Purpose: To understand the unique context forming organizational learning, the current study aims to investigate the antecedents of training and development (TD) practices as an indicator of effective organizational learning from the Vietnam hospitality sector, which has not been studied rigorously. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including a path analysis partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on a sample size of 354 responses and a semi-structured interview of 32 participants to test various paths predicting training effectiveness while exploring contextual differences in the Vietnam hospitality sector. Findings: The results show that among the variables investigated, extrinsic motivation, team support and job quality were found to be significant to TD, while intrinsic motivation was found to have no significant predictive power. To explore the reasons behind these findings, the interviews indicate that the motivations of employees in the hospitality sector, most of whom are young and have a limited length of service, are highly rooted in the organization's cultural context. Originality/value: This study contributes to understanding the complex context of organizational learning through an investigation of an emerging economy from Southeast Asia by adding new insights into the training and motivational theories. It has practical implications for practitioners in the hospitality sector to develop more effective learning organizations during the uncertain period of this unprecedented pandemic.