Supervisory support as a major condition to enhance transfer

TLDR

Supervisory support is seen as a key factor for improving training transfer. The article examines how supervisory behaviour affects trainees’ transfer and discusses implications for future research and practice. Both studies were conducted in banking organisations, one evaluating a customer‑complaint handling training for tellers and the other assessing a legal‑aspects training programme. Neither study found convincing evidence that supervisory behaviour improves training transfer.

Abstract

Supervisory support is perceived as a major condition for enhancing the transfer of training. This article presents two studies that investigated the impact of supervisory behaviour on trainees’ transfer. Both studies were carried out in banking organisations. One study consisted of the investigation of a training programme that provided bank tellers with the knowledge and skills for handling customers’ complaints. The other study focused on the transfer of the training programme ‘legal aspects of bank tellers’ jobs’. In neither study was there any convincing evidence for the impact of supervisory behaviour on the transfer of training. The implications for future research and current practice are discussed here.