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The soldiers new clothes: How transfer of training may facilitate or impede organizational change in the Norwegian Armed Forces

Gundersen, Helena Ruud; Frantzen, Helene
Master thesis
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2578603
Date
2018
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  • Master of Science [1116]
Abstract
This dissertation seeks to develop the field of research on leadership development,

and the reasons why long-term training transfer in some cases are problematic or

even, in worst cases, non-existent. Based on the theory of Baldwin and Ford

(1988) on conditions of transfer, as well as mindset theory regarding how goals

are implemented and enacted, we aim to broaden the understanding of how

organizations might enhance the possible benefits of training transfer.

According to Baldwin and Ford (1988) more research is needed in order to

understand how learned material is generalized and maintained during the course

of action in the job context, and such conditions are rarely assessed by the

organization, nor the field of research. In this dissertation we have used

Gollwitzer’s (1990) theory of mindsets and action phases combined with Baldwin

and Ford’s (1988) conditions of transfer to help explain how conditions of transfer

affect the enactment of planned behavior in an organization.

In order to investigate this problem formulation we have developed three

exploratory research questions based on a study by Webb and Sheeran (2006).

The three questions we seek to answer is; (1) How can perceived supervisory and

peer support affect the conditions of learning transfer?, (2) How can perceived

behavioral control influence the intention to generalize and maintain learned

material to the job context?, and (3) How can prior behaviors affect the

conditions of learning transfer negatively?

A case study of the Norwegian Armed Forces has been conducted in order to

investigate the problem formulation, as they have recently implemented a new

military personnel system. The new system for military personnel is aimed at

facilitating experience-based and specialized competencies, with the intention of

providing the personnel with more continuity and professional career

opportunities (Forsvaret, 2016b). The new military personnel system promotes

two different career hierarchies for personnel within the Norwegian Armed

Forces, forcing changes in leadership role and responsibility. As such, it should be

interesting to look at whether the Norwegian army has been able to enact their intended role changes, and the training transfer this requires, or if there exists a

gap between planned behavior and transfer of training.

The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews of 14 participants in

the Norwegian Armed Forces. These participants were seperated into 3 categories;

OF, OR and Converts. Whereas the Converts were to only participants who

transferred from OF to OR as a result of the new military personnel system.

However, each group experienced new roles and responsibilities.

The results of this study suggests that all participants experienced high

supervisory support, high behavioral control and they did not experience any

trouble with previous learnt behavior in their new role. As such, the Norwegian

Armed Forces should have experienced training transfer on all levels of the

organization. However, the study showed that Officers and Specialists at the lower

levels of the organization had the intention to act, but failed to change their role.

As such, other factors than those mentioned in this dissertation could be to blame.

We suggest that it might be the structural support that has created the gap between

intentions and actions, and thus affected the enactment of planned behavior

(Training transfer) in a negative way. As the participants belonging to the convert

category reported that they had been able to change their role, but the participants

in the OR and OF category still found the implementation to be ambiguous it

might seem as this is due to the lack of resources and knowledge at the lower

levels in the organization. However, this will require further research.
Description
Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Psychology - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2018
Publisher
Handelshøyskolen BI

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