THE EFFECT OF TRAINING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Training could be seen as an organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the efficient and effective execution of the function for which he/she is hired for. Training is very vital for any development of any Organization. Why some organizations take it very serious others take is very lightly. There is always a positive result on the part of any organization that takes up staff training and development very importantly. Any organization that fails to take it training and development very necessary tends to encounter difficulties in attaining its objectives and would find it difficult to compete favourably. There are various training and development procedures that can be undertaken by organization (s). This study is about highlighting the fact that unless training and development of is properly done, objectives will be very difficult to attain.
Training development therefore, becomes the end result of the application of power and though career development. In the public sector, employees anticipate equitable and adequate Training. One of the purpose of an organization is to permit the group of individuals to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
The information thus far reveals a seeming consensus in the belief that there is a positive relationship between training and employee performance. Thus training impacts positively on employee’s performance by generating benefits to both the employees and the organization they work for through the development of skills, knowledge, abilities, competencies and behaviour.
Training plays a significant role in the development of organizations, enhancing performance as well as increasing productivity, and ultimately putting companies in the best position to face competition and stay at the top. This means that, there is a significant relationship between organizations that train their employees and organizations that do not. (According to Neo et al in his book Human Resource Management: Gaining Competitive Advantage in 2000), “he stated that only 16% of United States employees have ever received any form of training from their employers”. From the researcher’s point of view, there is a possibility that in about five or more years to come the rapid development in technology can cause high unemployment rate because these forms of technology will replace the unskilled labor in the United States. There is therefore the need for United States to put strategies and policies in place to ensure that its human resource is trained in order to meet the standards of the growing technology. In realization of this, General Electric, Texas Instruments and Federal Express have already made the initiative and now invest between 3% and 5% of their payroll in training.
Every organization that is committed to generating profits for its owners (shareholders) and providing quality service for its customers and beneficiaries invest in the training of its employees (Evans and Lindsay 2004). According to Robert Simpson Managing director of Legna Construction Limited , a construction company located in the central region of Nigeria which contributes substantially to the development of the country through its roads construction and employment of the country’s human resource, training of the company’s human resource contributed to the company gaining substantial increase in revenue from 2005 – 2009. (40% increase from 2001 – 2004). He attributed this to the skills and knowledge the employees gained through the training that helped them be more efficient thus reduced cost on the job thereby gaining more revenue. Evans and Lindsay (2004) also stated that, Motorola & Texas Instruments provide at least 40 hours of training to every employee quarterly and this has significantly impacted on the employee performance.
Companies committed to investment in their human resource generate long term and sustainable profitability for the company. In a study in America on the impact of human capital investments such as employer-provided training and development, Black and Lynch (1996) citing Bartel (1989) stated that “returns on training and development investments increase productivity by 16%”. This further reinforces the role of training on employees. Based on the attributes that are developed the employees implement them on their tasks and thus the company is able to improve thus generate the profits for the firm. Also because the attributes are imparted and developed through the systematic and planned training program, it becomes a part of the employees thus they are able to implement them on every task thus the increased profit leading to sustainable profitability.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Some organizations in Nigeria do not engage in proper training and development of its staff, resulting to low productivity and poor organizational performance. In most cases, these organizations are not fully aware of the impacts of employee training and development on the performance of their organization, and thus they do not undertake training and development exercises for their employees. According to Cole (2002), ill trained employees will definitely be less productive, as they do not have the necessary and complete skills and knowledge to achieve maximum performance in the organization. Training of employees must be implemented in every organization that wishes to succeed, since training enhances skills, knowledge, attributes and competencies and ultimately worker performance and productivity in organizations.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
In the light of the problems already identified in 1.2 above, the study was undertaken with the following aims and objective.
i. To identify the effect of training in employee performance in public service.
ii. To evaluate the effect of supervisor role on employees’ performance in public service.
iii. To identify the effect of participation in public service.
iv. To determine the effect of job/task performance on employees’ performance in public services.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions were developed to guide the study:
i. What is the effect of training in employee performance in public service?
ii. What is the effect of supervisor role on employees’ performance in public service?
iii. What is the effect of participation in public service?
iv. What is the effect of job/task performance on employees’ performance in public services?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The hypotheses for the study are:
Hypothesis I
H0: There is no significant effect of training on employee performance in public service.
Hi: There is significant effect of training on employee performance in public service.
Hypothesis II
H0: There is no significant effect of supervisor role on employees’ performance in public service.
Hi: There is a significant effect of supervisor role on employees’ performance in public service.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is specified on Training as a tool measuring employees morale, which explains the inefficiency that characterized our public sector and corporations which also result into lack of commitment to work and waste of resources which are strongly needed to enhance social and economic development.
It is hoped therefore that this study would provide information on the remote and immediate course and possible solutions to the Training problems as they affect Adaba Radio Station. This is also hoped that the finding of this study will contribute to existing knowledge and information on the area of research. It is also expected that the findings and recommendations of this study will guide Adaba Radio Station to establish a formidable Training development planning.
The study would also be useful to the people who always cry that the organization does not have effective Training development programmes, so that they know its limitations and area of help to the workers for their support and recognition of their efforts to the organization.
Finally, this study will be useful to the students that may wish to write or make research on similar topics and using this as a point of reference to re – orient them towards their profession or future research or practical endeavour.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study is limited to the role and impact that training have on the performance of employees of Adaba Radio Station, using their office in Akure, Ondo State as the focus point.
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The expenses on transportation to Adaba Radio Station are so enormous because of many occasions the researcher was not attended to the same day and they postponed the date for the researcher which cost them huge amount of money.
The research was faced with some restrictions in the area of the case study; this is due to bureaucratic reasons in the administrative procedures in the Organization. It was not possible to get all the necessary information that would have helped in producing a comprehensive research work.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Training: Training could be seen as an Organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the efficient and effective execution of the function for which he/she is hired for.
Development: This is a programme designed to provide new ideas and concepts that may be useful for present and future specification/response which take care of professionals and managers.
Planning: Is a strategy by which Organization ensures that right number of employees with the right talent/skill occupy the right position of the Organization. It is a deliberate effort put in place to attain a target goal.
Efficiency: This refers to an input-output relationship that is maximum work achieved for a minimum time or result. It is a notion of ‘Optimization’ whereby maximum satisfaction is obtained for a given out lay of resources.
Effectiveness: This is referred to how frequently and perfectly human or machine are able to carry out a task leading to a required output that always resulted to an Organizational efficiency. Effectiveness is therefore a means to an end”.
Organization: This is referred to as two (2) or more people working together in a co-ordinated manner to attain group results.