Impact Of Training And Development On Worker Performance And Productivity In Public Sector Organizations

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
Human Resources have played a significant role in the economic development in most developed countries such as United States of America, Britain and Japan among others. It can, therefore be concluded that a developing country like Ghana, with its rich natural resources and the necessary financial support can also experience such economic success if the appropriate attention is given to the development and training of her human resource. It is thus seen that in Ghana the government is taking adequate steps to ensure that people acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

The provision of secondary and technical schools, vocational training institutes and colleges, professional and tertiary institutions, as well as the educational reforms currently taking place in the country, are all geared towards the acquisition of skills and knowledge to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in our workplaces. (Professor Mike Ocquaye, former Minister of the Ministry of Education at the 5th Congregation of Central University College, August 2004.)

With these efforts by the government, it has become necessary for organizations to provide long and systematic training and development programs for its employees. This is because every aspect and activity of an organization involves people. For instance, a manager in an organization will not be successful until he has subordinates beneath him who are well equipped with skills, talent and knowledge.

To manage an organization both large and small requires staffing them with competent personnel. The formal educational system does not adequately teach specific job skills for a position in a particular organization. Few employees have the requisite skills, knowledge, abilities and competencies (SKAC) needed to work. As a result, many require extensive training to acquire the necessary SKAC to be able to make substantive contribution towards the organization’s growth, (Barron and Hagerty 2001).

If employees are to experience flexibility and effectiveness on the job, they need to acquire and develop knowledge and skills, and if they are to believe that they are valued by the organization they work for, then they need to see visible signs of management’s commitment to the their training and career needs. Training and development are the processes of investing in people so that they are equipped to perform. These processes are part of an overall human resource management approach that hopefully will result in people being motivated to perform. (Barron and Hagerty 2001).

It goes without saying therefore that the training and development of employees is an issue that has to be faced by every organization. However, the amount, quality and quantity of training carried out vary enormously from organization to organization. According to Cole (2002:329), factors influencing the quantity and quality of training and development activities include; the degree of change in the external environment, the degree of internal change, the availability of suitable skills within the existing work-force and the extent to which management see training as a motivating factor in work.

Many organizations meet their needs for training in an ad hoc and haphazard way. Training in these organizations is more or less unplanned and unsystematic. Other organizations however set about identifying their training needs, then design and implement training activities in a rational manner, and finally assess results of training. It is worth noting that Ghana has a huge public sector, employing the highest number of human resources with varied skills. One such organization in the public sector is the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA). The study intends to investigate the impact of training and development on employee performance and productivity at the Ghana Ports Harbours Authority.

1.2 Statement of the problem
It is a well known fact that training enhances SKAC and ultimately worker performance and productivity in organizations (G.A Cole, 2002). Many organizations in Ghana and indeed the public sector engage in training and development of staff and have departments, units and sectors in charge of training and development. GPHA is one such organization that has been practicing training and development since its beginning and particularly for the past ten (10) years.

However, for some years now it appears training in Ghana Ports Harbours Authority is haphazard, unplanned and unsystematic, and several of its employees such as machine operators, junior and middle level engineers, accounts clerks, computer operators, secretaries, drivers and many other category of workers, have not qualified for any form of training nor is there any systematic process of staff development in place. A brief interaction with some employees did show that Management of Ghana Ports Harbours Authority see the cost incurred in the

acquisition and maintenance of plant and equipment as more relevant than that expense on training and development of its staff.

In the absence of training and development of employees by Management of Ghana Ports Harbors Authority, the employees sponsored themselves in furtherance of their education to obtain professional or higher level certificates. Employees who expressed the desire to pursue university education were not given any form of assistance like study leave with pay. Their applications for study leave were turned down with those who were persistent being advised to resign. Those who sought for part-time programs were disengaged after their studies as management claimed their programs were not relevant to the job. The few ones who were retained had no promotion to match their added skills and competencies. This it is believed to have led to high labor turnover in the organization. The study was therefore to assess the role of training on the human resource and how this affects worker performance.

1.3 Objectives of the study
The objectives of this study are to:-

1. Identify the major purposes of training and development, as well as the key internal and external influences on training.
2. Ascertain the training and development policy in operation at GPHA.

3. Outline and explain the training and development practices and processes including the assessment of training needs, an outline of training methods, and the processes of monitoring and evaluating the plan.
4. Find out whether training and development schemes have positive effect on the performance of workers and productivity.

Accordingly, the key research questions investigated were:

1. How did the training and development practice develop in GPHA?

2. What are the major purposes of training and development, and what key internal and external influences impact on training?
3. What are the training and development policies and practices in GPHA?
4. Does training and development have an effect on worker performance and productivity at GPHA?

1.4 Arguments of the study
Based on the research problem outlined and the related questions posed, the following arguments were formulated to guide the study:
1. GPHA has, over the past 10 years (1999-2008), been involved in training and development activities.
2. The purpose of the training and development activities at GPHA is to achieve individual and organizational performance.
3. The policy fashioned to achieve the purpose of training and development is the provision of a coherently structured document for guidance and an improvement in access to training that is consistent with the purpose.
4. Training and development activities at GPHA are however unplanned and unsystematic.
5. Training and development activities at GPHA have largely failed to positively impact worker performance and productivity.

1.5 Significance of the study
It is expected that the study will inform the Management of GPHA and other organizations that to increase productivity, there is the need to have and retain well trained and motivated employees. It is also to help develop and maintain a quality work life, which will provide an opportunity for employees’ job satisfaction and self- actualization. Finally, it is to aid management of GPHA to introduce modern schemes for training and development, to be able to meet the challenges of change in the future.

1.6 Scope of the study
The study is limited as it looks at the role and impact that training and development policies and activities have played in the last ten years of GPHA’s life using their Takoradi port as the focal point between the years 1999 to 2008. The Takoradi Port constitutes an important location of GPHA and holds a large population of employees. Accordingly the analysis and conclusions will be based on this time period.

1.7 Limitation
Problems such as the swearing of an oath of secrecy and indifference on the part of interviewees and respondents were limitations to the study as some of the employees felt uncomfortable and other were simply not bothered. The absence or inaccessibility of reliable records and reports on GPHA activities within the past ten years also limited the research investigation. The unwillingness of Management to divulge strategic information in the name of confidentiality is a limitation to the study.

1.8 Organization of the study
The study is organized into five chapters. Chapter one introduces the study by giving the background information on the research problem, objectives, hypothesis and scope of the study.

Chapter two deals with the review of relevant literature on the research problems and concepts with specific reference to how it applies to GPHA.

Chapter three discusses the research methodology adopted for the study and relevant justifications. It outlines the methodology for carrying out the secondary and primary data collections and how results were analyzed.

Chapter four presented the findings on the practices and impact of training and development in Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority. It will also lay out the researcher’s analysis on the organization’s responses to the impact and role of such training on its employees in terms of performance and productivity.

Chapter five presents the conclusions drawn from the research findings and recommendations to enhance organizational effectiveness through training, and to ensure a stable and committed human resource.