FROM TRAINING ROOM TO WORKPLACE: SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO SUSTAINING TRAINING OUTCOMES IN DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman*

Text | Abstract | PDF

FROM TRAINING ROOM TO WORKPLACE: SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO SUSTAINING TRAINING OUTCOMES IN DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman*

Manager (Training), PKSF Training Center
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), Dhaka, Bangladesh

* Corresponding Author

Email: mahbuburrahman77@gmail.com

A R T I C L E  I N F O

Article Type: Research

Received: 22 Nov. 2025.

Accepted: 02 Jan. 2026

Published: 01 Feb. 2026.

 

 

 A B S T R A C T

This article adopts a reflective practitioner-based qualitative analysis, synthesizing two decades of field observations and post-training supervision experiences rather than collecting new empirical data. Despite significant investment in the quality of the curriculum, the participatory approach, and the quality of the facilitation, the effectiveness of the training is seldom sustained once the trainees get back to the workplace. Instead of pointing a finger at the trainer’s pedagogy or the trainees’ motivation, the article proposes that the erosion in the effectiveness of training takes place largely because of the post-training organizational context. From these observations, four additional barriers have emerged as having relevance to the issue: the neglect of the post-training phase, resistance to learning-based practices by the supervisory and performance systems, the lack of mechanisms that facilitate post-training support, and misalignment between the content of the training activity and the livelihood realities of its constituents. By recontextualizing the question of training effectiveness within an organizational and managerial concern rather than solely personal, it seeks to add its input within the current debates. The discussion emphasizes the symbolic nature of effective training practices once organizational environments are ill-equipped to support those efforts after delivery. The implications of this discussion for organizations attempting to implement systemically supported learning practices are also covered.
Keywords:

Training transfer, Workplace learning, Systemic barriers, Practice-based perspective, Post-training environment, Sustainable development.

References

  1. Amin, M. R., Islam, M. R., Shaili, S. J., Khatun, M. R., & Mahedi, M. (2025). Climate change and its impact: A review of global strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International, 26(4), 205-221.
  2. Baldwin, T. T., & Ford, J. K. (1988). Transfer of training: A review and directions for future research. Personnel Psychology, 41(1), 63–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1988.tb00632.x
  3. Baldwin, T. T., Ford, J. K., & Blume, B. D. (2019). The state of transfer of training research: Moving toward more practice-based perspectives. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 30(4), 389–402. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21375
  4. Billett, S. (2001). Learning in the workplace: Strategies for effective practice. Allen & Unwin.
  5. Blume, B. D., Ford, J. K., Surface, E. A., & Olenick, J. (2023). A dynamic model of training transfer: Updated evidence and future directions. Human Resource Management Review, 33(1), 100889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2022.100889
  6. Gegenfurtner, A., & Vauras, M. (2021). Age-related differences in training transfer: A meta-analysis. Human Resource Development Review, 20(4), 347–375. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843211022435
  7. Hughes, A., Zajac, S., Spencer, J., & Salas, E. (2024). A checklist for facilitating training transfer in organizations: Recent evidence and practical guidance. International Journal of Training and Development, 28(1), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12245
  8. Stufflebeam, D. L. (2003). The CIPP model for evaluation. In T. Kellaghan & D. L. Stufflebeam (Eds.), International handbook of educational evaluation (pp. 31–62). Springer.
  9. Aguinis, H., & Kraiger, K. (2020). Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7, 113–135. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012119-044951
  10. Blume, B. D., & Ford, J. K. (2021). Advances in training transfer research. Human Resource Management Review, 31(2), 100799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2020.100799
  11. Dirani, K. M., Abadi, M., Alizadeh, A., Barhate, B., Garza, R. C., Gunasekara, N., Ibrahim, G., & Majzun, Z. (2020). Leadership competencies and the essential role of human resource development in times of crisis. Human Resource Development International, 23(4), 380–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2020.1780078
  12. Fenwick, T., & Edwards, R. (2022). Re-thinking the learning society in late modernity.
  13. Ford, J. K., Baldwin, T. T., & Prasad, J. (2023). Transfer of training: Toward systemic perspectives. International Journal of Training and Development, 27(3), 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12278
  14. Garavan, T. N., McGuire, D., & Lee, Y. (2021). Human resource development and organizational resilience. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 32(2), 127–147. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21413
  15. Gegenfurtner, A., Zitt, A., & Ebner, C. (2020). Evaluating training transfer: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 29, 100311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100311
  16. Grossman, R., & Salas, E. (2020). The transfer of training: What really matters. International Journal of Training and Development, 24(1), 20–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12180
  17. (2021). Skills and lifelong learning in developing economies. International Labour Organization.
  18. Islam, M. M., Islam, J., Pervez, A. K. M. K., & Nabi, N. (2019). Green HRM and Green Business: A Proposed Model for Organizational Sustainability.“. Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, 8(3).
  19. Mahedi, M., Saha, A., Pervez, A. K. M. K., & Shaili, S. J. (2025). Micro-credit in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Review of its Evolution, Impact, and Challenges Using Quantitative and Qualitative Evidences. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 25(5), 1-18.
  20. McGrath, S., Needham, S., Papier, J., & Wedekind, V. (2020). Vocational education, training and livelihoods in developing contexts. Journal of Education and Work, 33(3), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2020.1725904
  21. Nabi, M. N., Gao, Q., Rahman, M. T., Pervez, A. K. M. K., & Shah, A. A. (2018). Microfinance institutions of Bangladesh: The effects of credit risk management on credit performance. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 9(22), 104-114.
  22. Raelin, J. A. (2021). Practice-based learning in organizations. Management Learning, 52(4), 453–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507620988562
  23. Reinhold, S., Gegenfurtner, A., & Lewalter, D. (2022). Peer learning and training transfer. Human Resource Development Review, 21(2), 175–201. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843221082459
  24. Saks, A. M., & Burke-Smalley, L. A. (2022). A theoretical framework of training transfer. Human Resource Development Review, 21(1), 3–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843211042380
  25. Tikly, L., Joubert, M., & Kagochi, J. (2021). Skills training and livelihood realities in low-income contexts. International Journal of Educational Development, 81, 102335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102335
  26. UNESCO-UNEVOC. (2022). Advancing TVET for inclusive growth. UNESCO Publishing.