THE IMPACT OF TRAINING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

THE IMPACT OF TRAINING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

(A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA BOTTLING COMPANY PLC ENUGU)

ABSTRACT

This project is an attempt at providing an insight to the Impact of Training on Employee Performance, especially on staff of Nigeria Bottling Company 9^th Mile, Enugu Depot, and problems preventing its implementation. Indeed, training has a number of impact on performance, ranging from increase in productivity, increase in motivation, increase in profit, minimize cost attributed to ignorance and mediocrity, improved morale, increase leadership potentials and reduced rate of staff turnover. The content of this project is a contribution positively to the uplifting of the above which can never be over emphasized. It is a laudable venture that can enhance the productivities of any organization if considerate attention is given to it.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0   TRAINING OF ALL RECRUITED AND EMPLOYED

Personnel is an essential tool used by most organization in the desire to optimize productivity and overall efficiency. Training at any level is geared towards preparing the workers to have requisite knowledge and skill that enable him to perform his duties better than when he had not received. Pigor (1977). Before 1900, Fredrick W. Taylor recognized the importance of teaching workers technical skills; others dealt with the teaching of human skill following the Hawthrone experiment of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. however, it was not until after World War II that managers actually began to realize just how important good training programme really were faced with more highly motivated workers, shift in occupation and a wide range of new technical machines and products, recognizing the quality of armed forces training which had been accomplished, many firms seriously reevaluated their training procedures.

Training therefore is used to provide knowledge, skills, techniques, attitude and experience, which people need to carry out the jobs in which they are employed satisfactorily and prepare them for future jobs they may be involved in adequately. Flippo, (1980).

The aim of every reputable organization is therefore to develop an active, effective and appropriate workforce so as to achieve its organizational goals and objectives. In a number of cases, lack of proper training could be costly and tantamount to a loss of productive ability and consequently short-fall in target return to the organization. Beach, (1975).

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The management as part of its duty in the organization should contend to maintain a highly qualified workforce. In essence, a well developed workforce is an indispensable potential in the drive towards increased productivity and overall goal actualization. Dele Beach (1975).

Training is therefore the acquisition of the technology, which allows employee to perform their task satisfactorily to some specified standard. In essence, the emphasis of training is on the acquisition of new predetermined behavior. Nedler (1970).

The basic premise of training is that it concerns people already employed and whose jobs are sufficiently defined that we are able to identify the appropriate job behaviours. The focus should be on enabling the individual to perform more efficiently on the job he now has.

Training may be needed if a person is hired without requisite skills, attitude or after being on the job performance deficiencies were identified which were amendable to encourage the maintenance of a stable workforce, which has a reasonable level of job enrichment and training. He therefore becomes forced in yielding results and reducing labour turnover brought about by frustration on the job.

All organization, public or private sector exist and grow because they provide the community with services that the community see as worthwhile. For this to be effectively done, the organization needs to function at an optimum level of productivity. This sold level is a direct of the collective efforts of all the employees.

However, not all employees deliver an input that correlate to the established level of the standard of performance for the job level. Even the group as a whole may not produce up to its standards. Thus, when there is a difference or group between actual performance and productivity is affected, training will be needed to minimize if not eliminate the gap. It does this by changing the behavior of individuals by giving them whatever additional knowledge, skills or attitude they need.

As it is in most organizations, the impact of staff training on employee performance is very crucial to the task of banking as a whole. This is because; the excellence of service provided to the customers depends entirely on the competence of the staff on their jobs. The competence on the job is partly a function of the training given and acquired.

The soft-drink industry is competitive in nature and requires dynamic and knowledgeable staff so as to meet the growing needs of the society and attract customers that could have turned elsewhere.

Consequently, training of staff in this sector is a conscious process because, the impact aimed at equipping the staff for the challenges of everyday business transactions. It also enhance the worker’s productivity and general attitude to work, imploring efficiency and job satisfaction, providing knowledge and skills which is added to basic abilities.

It is in the interest of management therefore to perform up to standard, it is therefore believe that a thorough trained and developed worker will easily cope with the demands of dynamic industrial system, and will be willing to accommodate new ideas that will generate corporate growth.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Despite the challenge in global competition, the quest for survival, violence and angry race for market leadership; management in most organizations seem reluctant to adopt a sound training exercise for the employees. Training is very vital to employees’ assessment as one of the operational strategies of boosting the employee potentials and also increases their productivities. As to the following problems;

·        To what extent does training lead to improved productivity?

·        Is it because promotion issue is more stresses than other like training needs?

·        What factors can hinder Nigeria Bottling Company from being actively involved in training

·        Could lack of adequate communication to workers of the impeding training sessions and the purpose of the training contribute to the problem?

1.3   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to find out current attitude of top management towards a sound training system for improved productivity in Nigeria Bottling Company.

