Examining the relationship between perceived organizational support, transfer of training and service quality in the Malaysian public sector

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the relationships among perceived organizational support (POS), transfer of training outcomes to the workplace and service quality in the context of public sector organizations in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The data for this study have been collected from three sources, the employees of public sector organizations in Malaysia, their supervisors and their colleagues through surveys. Findings – The findings reveal that transfer of training has a mediating effect on the relationship between POS and service quality. Practical implications – The findings illustrate that both elements, which are the support from organization (in terms of valuing employee contribution and caring about their well-being) and employee work attitude (applying the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are learned during training on the job) are significant in influencing employee service quality. Originality/value – This study adds to the small number of studies examining the mediator of the POS and service quality relationship. Such research is essential to understand a mechanism that links POS and service quality. This study also extends the literature by examining together the factor (POS) and the consequence (service quality) of transfer of training. To date, the number of empirical studies that have examined the factors and the consequences of transfer of training in one framework is still limited.