Although contributing to the planning, execution and results evaluation, the needs analysis subsystem has been consistently neglected by the training scientific literature and professional practice, whose bulky investments, therefore, tend to be wasted. The models that guide this important field have been proposed about 50 years ago, so they are not capable, today, of theoretical and methodological guide scholars and practitioners in the area. Thus, this study aimed, through implementation of analysis of covariance in a sample of 213 participants, to investigate the relationship between motivation to work and complexity of training needs, in order to allow the composition of future needs analysis theoretical models integrated not only for components related to the tasks, as prescribed in the literature, but also by variables related to the individual, group and organizational level of analysis. Specifically, four specific objectives, each one associated with particular procedures and research techniques were determined: (1) developing, through documental research and focus group, and validate, theoretically and empirically, from individual interviews and exploratory factor analysis, instrument for measuring training needs; (2) adapt and statistically validate the instrument to measure motivation to work, also through of exploratory factor analysis; (3) to test for mean differences between independent samples produce comparison groups depending on the level of respondents' motivation to work; and (4) identifying control variables for statistical composition of the final research, from bivariate correlations. The results satisfied all of these four intermediate goals: good psychometric indices of reliability and validity of the instruments of needs and motivation were obtained; two groups could be statistically formed according to level of motivation of its members; and the time service might be selected as a control variable for the statistical composition of the final investigation model. Despite these positive results, the covariance analysis performed did not show any relation between motivation and training needs, contrary to conventional wisdom, not directly related to the training area, which certifies this direct relationship. This result makes it necessary to expand and deepen research in this direction, mainly because the motivation is one of the main individual variables responsible for the explanation of post-performance training measures.
training needs analysis; work motivation; personnel training and development
