Moderating role of trainee motivation on the relationship between trainee ability and transfer of training

Abstract

Public healthcare institutions in developing economies face persistent challenges in translating employee professional development into measurable workplace performance due to poor post training skill generalization. Despite significant investments in staff development at the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, and Umar Sanda General Hospital, Bida, there remains a
critical gap in understanding how individual capacities and psychological drives interact to ensure that acquired skills successfully "stick" on the hospital floor. The study applied the Baldwin and Ford’s Transfer of Training Model and Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. This study empirically investigated the relationship between Trainee Ability and Transfer of Training, with Trainee Motivation positioned as both a direct predictor and a moderating variable. Using a quantitative survey design, primary data was gathered from healthcare personnel in Bida, Niger State, and analysed using Variance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (VB
SEM) in SmartPLS. The bootstrapping algorithm (5,000 resamples) revealed that Trainee Ability has a significant positive direct effect on Transfer of Training (beta = 0.250, t = 2.521, p = 0.012), while Trainee Motivation emerged as the dominant direct driver (beta = 0.551, t = 5.665, p = 0.000). Furthermore, Trainee Motivation significantly moderated the relationship between Trainee Ability and Transfer of Training via a negative interaction (beta = -0.185, t = 2.695, p = 0.007), demonstrating a non-linear dynamic where personal motivation plays a critical boosting role for lower-ability personnel but tends to level off for highly skilled, expert
staff who rely primarily on standardized professional guidelines. Based on these findings, it is recommended that hospital management utilize pre-training assessments to elevate baseline Trainee Ability while implementing segmented motivational strategies such as direct performance incentives for lower-ability personnel and peer-mentoring roles for high-ability
experts to optimize institutional training investments and public health delivery.