Explore publications.

This study aimed to develop an integrated framework for measuring the ROI of T&D interventions for academic staff in South African public universities. Measuring the ROI and impact of T&D on employee performance is critical for demonstrating value. T&D professionals face increasing pressure from top management to show tangible business benefits for their interventions. An interpretivist approach was adopted using qualitative methods. Fourteen participants were purposefully selected from six universities, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDPSETA). Data were collected through interviews and document analysis and were analyzed thematically. Four themes that emerged from data included T&D interventions, management of interventions, support for interventions, and ROI measurement. Universities assessed impact at multiple levels (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) but did not fully implement Phillips’s ROI methodology. While some ROI elements, such as training costs and benefits, were considered, government institutions supporting universities did not directly measure ROI but expected universities to evaluate interventions against set objectives. The study provides an integrated ROI framework suitable for T&D interventions in South African public universities. It provides practical recommendations for improving ROI measurement and accountability and suggests directions for future research.

A subtle inherent contest exists between supervisors and subordinates during performance appraisal sessions. Examining the moderating effect of training on employees' self-appraisal to foster curiosity. This study seeks to analyse the value proposition of self-appraisal in the context of 360-degree organisational performance. A self-appraisal was conducted among a random sample of employees from five companies in South Africa. The research employs a positivist paradigm, utilising a deductive approach characterised by quantitative methods. It incorporates a longitudinal study and a pre-post quasi-experimental survey design to gather data from a randomly sampled population of 526 participants. Utilising diverse multivariate statistical methods, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation and regression modelling, for data analysis. This study illustrates that training improves self-efficacy, learning outcomes, and performance. Additionally, it highlights the integrity of self-appraisals in the post-training context, with 66% of participants favouring self-rated performance over supervisor assessments due to perceived bias. This paper offers insights for both practitioners and scholars, highlighting how a strong culture of human capital development (T&D) enhances self-efficacy and predicts positive organisational behaviours and optimal performance.      

Modern banking requires constant reskilling of employees because new technologies like automation and artificial intelligence together with digital banking demand competitive organisations. South Africa faces difficulties with insufficient training evaluation processes and restricted resources which prevent advancement especially because employee insights about reskilling are not thoroughly examined. Grounded in Human Capital Theory (HCT), this study suggests that investing in employee skill development enhances productivity, innovation, and organisational flexibility to adapt to evolving industry demands. Utilizing a quantitative research approach, the study surveyed South African financial sector employees, applying Chi-Square tests to assess perceptions of reskilling's influence on skill development, talent retention, diversity, and digital competence. Results indicate that employees associate reskilling with enhanced skill sets and a reduced need for external expertise. While reskilling is seen as a significant factor in promoting workplace diversity, its impact on talent retention is less conclusive. Furthermore, hybrid and online learning methods proved more effective for digital skill acquisition than traditional face-to-face training. The study recommends that financial institutions adopt structured, technology-enabled reskilling initiatives, prioritizing hybrid learning platforms and AI tools to cultivate a dynamic workforce. Additionally, it advocates for policy measures that incentivize corporate training investments to strengthen industry resilience and calls for further research into the long-term effects of reskilling on employee morale and organisational innovation.

The integration of artificial intelligence produces a significant transformation in the workplace, which presents obstacles to the performance of intrapreneurs and the productivity of the organisation, in response to disruptive technological developments. The objective of this paper is to examine the correlation between intrapreneurship development and training initiatives and the end result for organisational performance and productivity. By employing a simplified random sampling method and a quantitative research design, this study examines the intricacies of interdepartmental relationships and emphasises the importance of development and training programmes in equipping intrapreneurs to meet the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. The collected primary data, which was structured using a 5-point Likert scale, were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. An intelligent strategy for increasing performance and productivity in order to gain a competitive edge, the study demonstrates that fostering and improving intradepartmental relationships is effective. This finding also indicates that training and development programmes focused on the implementation of advanced technologies significantly enhance the performance of intrapreneurs and the productivity of organisations. In order to adapt to the changing employment environment of the twenty-first century, the results underscore the necessity for organisations to give precedence to technical proficiency while cultivating an environment that promotes inventive thinking, action learning, and progress.

The objective of this article is to investigate obstacles that hinder the assessment of return on investment (ROI) for academic staff development initiatives in public universities in South Africa. The primary objective of this study is to address the following research inquiry: What are the obstacles hindering the assessment of return on investment (ROI) for training and development interventions offered to academics within the higher education landscape of South Africa? The study employed a qualitative research methodology, which was based on an interpretive philosophical standpoint. The researchers employed purposive sampling to carefully select a total of fourteen participants who were selected to represent a range of cases or institutions. These included six universities and government institutions, namely the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and the Education, Training, and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDPSETA). The interview data was subjected to thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti. The factors that hinder the measurement of ROI include the intricacy of the process, insufficient capacity, time lag between training and improved performance, lack of motivation, financial limitations, absence of processes, fragmentation of training and development interventions, interventions producing non-financial advantages, and insufficient data. The study enhanced the existing information on human resource development and practice by identifying the obstacles to measuring return on investment (ROI). Additionally, it offered practical advice and suggestions for future research.

