How Can Training And Development Enhance Employee Performance In An Organization - Essay Example

RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON THE NIGERIAN BANKING SECTOR I Research Question How can training and development enhance employee performance in the Nigerian banking sector? II Research Methodology and Rationale The dissertation paper will be conducted using the qualitative method of research. In order to explain the rationale for its use, it is important to distinguish between the constructivist and postpositivist approach in gaining knowledge. This is because the choice of research methodology will be dependent on the goal and classification of the research question. The constructivist approach to learning proceeds by studying realities through cognition, perception and comparison using social conventions and universal knowledge gleaned in everyday life. Constructivism is employed in the fields of psychology, sociology, philosophy, neurobiology, information science and other social sciences (Flick 2009 69-70). Postpositivism, on the other hand, is often related to empirical sciences, and emphasises the relations between causes and outcomes. It subscribes to the notion that phenomena and knowledge are “truths” only if they can be confirmed by the human senses, through deduction and induction methods. Express differently, the major distinctions between these types of knowledge claims are: whilst the goal of postpositivism is determinative for the purpose of verifying an a priori theory, constructivism seeks to understand for the purpose of generating theory; whilst postpositivism tends to reduce all data gathered into a single “truth,” constructivism ascribes varied meaning as warranted, and; whilst postpositivism employs empirical observation and measurement, constructivism uses social and historical construction (Creswell 2003 6). A scrutiny of the present research question reveals that it essentially requires a constructivist approach of learning because it calls for the researcher to seek an understanding of the effect of certain conditions, i.e. training and development, to the quality of work of employees. At this point, no theory is yet established or needs to be proven. The researcher goes into the research with an open, inquiring mind unfettered by any working theory, and seeks only to form a theory during the course or at the end of the research. The research question also calls for the researcher to discuss and probe into the minds of the respondents who will be engaged in the research to understand how such training and development have improved their performance in their respective work. Constructivist inquiry could be conducted best through the employment of the qualitative research approach rather than the quantitative method. This is because the qualitative method takes the point of view of the individual, on the belief that reality is not a priori but is dependent upon the interpretation of the participants in the research. The qualitative method is a naturalistic paradigm whilst the quantitative method believes in a single, objective truth which it hopes to uncover through research employing observation and measurement. The qualitative approach perfectly matches the goals and objectives of the constructivist type of learning (Vishnevsky 2004 p.1). Evidently, the present research question does not imply a predetermined truth but hopes to arrive at a theory only after it has taken into consideration the perspectives of the respondents. This will entail a construction of the subjects’ perspectives of lived experiences as they apply the learning culled from training and development programmes to their work. III Sampling and Sampling Justification Fort this particular research, the proposed questions of Polit & Beck served as guidelines in sampling generation: “Who can I talk to or observe that would confirm my understandings? Challenge or modify my understandings? Enrich my understandings?” (2004 p 305). Thus, the sampling for the research will comprise employees who had undergone training and development programmes in their workplaces. The sampling will be confined to the Nigerian banking sector employees, since Nigerian banks have recently engaged in Human Capital Development (HCD) including training and development strategies (2009 Olufemi p. 195) and because of convenience to the undersigned researcher. Such employees will be in a position to shed light and give their perspectives on the effect of training and development to their jobs. The sample will include both male and female employees of the Nigerian banking sector, non-managerial, with not more than 5 years of experience in the banking sector, and have undergone training and development programmes while working as such. Qualitative researches, unlike the quantitative method, do not often involve large sample sizes as the objective is not measurement but to expose meaning and manifold realities as perceived by the research subjects (Polit & Beck 2004 p. 305). Qualitative research, however, not only does not recommend big sample sizes but also random sampling since the latter applies only to researches whose aim is to generalise results, which is not the case here. For this research, this researcher will choose a small sample, ranging from 20 to 50 interviews, using a purposive, non-random approach of sample selection. The small sample, non-purposive approach is best suited to this research so that the researcher can spend as much time with each of the respondent as far as practicable, to be able to obtain from them the most comprehensive and extensive answers as possible and cease research at the point when incoming data no longer