the training and Development of employees with the aim of equipping them with the needed knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable the organisation to gain a competitive advantage and ultimately increase organisational performance. Learning transfer has become the means through which employees can translate knowledge, skills and attitudes gained from training into job performance, leading to organisational success. As such, learning transfer should be a priority for human resource professionals. This paper reviews key theories and factors that interplay to bring about learning transfer and how these factors impact the job performance of employees in organisations. The training transfer model identifies trainee characteristics, training design, and work environment as determinants of transfer, while the learning transfer system inventory assesses ability, motivation, environment, and their influence on learning transfer. Goal-setting theory and the job characteristics model also provide lenses for understanding job performance. Again, the review identified learning design, work environment, trainee characteristics, and organisational support as learning factors that affect job performance. This research paper reviews theories and factors that influence how employees apply knowledge and skills learned in training to their job performance, which is important for organisations to realise returns on their investment in training and Development. The review explores how training design, work environment, employee characteristics, and organisational support impact learning transfer and subsequent job performance.