The Impact of Trainee Characteristics and Work Environmental Factors on Motivation to Learn

This article examines the impact of two trainee characteristics (self-efficacy and career commitment) and four work environmental factors (supervisory support, opportunity to perform, accountability and awareness of strategic linkages) on motivation to learn. Data was collected from 152 officers of the Sri Lanka Administrative service who participated in a capacity building training program. The Structural Equation Modeling technique was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that trainees’ self-efficacy and awareness of strategic linkages have a significant impact on the motivation to learn. Contrary to expectation, career commitment, supervisory support, accountability and opportunity to perform did not significantly influence the motivation to learn. The implications of the results and limitations of the study are also noted, along with suggestions.