brings new insights. The choice of non-managerial employees is evidently because staff employees are often the recipients of training and development programmes. Although managerial level employees also undergo them separately, they may be not as available, and not as many compared to staff employees. In addition, the specific length of service serves the purpose of separating relatively new employees from the seasoned ones as most staff employees are expected to be coming from this group and are expected to benefit the most from such programmes. V Research Techniques Qualitative research is characterised, first and foremost, as a highly flexible approach in research as opposed to quantitative research. Most often in qualitative research, the choice of research methods are deliberately not fixed at the onset so that the researcher is free to adopt and accommodate any methods or combination of methods that would best capture the intricacy or complexity of the phenomenon being studied (Hoque 2006 p. 384). For this particular research, the researcher is contemplating on the use of the following combination of qualitative techniques: field research; phenomenology, and; grounded research. The term “field research” when used in consonance with the qualitative method of research often refers to the umbrella process of conducting research by going out into the field to observe the subject of the study in its natural situ. It often includes the approaches of case study, field study and field experiments (Hoque 2006 pp. 382-383). This researcher is contemplating the use of field research, like case study on two or more banks in Nigeria, to personally conduct interview on their respective employees and gather primary data. This technique is admittedly time consuming, costly and difficult because it entails going to field offices to conduct interviews, which implies asking permissions not only from target respondents but also from their superiors and potential disruption of employees from their work. It is anticipated that difficulty in getting consent from them or their employees may happen. However, this method is the most effective because the researcher is placed on a face-to-face basis with the respondents, allowing opportunity for better communication strategies between researcher and respondent. There is no particular piece of literature or book that persuaded this researcher to consider including this particular technique in the research but a reading of the sources used in the pre-research for this method gives the collective impression that this would be an indispensable technique in this dissertation. Since the research would entail understanding how training and development had or are enhancing employees performance in their work, there is necessity to gather primary data as much as possible and that could only be done by going into the field and get answers to the question. The phenomenology approach would also come into play in this research because the proposed question calls for respondents to give an account of their respective experiences in the workplace, particularly the difficulties they encountered in their jobs before they had the benefit of training and development programmes and their respective experiences after, which led them to conclude that such programmes had helped or are helping them to cope or are enhancing their effectiveness in their work. Phenomenology is an approach in qualitative research that is equated with perception. Respondents are asked to describe their lived experiences and their interpretation of what these signify to them. This approach is essentially inductive and deductive although unlike quantitative methodologies, are not sought to establish preconceived theories or truths (Speziale & Carpenter 2007 76-77). This approach is one of the methods of approach being contemplated in this particular research because it is inevitable that the respondents would be asked their perspectives relative to their respective work experiences. It is an approach that is essentially part and parcel of this study. The strength of this approach is that it will provide the researcher a vehicle to achieve the purpose of this research, which is to understand how a Human Capital Device such as training and development enhances the job performance of an employee. The limitation of this approach is that it is too exhaustive and probing and the respondent might find the approach too personal or sensitive and thus, might not easily open up so as not to expose his weaknesses and what he might perceived to be too personal details. In addition, it is also time consuming on the part of both researcher and respondent. In studying the qualitative research method, this researcher was confronted with the different techniques or approaches used in pursuing said method. One of these techniques is phenomenology and a more in-depth study of the technique shows that it could be made not only applicable to the present study but it is also indispensable and will definitely enhance the research. These characteristics have made this researcher consider this technique to constitute the tools in pursuing the qualitative research of this dissertation paper. Another qualitative approach being considered for the dissertation paper is the grounded theory method or GTM. This approach was developed by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss in the 1960s and is characterised as being “systematic, inductive and comparative.” The GTM compels the researcher to look at his or her data, so far collected, whilst the research is underway. The purpose of such constant reference to the data collected and conducting a simultaneous