Individual Characteristics Influencing Online Training Motivation: Sampling from Malaysian Youth attending Volunteerism Online Training

Abstract

Training motivation is proven to be the most important factor affecting training effectiveness especially in employees’ training. Hence, previous researchers have investigated individual characteristics influencing training motivation to predict training effectiveness; in which, individual characteristics are prioritized in selecting the right trainees to predict training effectiveness in face-to-face training. However, limited research was done to determine individual characteristics influencing online training motivation, especially those that involve training for youths to improve their volunteerism knowledge and attitude in online training. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine individual characteristics influencing online training motivation related to volunteerism among youth. The Volunteerism Online Training Program was offered as open participation among Malaysian youths aged between 18 to 30 years old; in which, a total of 52 youths were involved in this online training and became the subjects of pre-experimental research design. Findings indicated that several individual characteristics were significantly influencing online training motivation including intrinsic orientation, extrinsic orientation, and volunteer commitment; however self-efficacy was not a significant predictor. All of these individual characteristics also explained 87.3% variance in online training motivation; in which, the online training was also proven effective. This implies that intrinsic orientation, extrinsic orientation, and volunteer commitment that are related to the content of online training are important individual characteristics that determine trainees’ online training motivation. Research implications, limitations, suggestions, and future research are also discussed.