Andragogical principles as predictors of employee motivation to transfer soft skills training

Purpose The relationship between andragogical principles and employee motivation to transfer training was examined in this study. The research problem is whether the six principles of andragogy, need to know, self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning and motivation to learn, predict motivation to transfer training among individuals who completed postsecondary soft skill courses in Alberta, Canada. Despite growing organizational investment in workplace training, the challenge of low transfer rates persists: estimates suggest that only 10%–15% of training content is applied on the job (Ford et al., 2018). This study aims to explore the predictive relationship between andragogical principles and transfer motivation to better understand how training programs can be made more effective. Grounded in Malcolm Knowles’ Theory of Andragogy and Baldwin and Ford’s Transfer of Training model, the research investigates two primary questions: whether the combined principles of andragogy predict motivation to transfer training and whether these principles individually predict this motivation. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a quantitative correlational predictive design with data collected from n = 134 participants via online surveys administered through the centiment platform, resulting in a final sample of n = 122 after data cleaning and outlier removal. The andragogy in practice inventory measured the six predictor variables, and the learning transfer system inventory Version 4 measured motivation to transfer. Data analysis used multiple linear regression, with demographic control variables (age, gender and years of work experience) included in both models. Findings For RQ1, results showed that the combined principles of andragogy significantly predict motivation to transfer training [R² = 0.55, Adj. R² = 0.54, F(4,116) = 35.81, p < 0.001], supporting the rejection of the null hypothesis. For RQ2, only need to know (ß = 0.31, p < 0.001) and orientation to learning (ß = 0.42, p < 0.001) were significant individual predictors. self-concept, experience, readiness to learn and motivation to learn did not reach statistical significance. The full model explained 56.13% of the variance [R² = 0.59, Adj. R² = 0.56, F(9,111) = 18.06, p < 0.001], partially rejecting the null hypothesis. The findings indicate that andragogical principles are positively associated with motivation to transfer training. Research limitations/implications A significant concern in training transfer research is the predominant reliance on self-report measures. Podsakoff et al. (2024) conducted a comprehensive review of common method bias and concluded that it is widespread, complex and not easy to address, particularly when predictor and criterion variables are collected from the same source using the same method. Kaltsonoudi et al. (2022) similarly emphasized that uncontrolled method variance can produce biased estimates of relationships between constructs. In the training transfer literature specifically, correlations between motivation and transfer tend to be higher for self-report than for supervisor assessments (Gegenfurtner, 2011). These methodological considerations are directly relevant to the present study and are addressed in the limitations section. Practical implications Findings suggest that training designers should prioritize relevance framing, explicitly communicating why training content matters before delivery and adopt problem-based, scenario-driven instructional approaches, the two features most closely associated with transfer motivation in this study. Designing programs around the need to know and orientation to learning principles, identified as the most significant predictors, may help organizations improve training return on investment. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper provides one of the first empirical tests linking Knowles’ andragogical principles, measured both as a composite and individually, to motivation to transfer training in a postsecondary soft skills context. The differential predictive power of individual principles offers a more nuanced understanding of which adult learning dimensions are most closely associated with transfer motivation, advancing both andragogy theory and training transfer research.