Training and Development Impact on Employees' Productivity in Public Universities in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

Training and Development Impact on Employees Productivity in Public Universities in Saudi Arabia Introduction Human resource is accepted extensively as a major aspect for organisational performance. In the human resource field, the training and development can have enormous impact on the productivity of employees. Several studies have been conducted for analysing the relation between productivity of employees and training and development. It is a motivational instrument which helps employees to perform better. Therefore, almost every organisation invests on training and development activities and introduces training courses for improving the performances of the employees. Though it does not always provide positive impacts on productivity, training is vital for understanding the tasks of organisation and for being familiar with the organisational culture (Colombo & Stanca, 2008). Statement of the Problem Presently, majority of public, private and international companies do not recognise the significance of training and development for employees’ productivity. Lack of training and development in organisations can decrease the morale of employees which can reduce the performance. Besides, it can lead to job dissatisfaction and ultimately employee turnover. In public universities, absence of training and development can have impact on employees from taking more responsibilities or handling any situation efficiently. Training and development can make employees more responsible and increase the prospect of promotion, hence lead to higher profitability. Therefore, this research will aim on providing an insight about how training and development can impact on the productivity of public universities in Saudi Arabia. Research Objectives The objectives of the research are as follows: To measure the impact of training and development on the performance of employees in public universities To discover the relation between training and development with employees’ productivity To know how human resource managers view training and development in the organizations, and To identify the opinion of employees in public universities about training and development Research Question The main research question in this paper will be “Does training and development lead to higher employees’ productivity in public universities of Saudi Arabia?” In order to conduct the research, a hypothesis has been developed which can help to understand the relation between employees’ productivity and training and development in public universities of Saudi Arabia. The null hypothesis (H0) will be = “Training and Development have an impact on employees’ productivity in public universities in Saudi Arabia”. The alternate hypothesis (H1) will be = “Training and Development does not have any impact on employees’ productivity in public universities of Saudi Arabia”. The hypothesis will be analysed with correlation analysis by using valid statistical data. Background of the Study Training is the procedure of teaching the employees about new aptitudes they require to execute their tasks. It is the knowledge and the experience which pursue a comparatively perpetual transformation in the individual which can develop the ability of employees so that they can perform well in organisations such as universities. Training can result in development of new abilities, knowledge, attitude, and ultimately increase performance of employees. In present days, training is concentrated on existing occupations to enhance the productivity. Training is aimed for developing the employees which helps to enhance the ability to adapt to larger and bigger responsibilities in organisation. Besides, developed employees are highly motivated and can lead an organisation to a competitive position by fostering self-confidence (Scribd, 2011). Literature Review Impact of Training Courses on Employees’ Productivity It is expected that training courses can have positive impact on the productivity of employees in Saudi Arabian public universities. The impact of training can be observed on mobility and self-esteem of employees while performing their tasks. The major positive impact of training and development is better understanding of responsibilities and ways to accomplish the duties. Staffs can comprehend the organisation’s working environment, culture and feature through training. Besides, training helps to build the capacity and motivate the employees towards higher performances. On the flip side, training can cost financial spending. Therefore, if it does not provide the useful results then it can only become wastage of money. If training is not organised well, then it can also demotivate the employees. The most unproductive impact of a training module can occur if employees go for better positions or better jobs after receiving the training and developing their skills. Therefore, human resource department of organisations must inhibit the turnover of employees and retain them for higher productivity (Colombo & Stanca, 2008). Type of Training Courses In order to improve the productivity, employees can select several courses. The major training techniques used are induction, on–the–job training and off–the–job training. The induction training is suitable for fresher employees which allow them to get aligned with the organisational culture. The time duration of this kind of training course is based on the complication of occupation or task. In on–the–job training module, employees are provided training while doing the job assigned. It is effective as this kind of training courses are less costly, and help to make employees more productive though solving real life problems. Finally, the off-the–job training methods are concerned with providing training away from the job field like classroom coaching. This kind of training courses is useful for gaining theoretical knowledge and understanding and to have due confidence (Armstrong, 2009). Public universities of Saudi Arabia offer several training courses for employees such as intensive training, awareness training, technical training, and vocational training among others which can be short-term or long-term and which is aimed for increasing the productivity and the effectiveness of employees (U.S. - Saudi Arabian Business Council, 2009). Presently, e-learning training has emerged in several Saudi Arabian universities, which provides people with online courses and additional choices. E-Learning courses are much flexible than other training courses and it is a component of extensive employee development program. Therefore public universities in Saudi Arab expend huge amount on training and development. In the year 2011 the total spending on training and employee development of Saudi Arabia was almost 150 billion Saudi Riyal which was 53.3 million more compared to 2007 (RNCOS, 2011). Measurement of Training Courses’ Effectiveness After having the training courses, it is significant for universities to measure the effectiveness of those