Agency theory has been discussed widely in the business and management literature. However, to date there has been no investigation about its utility and implications for problems in training & development. Whereas organizations are still struggling to develop and implement effective training programs, there is little emphasis on the self-interest behaviors of the trainers and how these motivations may impede the training process. Agency theory can help inform our learning and understanding of possible outcomes in this scenario. Consequently, this article is the first to explore agency theory within the training & development framework and offers propositions for research and practice. Implications for organizational policy and performance outcomes are also discussed. (Contains 3 figures.)