The study assessed the effectiveness of On-The-Job training on the performance of employees, focusing on the Integrated Tertiary Software Users at Walter Sisulu University. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The study employed a qualitative approach, focusing on in-depth knowledge from the participants rather than numerical facts. Participants were employees from the Registrar’s division within Walter Sisulu University, and students and a sample of twelve participants were purposefully selected. Seven of the thirteen participants were employees from the same division but different units: The examinations office, the Admissions and Registration office, and one faculty officer. Six participants were students from various faculties. Data were analyzed using Atlas ti, version 9. In this study, the light was shared on the importance of On-The-Job training and its effectiveness on employee performance and productivity. The focus of the interviews was on the effectiveness of this training method, and the study found that this method is effective in upskilling recruits and existing employees. Training and employee motivation were seen as the essential elements of increasing employee performance in this technology-infused University. It has been discovered that development programs directly influence organizational effectiveness, advancement, and development is critical for an effective organization.

This study aimed to analyse the impact of the environment on the transfer of training in the work environment, as little has been done to explore the nature of the transfer of the learning work environment. This study used secondary sources. The information was outsourced from online journals (published peer-reviewed articles), published and unpublished dissertations, online sources, and textbooks relevant to the studied topic. An employee's work environment consists of the physical and social conditions in which employees perform their daily duties and impact how well a person puts their training to use. This study concludes that organizational level (characteristics of the work environment) significantly affect the transfer of training in the work environment positively or negatively. Trainees who worked in a more positive environment and received more encouragement from their peers made the most progress on transferring training. However, peer-supported trainees in a negative environment were just as successful at transferring what they learned as those in a favourable one. Training transfer was highly correlated with supervisory assistance, work autonomy, and preferred support. There is a lack of theory on the transfer of training. This study will contribute to the theory by expanding the subject of the work environment about the transfer of training. Findings from this research will advance the science behind the work environment variables and transfer of training. This study will bring new knowledge of the work environment on the transfer of training and will provide leads for future research. Since this study relied on secondary sources, it was limited to the scholarly work that was available at the time the research was conducted.

Business organizations face more issues due to globalization and continually changing customer expectations. To overcome these challenges, businesses must invest in the training and development of their employees. Training and development are essential nowadays. Employee performance is improved via training and development. A company's personnel determine its efficacy. In this era of globalization, training is crucial for the competitive and challenging corporate environment. The nerve must contribute to raising employees' quality of life at work and expanding the business. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of training and development programs on employee performance and productivity in the selected municipality of OR Tambo District Municipality, South Africa. To conduct this study, the researchers embraced an exploratory qualitative approach. The rationale for implementing qualitative methodology emanates from the need to understand the effectiveness of training programs in the Oliver Tambo district municipality in Eastern cape province, South Africa.The administration of the Nyandeni Local municipality conceded permission. The researchers acquired the letter, which permitted them to gather information from employees from the local municipality. Ethical clearance was affirmed genuinely. Non-probability sampling was used for its convenient strength. Precisely, data was obtained using semi-structured face-to-face interviews for this study. Thirty-five participants were included in this research study. According to the results, poor training and development were seen as a cause for the poor performance of employees. Capacity building was seen as a tool to increase employee commitment. Training programs were only visible to some in the municipality and the present study recommended that the Skills office conduct roadshows so that all employees could understand the office's role in the municipality. The study further recommended that training and development be closely monitored to determine its effectiveness.

Small and medium food enterprises (SMFEs) have the potential to increase sustainable competitiveness through innovation. Previous research proves that one of the factors that hinder the implementation of SMFE innovation is the limited capability of entrepreneurs to manage their human resources. Research on human resources in SMEs is more focused on employees and the relationship with company performance but is still very limited on the capabilities of SMFE entrepreneurs. This research fills the gap by improving the capabilities of SMFE entrepreneurs in managing human resources (HRM) through training. Before the training, there was a training need analysis (TNA) through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the head of the processed food section of the Malang Regency Industry and Trade Office and five SMFE representatives. The output from TNA is the acquisition of 14 training topics. Participants of the training were 35 SMFE entrepreneurs in Malang district that were selected purposively. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a Likert scale of 5 (score 1 for strongly disagreeing and score 5 for strongly agreeing on statements from 14 training topics) before and after training. The data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics (Wicoxon Rank Sign Test) because it was not normally distributed. The findings of the study were the knowledge of SMFE entrepreneurs increased significantly for all topics related to HRM after training. The greatest increase in knowledge was how to build a good working relationship with employees. Two other indicators that also highly increased were the process of selecting new employees and motivating employees, the facts of which were carried out simply and not systematically.