courses. As several variables are related with the performance of employees, therefore is it quite a difficult task to assess if the training courses are effective or not. The best method for measuring the effectiveness of training courses is to fully recognise the motive for training. It is a major aspect to define if a particular training course will be effective in addressing the productivity deficit. Establishing a valid need is the basis on which an organisation can measure training effectiveness. According to Jenifer Wilson, a successful training course calls for much more than the steps enlisted in a module. It should include the culture of organisation, the budget, and the retaining strategies among others. Lloyd L. Byars and Leslie W. Rue had identified five phases for effective training which are, job examination, need evaluation, forming training purposes, undertaking training courses, and evaluating the results of training (Al-Alawiyat, 2010). While measuring the effectiveness, aspects such as training plan and development, training delivery, and training execution must be considered. Indicators such as performance of employees after training, satisfaction of customers, and increased wage among others can help to judge the success of training courses (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2003). Impact of Training and Development in Public Universities Training can acts as a motivational instrument in Saudi Arabian universities. It can help to increase professional development of employees. In particular, training on public universities of Saudi Arab can have positive impact on the performance of teachers. Implementation of new technology and up-to-date tools in public universities can simplify the learning and communication. Several researches have proved the fact that effective employees require abilities in extensive fields of human relation actions, non–instructional activities and fundamental knowledge and skills. In educational institutions, advanced level of training is essential for developing the teachers along with other employees to increase the performance (Shaikh, 2008). Training in public universities of Saudi Arab also can have huge impact on employee job satisfaction and thus their performance. Conferring to Terri Bergman, training is worthy for every corporation, as it raises the productivity of employees. The improved productivity is generally demonstrated by progress in employees’ performance. According to the study of Owners Jr. and Patric L, employees who are provided training is found to result in lower turnover compared to employees who are not given appropriate training (Al-Alawiyat, 2010). Research Methodology Research methodology is a significant element for conducting any research. Every research must commence in a structured and planned way by considering an appropriate approach. In this dissertation, mixed approach will be followed by including both qualitative as well as quantitative techniques. The reason for using qualitative approach is that it can help to understand the comprehensive parts of the research and several aspects which are related with training and development. On the other hand, quantitative approach will be used for describing and analysing the data and the information by charts, graphs and statistical methods (New York University, n.d.). The data to be collected for this research is planned to be primary as well as secondary. The primary data will be collected through explicitly designed questionnaire which will be distributed to the public universities of Saudi Arabia. Besides, interview will be conducted with human resource personnel of those selected public universities. A sample of 100 respondents will be chosen randomly from the public universities to whom the questionnaire will be provided. It will be sent through e-mail and also by using the direct methods. For interview purpose, almost 20 human resource managers will be approached in randomly selected public universities. The secondary data for the research will be collected though websites, internet databases and study of literature review along with published case studies. Conclusion This research will provide an experimental study on impact of training and development over the productivity of employees in the public universities of Saudi Arabia. The analysis will be based on data collected by questionnaire and other secondary sources. The information will help to measure the effectiveness of training and development activities on those universities. The major limitation for conducting the research can be the availability of information. The rejection rate of questionnaires and difficulties in approaching the human resource managers of public universities may cause a challenge for completion of the research. With regards to the secondary data, the reliability and validity of data is the other problem for the research. Thus, numerous questionnaires will be developed so that the rejection rate cannot impact on data availability and reliability. The other limitation might be the time constraint. The lack of time might impact on the research as collecting data through questionnaire is a time consuming method. Therefore, appropriate timetable will be prepared and research will be carried out by proper design and plan. This study will be much significant for readers as lack of research has been conducted in this area on Saudi Arabian universities. References Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. UK: Kogan Page Publishers. Al-Alawiyat, A. A. (2010). Training as motivational tool for the job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://www.masterstudies.net/media/pdf/MBA%20Proj/training%20as%20motivational%20tool%20for%20the%20job%20satisfaction%20in%20saudi%20arabia.pdf Colombo, E., & Stanca, L. (2008). The impact of training on productivity: evidence from a large panel of firms. Retrieved from http://www.aiel.it/bacheca/BRESCIA/papers/colombo_stanca.pdf International Atomic Energy Agency. (2003). Means of evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training of nuclear power plant personnel. Retrieved from http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_1358_web.pdf New York University. (n.d.). What is research design? Retrieved from http://www.nyu.edu/classes/bkg/methods/005847ch1.pdf RNCOS. (2011). Saudi Arabia Education Forecast to 2013. Retrieved from http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM266.htm Scribd. (2011). Concept of training. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/38516457/IMPACT-OF-TRAINING-AND-DEVELOPMENT-ON-EMPLOYEE%E2%80%99S-PERFORMANCE-A-STUDY-OF-GENERAL-EMPLOYEES Shaikh, F. M. (2008). Impact of training and development on the performance of university teachers, a case study in Pakistan. Retrieved from http://www.icaqhe2010.org/Papers%20published%20in%202nd%20ICAQHE%202008/27-Faiz%20Muhammad%20Shaikh.pdf U.S. - Saudi Arabian Business Council. (2009). The Education Sector in the Kingdom of Saudi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://www.us-sabc.org/files/public/Education_Brochure.pdf Read More