Training and Developemt Research Paper (Research Paper Sample)

Training and Development
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Executive Summary
In the present world, companies are faced with the challenge to perform highly in the midst of financial and economic constraints. They also face stiff competition and as a result they have to employ strategies that enhance their competitive ability. Employees are a valuable asset to every organisation. Therefore, in order to improve their level of performance, organisations should invest in their employees. They should put employee training and development programs in place. This is because training and development improve skills and knowledge among employees. Training and development increase employee performance and their level of competence. It also increases the level of employee turnover hence can be used as a tool of mitigating turnover. Consequently, organisations should train and develop their employee. Nevertheless, the training and development programs should be specific to the needs of the employees.
Training and Development
Subsequent to offering employment, companies take their new employees through training and orientation programs. Many companies also have programs for training and developing their employees in the course of their employment. Training and development of workers are costly. However, organizations have invested in these practices with the aim of enhancing their success and effectiveness. It is important to establish whether employee training and development contribute to the success and efficiency of the organization. The paper holds to it that training and development are paramount for organization’s success and efficiency. The paper will draw on the available literature and theories to support this position.
Discussion
Employees are a major asset of any given organization. The vital roles they play to ensure the success of a company cannot be underestimated. Consequently, it is important to equip these unique and valuable assets with skills and knowledge through effective training and development programs (Nassazi, 2013). With reference to Jahan (2014), successful companies are those which have focused on their critical human capital as an essential asset. Training and development are helpful in organizational development. Thus, it gives the organisation the ability to engage in problem-solving and effective decision-making.
Through a literature review of secondary data, Khan, Khan and Khan (2011) established that there is a significant effect of employee training and development on the overall performance of the organization. According to these authors, delivery style, training design, on the job training and, training and development all contribute to the overall performance of the organization. Accordingly, training and development enhances the overall organizational performance. Jehanzeb and Bashir (2013) harmonize with Khan et al. (2011) by explicating that employee training and development is not just beneficial to the organization but also to the employees. With respect to employees, training enhances career competencies by enabling them to learn technical and soft skills necessary for their jobs. Subsequently, fresh graduates from universities consider forms that offer intensive training programs to their employees.
Therefore, organisations that do not have adequate training and development programs may lose the fresh talent necessary for advancing the level of performance (Salas, Tannenbaum, Kraiger, & Smith-Jentsch, 2012). On the other hand, professional already in the field understand that knowledge is an authority. Consequently, they require training to retain and also enhance their talents and abilities. Therefore, if an organisation does not invest in employee training and development programs, it might not access the needed experience of such professional employees (Gold et al., 2013).
Employee training and development is essential for employee satisfaction. Organisations that are willing to spend money on their employees probe the feeling of a caring company from the perspective of the employees with respect to Ford (2014). Therefore, employees in such organisations feel more satisfied hence contribute to low turnover rates. Costen and Salazar (2011) concurs with Ford (2014) by establishing that there is a relationship between training and development and loyalty, job satisfaction and intent to stay. Subsequently, employees who consider training and development programs to be opportunities for developing new skills experience higher levels of satisfaction with their jobs. Therefore, they are more loyal and have a higher chance of staying with the company. This is proved by a study executed by Ijaz-Ur-Rehman, Nasir and Safwan (2011) to establish the relationship between employee retention and, training and development programs. In accordance with the results generated by this study increasing compensation alone does not lead to retention.
On the contrary, an organisation has to have training and development programs in place. Thus, employees have to be retrained on long term basis. Moreover, subsequent to training, Ijaz-Ur-Rehman et al. (2011) argue that organisations have to increase employee compensations. Turnover is expensive for any organization and may compromise the quality of goods and services due to loss of talent and skills. In addition to this, with reference to Jehanzeb and Bashir (2013), employee training and development escalates the reliability of the organisation. Accordingly, this is with the explication that employees hold to it that the organization is spending on and enhancing their future career.
Training and development programs also have an impact on the behavior of the workers and the working skills. These subsequently improve employee performance and other changes that are beneficial to the organisation such as positive attitude (Truitt, 2011). Accordingly, employee training establishes the right environmental attitude of the firm. This is likely to improve the performance of the organisation with reference to sustainable development as explicated by Ji, Huang, Liu, Zhu and Cai, (2012). These postulations are echoed by Hameed and Waheed (2011) who point out that employee performance determines the success or failure of the organisation. For instance, in a qualitative study pertaining to mechanics carried out in India, it was established that on-the-job training led to superior implicit and novelty skills. Thus, professional and technical skills are indispensable for employees to perform efficiently on their job. Therefore, training and development equips the employees with these skills (Khan et al., 2011). In a study carried out in Uganda, three cases studies were executed on the biggest telecommunication companies operating in the country. The researchers established that training has an impact on the performance of employees (Nassazi, 2013).
Behavior modification is not the only factor that can elucidate the natural curiosity to learn among employees. Employees desire to learn so as to be able to make sense of their environment and feel more competent in their activities (Ahmad, Jenanzeb & Alkelabi, 2012). Consequently, the cognitive factors play an indispensable role regarding why and how people learn. Cognitive theory is about observable change pertaining to mental knowledge. Thus, cognitive learning leads to inferences expectations and making connections other than acquiring habits (Ford, 2014). In their jobs, employees develop the need for new knowledge in order to execute new tasks. Through learning and development programs, the employees can access new information and knowledge. Aside from this, there are people who have worked for longer and hence they have better skills and more knowledge. Employees can learn valuable lessons from such people (Gold, Holden, Lles, Stewart, & Beardwell, 2013). Nonetheless, as stipulated by Brown and Sitzmann (2011), employees cannot learn from such resourceful people unless an organisation organizes training and development programs. Therefore, training and development is an opportunity to learn and enhance skills that are vital for work performance, career development and personal development.
Employee training and development programs are necessary for an organization in that they help the organization to stay competitive and solvent in the market. In the current world, information is fast flowing. Therefore, organisations have to transfer this information to the business environment. Information has become a vital tool for competition. Through training and development programs, employees can access this valuable information hence increasing the competitive ability of the organization (Brown & Sitzmann, 2011).
In accordance with the social exchange theory, from the perspective of employees, general skills training are a gift because it improves the marketability of their competencies. Saeed and Shabir (2013) argue that enhancement of the market value of the employees’ skills hence they can find alternative jobs. Therefore, training and development creates the intention to leave jobs among the employees. Nevertheless, Ijaz-Ur-Rehman et al. (2011) provides a solution for this. Accordingly, they stipulate that, subsequent to training, employees are more skilled hence can tackle higher jobs. Therefore, organisations have to escalate compensations for their employees and also present more challenging opportunities through which they can apply the achieved skills and knowledge. Moreover, Ji et al. (2012) counters Saeed’s and Shabir‘s (2013) arguments through a study on companies in Spain. Concerning the results of this study, training that is adequately organized and properly financed reduces the company’s financial turnover. Therefore, trainin...