A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Transfer of Leadership Training: The Role of Leader Motivation

The purpose of the present research was to investigate how leaders’ different types of pretraining motivation may influence transfer of leadership training. Drawing on self-determination theory, we examined the role of autonomous and controlled motivation for short- and long-term transfer in terms of employee-rated improvements of leaders’ need support. Data were collected in conjunction with a leadership training program that was aimed at increasing need support among municipality leaders (n = 20 leaders and their n = 323 employees), and surveys were sent to leaders and employees before training, posttraining, and 4 months after training. Bayesian multilevel modeling suggests that autonomous (Estimate = 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI: 0.030, 0.329]) and controlled (Estimate = 0.08, 95% CI [0.013, 0.150]) premotivation among leaders are related to short-term improvements in need support. Although neither type of motivation had a credible long-term effect on transfer 4 months after the training, the 95% credibility interval indicate that the effect of autonomous motivation (Estimate = 0.13, 95% CI [−0.004, 0.269]) most likely is positive. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of using a theory-based multidimensional perspective on predictors of training transfer and on adding a temporal perceptive on their effects. Our study also points toward the importance of not only fostering autonomous motivation at work but recognizing the potential in controlled motivation.