The Interactive Effects of Person and Situation Variables on Training Motivation A thesis proposal by Elizabeth McCune Committee members: Dr. Donald Truxillo (chair) Dr. Talya Bauer Dr. Mo Wang

Acknowledgments Committee members Jerry Gjesvold & Gillian Leitchling Michael Buck & Dave Cadiz Friends and supporters!

Training in Organizations $55 - $200 billion spent annually on training activities (Bassi & VanBuren, 2001) Increasing need for a flexible workforce

Training Research Criticized on theoretical grounds Shift in focus to individual differences Emergence of training motivation as an important construct

Purpose of the Proposed Study Examine how personality and situational variables interact to influence training motivation

Proposed Model Training Motivation Situation Variables Fairness Perceptions Transfer Climate Negative Pretraining Events Person Variables Competence, Dutifulness, Achievement Striving Ideas, Values Activity, Positive Emotions Proactivity

Theoretical Background Colquitt, LePine, & Noe (2001) –Training motivation as a mediator of learning outcomes –Considered individual and situational antecedents Did not test for potential interactions

Individual Differences Five Factor Model –Conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion (Barrick & Mount, 1991) FFM facets (Major et al., 2006) –Conscientiousness: competence, dutifulness, achievement striving –Openness to experience: ideas, values –Extraversion: activity, positive emotions Proactive personality (Bateman & Crant, 1993)

Situational Variables Fairness perceptions (Quinones, 1995) Transfer of training climate (Tracey et al., 1995) Negative pretraining events (Smith-Jentsch et al., 1996)

Hypotheses for Fairness Perceptions Training Motivation Fairness Perceptions Competence (H1) Dutifulness (H2) Achievement Striving (H3) Ideas (H4) Values (RQ1) Activity (RQ2) Positive Emotions (H5) Proactivity (H6)

Hypotheses for Transfer Climate Training Motivation Transfer Climate Competence (H7) Dutifulness (H8) Achievement Striving (H9) Ideas (H10) Values (RQ3) Activity (RQ4) Positive Emotions (RQ5) Proactivity (H11)

Hypotheses for Negative Pretraining Events Training Motivation Negative Pretraining Events Competence (H12) Dutifulness (H13) Achievement Striving (H14) Ideas (H15) Values (RQ6) Activity (RQ7) Positive Emotions (H16) Proactivity (H17)

Method Participants –N = ~200 –Field sample –Power analysis results N = 200, R-squared =.04 power =.8

Method (continued) Procedure –The training: 4 hr, mandatory supervisor training aimed at handling behavior problems in the workplace –Time 1 survey: administered before training –Time 2 survey: administered after training

Method (continued) Time 1 measures –Required: pretraining knowledge, self- efficacy, motivation, demographics –Optional: facets of conscientiousness, openness to experience, and extraversion; proactivity, fairness perceptions, and negative pretraining events

Method (continued) Time 2 measures –Posttraining knowledge, self-efficacy, motivation; transfer climate, and perceived utility

Proposed Analyses Descriptive analysis –Distributional assumptions –Outliers –Reliability analysis –Correlation matrix

Proposed Analyses (continued) Hierarchical multiple regression –DV: Training motivation at Time 2 –Step 1 Pretraining motivation –Step 2 Situational variable Personality variable of interest –Step 3 Interaction term

Proposed Analyses (continued) Example: Fairness Perceptions X Competence (H1) –DV: Training motivation at Time 2 –Step 1 Pretraining motivation –Step 2 Centered fairness perceptions Centered competence –Step 3 fairness perceptions X competence

Implications Theoretical –Utility of the facets –Importance of fairness perceptions in training –Identification of person X situation interactions in training

Implications (continued) Practical –How to maximize trainee motivation –Emphasize importance of considering person and context in needs analysis –Identification of trainees who are more likely to succeed or fail

Thank you