An organisation's performance suffers when employees are not adequately skilled in certain job areas.  This article sought to investigate whether training and development affected the delivery of citizen-centric services in a government department in South Africa. The study adopted a mixed research methodology and a non-experimental research design. The data was collected via 20 open-ended interviews and 130 structured questionnaires. The study results indicated that shifting the government's focus to citizen-centricity would improve efficiency and service delivery. One of the significant findings suggests that training in service delivery requirements awareness could positively improve and motivate public officials' performance to remain relevant to the needs of citizens.

The study examined the effects of training and development practices on the performance of the insurance sector in Kenya. The study was conducted using a desktop methodology. This involved the use of secondary data that has been acquired from existing resources such as published studies, reports, and statistics. Many researchers prefer this method of collecting data since it saves time and reduces the cost of data collection. It is also quite reliable and has a wide variety of insights since it is collected from well-known sources. The current study used online journals and libraries which provide easy access to secondary data. The results revealed that there exist conceptual and geographical gaps relating to the study on the effects of training and development practices on the performance of the insurance sector in Kenya. Most of the results from the empirical review revealed that training and development practices positively affect the performance of the insurance sector. In addition, training and development practices were found to have a positive effect on employee productivity, employee engagement and employee retention. the study will benefit many stakeholders. The human resource managers will use the findings of the study to identify other training and development practices that have been used to improve the performance of employees in the insurance sector. The HR managers will also be able to understand the expectation of employees during the implementation of training programs in the organizations so as to ensure they are more effective. Policymakers can also use the findings of the study to adopt the appropriate measures that can be used to ensure that training programs are effective and have a long-term effect on the performance of insurance firms. Researchers and academicians interested in carrying out research on training and development practices will also benefit from the findings of this study since this study will form the basis for their literature work. While future researchers may be inspired to conduct more studies to improve on this study.

This research examines the effects of middle cadre employee capacity building in Machakos County Government. The objectives of the study were as follows: To examine the effects of frequency of capacity building activities for middle cadre employees on organizational performance in Machakos County Government; to examine the effects of middle cadre employee training on organizational performance in Machakos County Government and to establish the challenges encountered in middle cadre employee capacity building on organizational performance in Machakos County Government. The study utilized a descriptive survey design that targeted the permanent and pensionable employees of the Machakos County Government Service Board. Using Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) formulae, a total of 1,962 employees formed the target population out of which 320 was the sample size. The findings of the study demonstrate that capacity building is a norm that is practiced by the County government of Machakos.

Talent management impacts on service delivery in the hospitality industry. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of learning and development on service delivery in the hospitality industry in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design to determine the relationship between the variables. The target population was 310 employees of three hotels who comprised of supervisors, room stewards, food and beverage managers, waiters, storekeepers, and chefs in three hospitality establishments in Nyeri County. The research used a stratified sampling technique to select 104 participants for the study.  The main instrument for data collection was a semi-structured questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that learning and development have a significant and positive influence on service delivery. The study recommends that organizations should stress and develop robust learning and development interventions to mitigate performance-related challenges, realize the desired quality service delivery and stability, and gain a competitive edge. It is hoped and desired that this journal will lead to a supplementary examination of the bene?ts of this refocus on talent and management, including the development of useful de?nitions.     

There are visible challenges with employee development at Telkom Kenya where employees remain in one position for many years with some remaining in the same position until their retirement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this problem could be linked to the design of the organization, but no systematic study has been conducted to ascertain this claim. This study, therefore, sought to determine the influence of work specialization on employee development at Telkom Kenya Nakuru Branch. The study was guided by the Axiomatic Theory of Organizations. It made use of the correlational research design where all the 51 employees of the Telkom Kenya Nakuru Branch were involved in the census study. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from operational staffs while interview guides were used to gather qualitative data from heads of departments. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and the multiple regression techniques while qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. Results showed that work specialization (?= 0.491, p=.000) had a statistically significant and positive influence on the development of employees at TKNB. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the management at TKNB should enhance work specialization by implementing job rotation programs and promoting a match between employees’ skills and their job.

Effective leadership development has eluded many organizations and academia for a long time. Those who have attempted to improve the practice and study of leadership development focus on the same old elements of leadership development. The traditional elements of leadership development that have been studied and implemented previously include: the content of the leadership development programs, the delivery of leadership development programs, the length of the programs and advocating for leadership development programs that are entrenched in leadership theory. Despite numerous studies and implementation of the studies’ findings on leadership development, there exists widespread dissatisfaction with leadership development outcomes. Some scholars have observed that leader developmental readiness may be the missing ingredient in leadership development. Learning goal orientation is one of the five elements of leader developmental readiness. Therefore, this study examines the effect of learning goal orientation on leadership development. The study reveals that learning goal orientation has a significant effect on leadership development, F(1,286) = 62.346, p < 001. In addition, learning goal orientation accounts for 17.9% of the variation in leadership development. Thus, enhancing participants’ learning goal orientation should be part and parcel of any leadership development program in order to improve the effectiveness of leadership development.