Distal goal and proximal goal transfer of training interventions in an executive education program

This study assessed transfer from a customized executive training program involving 89 public sector employees. Participants who set a distal goal had higher self‐efficacy than those in both the “do your best” (DYB) and the proximal plus distal goal conditions. Participants who set proximal plus distal goals had higher maintenance than those who set distal outcome goals, and those who were urged to DYB. The distal goal participants had a higher level of applied generalization than their DYB counterparts. Maintenance did not differ between DYB and distal goal conditions.