The effect of effective training on civil servants' productivity in Somaliland: the mediating role of transfer of training

Effective training is widely recognized as a key strategy for improving employee competencies and productivity in the public sector. However, despite substantial investment in civil service capacity building, empirical evidence on how training enhances productivity in Somaliland remains limited. This study examines the effect of effective training on civil servants‘ productivity and investigates the mediating role of transfer of training. Guided by Human Capital Theory and Transfer of Training Theory, the study hypothesizes positive relationships among effective training, transfer of training, and civil servants' productivity. A quantitative cross-sectional explanatory research design was employed. Data were collected from 250 civil servants selected from a target population of 1,207 employees who had participated in training programs offered by the Somaliland Civil Service Institute. A structured questionnaire was administered, and the data were analyzed using (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that effective training has a significant positive effect on civil servants‘ productivity (β = 0.396, p < 0.001) and transfer of training (β = 0.592, p < 0.001). Transfer of training also positively influences productivity (β = 0.359, p < 0.001) and partially mediates the relationship between effective training and productivity (β = 0.213, p < 0.001). The model explains 45.4% of the variance in civil servants' productivity ( R 2 = 0.454). The study contributes to Human Capital Theory and Transfer of Training Theory by demonstrating that productivity gains are maximized when organizations not only provide effective training but also create supportive conditions that facilitate the application of acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace.