Antecedents of transfer of training with mediating role of motivation to learn and moderating role of self-efficacy

Abstract

This study investigates how supervisor support, peer support, and organizational learning culture influence the motivation to learn, which subsequently affects the transfer of training, with self-efficacy as a moderating variable. The objective is to evaluate which factors most effectively drive post-training behavioral implementation in Karachi’s service sector. A quantitative, cross-sectional dataset was collected using a structured Google Forms survey from employees in education, banking, and telecom industries. Data were collected during 2024, and after screening procedures, 293 valid responses were analyzed. PLS-SEM (SmartPLS 3) was applied to test hypotheses, while SPSS was used for preliminary data screening and descriptive statistics. Findings reveal that peer support is the strongest predictor of motivation to learn, followed by supervisor support, while organizational learning culture had no significant effect on motivation to learn. Motivation to learn had a strong positive impact on transfer of training. Furthermore, self-efficacy positively influenced transfer of training, but its controlling effect between inspiration to learn and transmission of training was negative, indicating unexpected behavioral dynamics. Organizations should strengthen peer learning mechanisms, reinforce supervisor engagement, and design self-efficacy–based interventions to improve training outcomes while reassessing the effectiveness of existing learning culture policies.