Attitudes to Training and Their Relation to the Well-being of Workers

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the influence of attitudes towards training on individuals’ level of well-being, after controlling for other variables (demographics and psychosocial characteristics). Attitudes towards training consist of motivation to learn, learning, transfer intention and cognitive dissonance. Methodology: In total, 210 workers who had undergone various training programs completed an online survey measuring various psychosocial characteristics, four training attitudes and level of well-being. Results: The results showed that positive psychosocial characteristics (positive personality, positive coping, positive work characteristics, organisational citizenship behaviours and commitment) had significant associations with positive attitudes towards training (motivation to learn, learning and transfer intention) and positive well-being. Similarly, negative psychosocial characteristics (negative coping and negative work characteristics) were correlated with negative training attitudes (cognitive dissonance) and negative well-being. The training attitudes also had a moderate to high correlation with well-being. However, after controlling for other variables (age, gender, education and psychosocial characteristics), only cognitive dissonance was found to influence negative well-being. Cognitive dissonance theory was used to explain these findings. Conclusion: This study gives a new perspective in the field of both training and well-being. It not only provides new knowledge but may also be beneficial to practitioners. More research is required in the future to confirm the link between training attitudes and well-being and examine in more depth the relationship between them.