Employee trainers' self-efficacy and performance: the mediating role of trainer preparation

PurposeThis study aims to examine the mediating role of trainer preparation in the effect employee trainer self-efficacy has on trainer performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a census, data was collected from internal employee trainers in two universities in Ghana. In testing the hypotheses, a structural equation modelling based on 10,000 bootstrap samples was used, and the BCa confidence intervals were used to establish the significance of the hypotheses.FindingsThis study revealed trainer preparation as a complementary partial mediator in the effect trainee engagement self-efficacy and instruction self-efficacy had on trainer performance. In addition, the importance-performance map analyses demonstrated that the factor with the most importance in the model was instruction self-efficacy, yet it was not the highest-performing factor.Originality/valueThis study highlights the mediating role played by preparation in the effect of trainer self-efficacy on trainer performance. In addition, it adds to the dearth of studies that focus on employee trainers while at the same time using data from the trainers themselves.