Research On Effects Of Intra-team Diversity On Member Training Transfer

Since the 21st century,the rapidly changing business environment determines that the success of organizations depends more than ever on the speed at which people learn and transfer new knowledge.Therefore,enterprises invest a lot of organizational resources in employee training every year,hoping to improve employee performance and increase competitive advantage.Due to the uncertainty of business environment,enterprises tend to carry out business in the form of team.Intra-team diversity was proved to be important predictor of team performance,Academics are calling for research that how teams affect training transfer,to achieve multi-level perspectives.However,in the literature on training transfer,only a few studies have examined the role of training group diversity in training outcomes,and the conclusions are contradictory.On the basis of theoretical analysis and literature review,this study took the categorization-elaboration model(CEM)as the core,to explore the effects of different diversity factors on training transfer,and the roles of individual learning,diversity beliefs and sense of supporting transfer within teams.Through the questionnaire,this study collected sample data.Firstly,a preliminary survey was conducted to collect 87 effective individuals who were training and working in the team to verify the reliability and validity of the scale.Then a formal investigation was conducted to collect 544 effective individual samples of training and working in teams from various enterprises in China.Further data analysis was conducted based on formal survey data.The empirical research found that:(1)the diversity of social categories and the diversity of information have significant positive impacts on training transfer,while the diversity of values has a significant negative impact on training transfer.(2)individual learning within the team plays a complete mediating role between social category diversity and training transfer,between values diversity and training transfer,and between information diversity and training transfer.(3)diversity beliefs negatively moderated the effect of diversity of values on individual learning within the team,positively moderated the effect of diversity of information on individual learning within the team,but there is no significant moderating effect between social categories diversity and individual learning within the team.(4)supervisor support positively moderated the effect of individual learning within the team on training transfer,and peer support positively moderated the effect of individual learning within the team on training transfer.This study reveals the mechanism of intra-team diversity on training transfer,broadens the field of exploring antecedent variables of training transfer,and enrichis relevant literature research.In addition,based on the research conclusions,this study also puts forward a series of corresponding management enlightenment,and provides suggestions for enterprises to stimulate diversity advantages and improve the training transfer of employees:(1)From the perspective of training transfer,intra-team diversity may be both an asset and a liability.(2)From the perspective of training transfer,the core of the process in which intra-team diversity plays a role is individual learning within the team.(3)identifying individuals with supporting diversity beliefs and cultivating diversity openness among team members.(4)emphasizing the important role of supervisor support and peer support in promoting the effect of training transfer.