- Introduction
Training and development is involved with activities carried by an organization that are focused on improving the performance of employees. Training and development falls under the human resource department of any organization. These training and development activities include educational programs such as mentorship programs, training, coaching and workshops. They help to motivate and inspire employees and to bring the best out of them. Training and development have for long been understood to be only focused on looking developing new ways of production and improving service provision but not thought of as means to improving employees attachment to the organization. Most organizations have used this tool to improve their ways of doing things but have failed to perceive it an important tool for increasing the employees’ attachment to the organization. HR professionals gauge the success of an organization on its ability to attract, recruit and retain trained, qualified and skilled personnel. Moreover, the business objectives and strategies into action can only be realized through proper coordination of the organization’s workforce. Every business organization is determined to have committed workforce that can work tirelessly to the needs of the organization. The challenge, however, lies in the difficulty involved in understanding the potential factors that determine the commitment level of the organization.In other words, every business organization; big or small in size needs to have a workforce consisting of trained and experienced personnel who are committed and dedicated to thegoals of the organization. Therefore, the topic of employees’ commitment in an organization has remained an area of focus for most scholars. Perhaps, the interests are based on the fact that organizations derive a lot of advantages from committed workforce. As such, the commitment of the employees is very significant in understanding the performance of an organization. The aim of this research is to determine the correlation betweentraining & development and commitment among the employees.
- Description of the problem
The research in question seeks to determine the relationship between training & development and employees’ commitment to an organization. Commitment to an organization among the employees is influenced by a number of factors. Some of the factors include compensation levels and benefits packages offered by the organization, performance appraisal and other human-related factors.Various studies have shown that there is a direct relationship betweentraining & development and commitment level among the employees’ in an organization. Training & development is a new area of consideration that needs to be researched on. This research builds on the already existing studies in Human Resource Management on factors influencing commitment among the employees.
The Hypothesis of this research is: Training & Development will increase the commitment and hence reduces turnover which will in turn benefit the company.
Research Questions
In order to confirm the hypothesis of this research, the study seeks to answer the following main question:
Main Question: How does training & development influence employees’ commitment in an organization?
Sub-questions
- How does training & development influence job performance?
- Does training and development encourage employees to take part in extra-roles in the organization
- Can training & development reduce absenteeism and withdrawal among employees?
According to a study by Graham & Nafukho (2010) and that carried out by Knippenberg&Sleebos (2006), withdrawal, absenteeism, job performance and extra-role performance in an organization are elements of commitment in organization. It is, therefore, prudent that a study on the link between training & development and these elements will help understand the level of commitment as influenced by training and development.
- How the project will solve the problem
It is important to underscore the fact that different studies have been done in this area of research. Various scholars have been able to study the factors influencing employees’ commitment to an organization. According to Dyah Sawitri (2014), most organizations for a long time made the focus of training & development department to be centered on products. Most organizations established training & development departments to help find new ways of producing goods and services in the organization. The thought to utilize trainings and development to improve the commitment to the organization was not developed. Moreover, most organizations also used the program as a means of improving service to the consumers but never saw it a way of improving the commitment level of the employees to the organization. Therefore, this study seeks to create a paradigm shift on the understanding of training & development and how its influences employees’ commitment.
For purposes of this research, both qualitative and quantitative approach will be used as the primary research. This choice is based on the belief that a combination of qualitative and quantitativeapproach will provide sufficient information for a detailed understating of how training and development programs influence the level of commitment in an organization. Qualitative research particularly will be very useful in answering the questions on “Why and “How.”Such questions require deeper understanding and reasoning that may not be addressed by quantitative research.
Quantitative research on the other hand will be important in providing statistical data that require numerical. Such questions need high number of respondents who will generate quantitative data that can be analyzed to gauge the perception of the program by the employees.
Although studies have been done on factors influencing organizational commitment among the employees, gaps still exist in this area of research. For instance, studies such that of Fornes (2008) have not given close attention to the area of training and development as a potential factor influencing employees’ level of commitment.
The main objective of the research is to determine the relationship between training & development and employees’ commitment to an organization. This objective can be simplified further to more specific objectives. The specific objectives of the study are:
- Todetermine if training & development can encourage employees to perform extra-roles in the organization. Committed workers are always ready and willing to take up extra-roles towards the betterment of the organization. Such employees keep the interest of the organization first. It is thus important to determine if training & development can encourage employees to accept extra-roles in the organization.
As mentioned earlier in the discourse, commitment is inward and only manifested in the way the employees react towards roles andperformance. Therefore, these aspects under study will help in determining the relationship between training & development and commitment.
- Specific expected outcomes
The following are the anticipated outcomes of the proposed study:
- Training and development programs enhance the performance of the employees in an organization subsequently increasing the level of commitment. In light of the study by Fornes, Rocco & Wollard (2008), performance is inextricably associated with commitment. Offering training and development programs to the employees help in improving their skills that leads to desirable performance. Consequently, the commitment level increases.
- Through training and development programs, employees develop a willing attitude towards extra-roles in the organization and consequently develop commitment towards the organization.
- Training will reduce withdrawal among employees. Potentially, withdrawal may be due to incompetence and mismatch in skills. Training can help address this gap and boost their selfconfidence in the organization leading to commitment.
- Absenteeism in an organization can be reduced through training and development programs. Through training, the performance and self-esteem of the employees can be boosted. Some employees take absenteeism as a means of escaping the monotony and boredom at workplace. Training can help the employees to acquire better ways of managing repetitive tasks in the organization without becoming bored.
- Training and development programs equip employees with effective communication skills. The skills developed enhance coordination, cooperation and team work spirit that enhance commitment.
- Initial assumptions made about the project
The research intends to assume that the training and development of employees will improve their productivity and efficiency. This assumption is based on the notion that training and development programs are essential in equipping the employees with new ways of doing things for the betterment of the organization. This research accepts that training and development boosts performance among employees in an organization and this improves their efficiency and output. Through training and development, employees are able to acquire sufficient expertise in their fields of operation, hence boosting their moral when undertaking their duties within the organization.
The second assumption is that training and development will enhance the commitmentlevels which will in turntranslate to achieving the ultimate goal of the organization.This aspect helps to increase their productivity within their areas of specialization.Training and development is believed to inculcate a willing and readinessnecessary in achieving the development agenda of the organization entirely. Employees who have a higher organizational commitment tend to apply more effort in their course of duty assisting the organization in meeting their targets. These assumptions lay the foundations upon which this research is conducted.
References
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