View in EDS

Workplace Learning in China: Transferring Training into Practice to Improve Performance

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Workplace Learning in China: Transferring Training into Practice to Improve Performance
Language: English
Authors: Wang, Xingheng, Lin, Weihan, Xue, Tianwen, Green, Adam, Gu, Limin, He, Yansheng, Huang, Xiaoshan, Jin, Zilu, Wu, Yihua
Source: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2022 9(3):294-315.
Availability: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2022
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Workplace Learning, Training Methods, Instructional Effectiveness, Employees, Knowledge Level, Job Performance, Reflection, Learning Processes, Feedback (Response), Transfer of Training, Self Efficacy, Evaluation Methods
Geographic Terms: China
ISSN: 2197-8638
2197-8646
Abstract: Purpose: The present study seeks to examine the efficacy of different training modalities on increasing workplace learning, representatives' intent to transfer what they learned into their work, and importantly how training impacts actual work performance. These relationships are tested in the context of a Chinese division of a multinational pharmaceutical company, where pharmaceutical representatives are tasked with relaying relevant efficacy and safety information on pharmaceutical products to health care professionals who prescribe them to patients. Methods: The present study employed a three-group between-subjects experimental design. Representatives received varying forms of training (instruction only, instruction plus reflection, and instruction, reflection, plus direct feedback; Gibbs, 1981; Gibbs & Simpson, 2005) based on experimental conditions. After three training sessions over the course of six weeks, representatives were assessed on how much they learned in the training and their actual work performance through observer assessment of meetings with health care professionals, facilitated by the representatives. Findings: In this study, it was found that the process of actively reflecting on what was learned in training led to increased learning, as well as increased performance, compared to simply studying the material. However, receiving direct feedback on training performance, combined with active reflection training, did not provide any further benefits in terms of learning or work performance. Notably, there were no differences in intent to transfer learned material to work, as all conditions reported high levels of transfer intention. Conclusion: The finding provides insightful evidence to support the benefits of fostering trainees' active reflections for work-based learning in the Chinese industry training scenario. In contrast, receiving direct comments on how students performed from a manager or trainer, as well as advise on how do better in the future, had no effect on increasing learning or performance. Although the effect of direct feedback is not statistically significant in this context, further research should be done in understanding individuals' thoughts and behaviors when received direct feedbacks received in workplace training. Relatively little workplace research has assessed both workplace learning and performance in the same study, specifically in the Chinese context. While training efficacy likely varies across cultures to begin with, compensation structures in China do not provide the same monetary incentives for workplace learning (i.e. chance to increase income) as Western culture. This means that any way to increase workplace learning should be of extra value, as employees otherwise may not engage in it at all.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1372194
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1372194
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1372194
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Workplace Learning in China: Transferring Training into Practice to Improve Performance
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Xingheng%22">Wang, Xingheng</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lin%2C+Weihan%22">Lin, Weihan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xue%2C+Tianwen%22">Xue, Tianwen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Green%2C+Adam%22">Green, Adam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gu%2C+Limin%22">Gu, Limin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22He%2C+Yansheng%22">He, Yansheng</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Huang%2C+Xiaoshan%22">Huang, Xiaoshan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jin%2C+Zilu%22">Jin, Zilu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wu%2C+Yihua%22">Wu, Yihua</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2022 9(3):294-315.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 22
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2022
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Workplace+Learning%22">Workplace Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Training+Methods%22">Training Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Effectiveness%22">Instructional Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employees%22">Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Performance%22">Job Performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflection%22">Reflection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Processes%22">Learning Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Feedback+%28Response%29%22">Feedback (Response)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transfer+of+Training%22">Transfer of Training</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Efficacy%22">Self Efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+Methods%22">Evaluation Methods</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: The present study seeks to examine the efficacy of different training modalities on increasing workplace learning, representatives' intent to transfer what they learned into their work, and importantly how training impacts actual work performance. These relationships are tested in the context of a Chinese division of a multinational pharmaceutical company, where pharmaceutical representatives are tasked with relaying relevant efficacy and safety information on pharmaceutical products to health care professionals who prescribe them to patients. Methods: The present study employed a three-group between-subjects experimental design. Representatives received varying forms of training (instruction only, instruction plus reflection, and instruction, reflection, plus direct feedback; Gibbs, 1981; Gibbs & Simpson, 2005) based on experimental conditions. After three training sessions over the course of six weeks, representatives were assessed on how much they learned in the training and their actual work performance through observer assessment of meetings with health care professionals, facilitated by the representatives. Findings: In this study, it was found that the process of actively reflecting on what was learned in training led to increased learning, as well as increased performance, compared to simply studying the material. However, receiving direct feedback on training performance, combined with active reflection training, did not provide any further benefits in terms of learning or work performance. Notably, there were no differences in intent to transfer learned material to work, as all conditions reported high levels of transfer intention. Conclusion: The finding provides insightful evidence to support the benefits of fostering trainees' active reflections for work-based learning in the Chinese industry training scenario. In contrast, receiving direct comments on how students performed from a manager or trainer, as well as advise on how do better in the future, had no effect on increasing learning or performance. Although the effect of direct feedback is not statistically significant in this context, further research should be done in understanding individuals' thoughts and behaviors when received direct feedbacks received in workplace training. Relatively little workplace research has assessed both workplace learning and performance in the same study, specifically in the Chinese context. While training efficacy likely varies across cultures to begin with, compensation structures in China do not provide the same monetary incentives for workplace learning (i.e. chance to increase income) as Western culture. This means that any way to increase workplace learning should be of extra value, as employees otherwise may not engage in it at all.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1372194
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1372194
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 294
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Workplace Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Training Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Job Performance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reflection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Processes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Feedback (Response)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transfer of Training
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Evaluation Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Workplace Learning in China: Transferring Training into Practice to Improve Performance
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wang, Xingheng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lin, Weihan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Xue, Tianwen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Green, Adam
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gu, Limin
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: He, Yansheng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Huang, Xiaoshan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jin, Zilu
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wu, Yihua
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2022
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2197-8638
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2197-8646
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 9
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training
              Type: main
ResultId 1