Organizational Characteristics Affecting Online Training Motivation: Sampling from the Malaysian Safety Online Training

Abstract

Organizational characteristics are proven to affect employees’ training effectiveness; in which, organizational characteristics are seen as important factors that were studied in face-to-face training to improve the training effectiveness by creating a supportive organizational climate. Interestingly, training motivation was found to mediate this relationship by a large amount of research; hence, it is important to determine organizational characteristics that can stimulate employees’ training motivation. However, limited research was done to determine organizational characteristics affecting online training motivation. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine organizational characteristics affecting online training motivation in an online training among employees in Malaysia using a pre-experimental research. An online training related to safety while working at home was offered as open participation; in which, a total of 73 employees were involved in this online training. Findings indicated that several organizational characteristics were significantly affecting the online training motivation including social support, followed by cultural support, and job support; however, management support was not a significant predictor. All of these organizational characteristics also explained 74.1% variance in online training motivation; in which, the online training was also proven effective. This implies that social support, cultural support, and job support are important organizational characteristics that affect employees’ online training motivation. Research implications, limitations, and future research are also discussed.