An empirical examination of the effects of self‐efficacy, supervisor support and motivation to learn on transfer intention

Purpose – Recent developments in research related to training transfer have recognized transfer as a complex process rather than a product of training. Transfer intention has been viewed as the first and most crucial stage in the transfer process. Despite its importance in determining the extent to which training transfer can occur, transfer intention has not been examined sufficiently in the literature. This paper aims to address this deficiency. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of enhancing the knowledge and understanding of transfer intention as an important facet of the transfer process, the study was conducted to examine the influences of self‐efficacy as an individual‐level factor and supervisor support as an organizational‐level constituent on transfer intention. Owing to the paucity of research on transfer intention, the theoretical framework on the bases of which the hypotheses regarding the relationships between those two antecedents and transfer intention were constructed was partially supplemented by the Theory of Planned Behavior. The mediation role of motivation to learn in each of those relationships was also investigated, based on a series of regression analyses performed on the data collected from 287 public employees in Saudi Arabia. Findings – The results showed that supervisor support was the most salient factor that affects transfer intention. Motivation to learn was found to influence transfer intention directly and to partially mediate the relationships of transfer intention with supervisor support and self‐efficacy. Originality/value – Further analysis showed that supervisor support fully mediates the relationship between self‐efficacy and transfer intention.