analysis, one that grows or evolves as the research proceeds, is to create a sort of check-and-balance between the two. This process will engender, according to Charmaz and Bryant (2010 p. 1), data that is more focused and an analysis more theoretical as the research proceeds and progresses. This approach is useful in this paper because it will help the researcher keeps track of the progress of the research and allows the streamlining of the research as it proceeds to make it more effective, more responsive to the goals of the research, makes the communication between researcher and respondents efficient, in both time and effort, and allows the researcher to determine precisely when to wind up the research. No limitation or disadvantage could be gleaned from this kind of approach, only perhaps that it imposes more work for the researcher although eventually, in the end, it will be all to his/her advantage. Aside from the inherent benefits that this technique gives to researchers, the book SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory was also instrumental in persuading this researcher to make use of the GTM. The said book referred to the technique as the most widely used approach in many areas and fields of discipline profusely citing many authors and books tackling the subjects and a variety of works and researches employing the technique. As a matter of fact, the GTM, according to the book, received the 2622 citations out of 4134 in the Social Science Citation Index between the years 1991 to 1998 (Charmaz & Bryant 2010 pp. 1-3). As previously stated, the data to be collected will be studied simultaneously with the research as it progresses in accordance with the grounded theory technique. This is as opposed to entirely conducting an analysis only at the end of the research so that by the end of the research, less work would be needed to be done. In making these periodic analyses, which may be at the end of the day after the interviews had been conducted in a day, if possible, the end goal would be to find meaning in the data so far gathered, in a systematic manner (Hatch 2002 p. 148). To do this, the first step would be to read all notes and documents relevant to the interviews and listen to the tapes of the interviews before transcribing. At this stage, memoing should be done; that is, writing down notes on the impression suggested or evoked by such reading or listening. The tapes should then be transcribed and read and notes and memos added, if warranted. There are three suggested options that could be employed at this stage: memoing; categorising, and connecting (Maxwell 2005 96). Categorising or coding simply means sorting out data and grouping them together by categories. Initially, open coding will be fine, that is, strict categorisation is not expected at the starting stages of the research but as it progresses, there must be a more minute consideration of details and therefore, more stringent and selective categorisation. Unlike quantitative research, the purpose of coding is not to “generate frequency counts” but to divide and break the data into groupings, with data included in a particular grouping exhibiting similar and closer characteristics than to other data in other categories. The objective of “fracturing” of data and coding them is to make comparisons and the generation of theories easier. On the other hand, memoing includes putting into writing thoughts, impressions and analysis of the data. Memoing is important at every stage not only to ensure that the researcher does not forget considering that the research will take weeks and even months to conduct. Besides, it encourages and stimulates the researcher’s analytic insights. Finally, connecting strategies could include anything that will help the researcher to compare and connect the data, find commonalities and differences until a theory is engendered. In this connection, graphics like diagrams or maps could prove useful (Maxwell 2005 96-98). VI Bibliography Charmaz, K. & Bryant, A. (2010). The SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory: Paperback Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd. Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches, 2nd Edition. SAGE. Hatch, J.A. (2002). Doing Qualitative Research in Education Settings. SUNY Press. Hoque, Z. (2006). Methodological Issues in Accounting Research: Theories, Methods and Issues Spiramus Press Ltd. Flick, U. (2009). An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 4th Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd. Marshall, M. (1996). Sampling for Qualitative Research. Family Practice Vol. 13, No. 6 Oxford University Press 1996. http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/13/6/522.pdf. Maxwell, J.A. (2005). Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach, 2nd Edition. SAGE. Olufemi, A. (2009). Human Capital Development and Organizational Effectiveness: A Focus on the Nigerian Banking Industry. Pakistani Journal of Social Sciences 6(4), Medwell Journals. http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/medwelljournals/pjssci/2009/194-199.pdf. Polit, D. & Tatano, B. (2004). Nursing Research: Principles and Methods, 7th Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Speziale, H.S. & Carpenter, D.R. (2007). Qualitative Research in Nursing: Advancing the Humanistic Imperative, 4th Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Vishnevsky, T. & Beanlands, H. (2004 March-April). Qualitative Research, Nephrology Nursing Journal. B-net. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ICF/is_2_31/ai_n17206974/?tag=content;col1. Wilmot, A. (www.ons.gov.uk/about/who-we.../designing-sampling-strategies-.pdf. Read More