The impact of employee perceptions of training on organisational commitment and turnover intentions: a study of multinationals in the Chinese service sector.

This study examines the impact of employee perceptions of training on organizational commitment, and the latter’s relationship with turnover intentions. Structured equation modelling is conducted on survey data from 437 Chinese employees of five multinational enterprises operating in the Chinese service sector. The results of the survey are consistent with social exchange theory. They highlight the importance of training as a tool to enhance the affective organisational commitment of employees, and reduce turnover. The findings differ from previous studies in non-Chinese settings. No evidence was found of any impact of motivation to learn and perceived benefits of training on organizational commitment. This may be explained by three factors; the involuntary nature of employee training, the limited career development opportunities on offer to local employees of multinational enterprises and the difficulty employees face in applying learnt skills given cultural differences. The implications for research and practice are discussed.

pre-refereed version as permitted by publisher.

Originally presented at the British Academy of Management Conference, Brighton, 15-17th September 2009.