Some of the major objectives of the study are as follows:

i.            To determine whether or not training actually lead to higher productivity

ii.          The parties that benefit from training exercise

iii.        To establish how training exercise can be made effective

iv.         Whether every staff is taken into consideration in the planning and implementation of training exercise

v.           To recommend strategies that will minimize the problems inhibiting the planning, monitoring, evaluating and resolving training exercise in Nigeria Bottling Company.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work is an in-depth study on the Impact of Training on Employee Performance, the degree of Nigeria Bottling Company involvement in the provision of training programme for its staff and also the impact of the training created on the performance of the staff. Problems encountered by Nigeria Bottling Company in Organizing and implementing training exercise will also be taken into consideration.

It is hoped that this work will be useful to any bank, corporation, individuals and government who will refer to and consider objectively its recommendation, the immense potential of training as a dynamic instrument that can be used to implore efficiency, productivity and job satisfaction.

However, most firms especially the banks, have naturally found it easier to get the best out of their staff through training and re-training. Besides, training will greatly enhance the objective of any organization.

It is against this background that this essay is of paramount importance. The research will create awareness to corporate organizations, both public and private sectors of the immense impact of training on employee performance.

1.5   RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

This is a statement of assumption which will be expected to be right wrong based on the findings at the end of the write up.

Since most management decisions are future oriented, they have inherent elements of uncertainty and information is needed to reduce the level of uncertainty in order to make the decision more effective.

According to Stoner (1982), it is a ‘’formal method of making available to management and other bodies the accurate and the timely information necessary for facilitate the decision process and enable the organization’s planning, control and operational functions to be carried out effectively’’.

a.   Effective training lead to higher productivity

b.  Training have a positive effect on employee performance

c.   Constant training will enhance the performance of employee and prepare him for higher task

d.  Training leads to improve productivity

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The subject matter for which I have focused most of my attention is the impact of training on employee performance.

Because of time constraint, coupled with financial difficulties experienced, especially at this time of economy depression, the research has been limited to cover only the Nigeria Bottling Company, 9^th Mile Depot, Ezeagu L.G.A Enugu.

The scope is under the confinement of training programmes as relayed by the company. This is showcased to envisage the level of training in this industry as its increases its level of productivity, ceteris paribus and its profitability implication in the long-run of its activities. So many leaves were borrowed from the activities of the industry especially from the book of records as well as routine visit to the depot.

1.7   LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

It is my intention in this research work to study the efficiency and effectiveness of Nigeria Bottling Company in regards to training and development.

It is also to assess how the staff are benefiting from the training programmes as well as how much resources the company is putting in that direction. Because any resources put in training and development, is a money well spent.

As a result of concluding the research, the limitations encountered include the problem of getting full secondary data from the company. This is due to the bureaucracy that permission has to be given by the company headquarter from Lagos for they do not want to expose their secret unnecessarily. Thus, this had generally caused a delay and some inadequacies in writing the essay.

Secondly, in carrying out a research of this nature, a lot of problems are encountered and the degree of severness varies from one research to another. Other obstacles so faced in this research work include delay of vital information and failure to return questionnaire.

Furthermore, the analysis of data so collected was not an easy task because of incorrect answers given. Some management staff and the workers refused to disclose some vital and relevant information for fear of insecurity.

 1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

The terminologies will feature regularly in this paper and are explained in the context of relevant definition set out here under more detailed explanation may however be given in the course of the text when it becomes necessary

ATTITUDE: Someone’s approach to challenge or life in general.

EDUCATION: This is an agent of change that seek to overhaul entire physical interaction of man in relation to his work, work environment and the society.

TRAINING: This is aimed at improving skills for specific vocation or trade such as clerical duties, artisans and other operative status.

DEVELOPMENT: This is grooming, encouraging and drawing out a potential for application to a fresh task, job or appointment.

EMPLOYER: This is someone who hired people to work for him.

TRAINING OBJECTIVE: These are the targets of the training

PERFORMANCE: This is someone’s ability to get something done, especially as regards to duty.

SKILL: This is one of the traits expected from an employee after training.

TRAINING NEED: This is a gap between the expected or desired performance and actual performance, which can be removed by improvement of skill, increase in knowledge and change of attitude.

EMPLOYEE: This is someone who is paid to work for someone else.

REFERENCES

Mayers. C. Pigors Paul P. (1981) Personnel Administration (Auckland)McGraw Hill International Book Co.

Flippo, E.B. (1980) Personnel Management (Auckland) McGraw Hill International Book Co.

Beach Dele S. (1975) Personnel- The Management of People at Work (New York) Macmillan Publishing Co.

Nadler L. (1970) Defining Human Development in Training and Development. Hand Book, Edited by Robert L. Graig (Houston Texas) Gulf Publishing Co.

Akpanenus N. (1990) Questions and Answers in Personnel Management and Human Relation.