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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.

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.

Highly engaged employees ensure organizational competitiveness and success. The study examined whether employee engagement mediates the relationship between human resource development and employee turnover intentions. A field study was conducted among six indigenously owned healthcare institutions and 14 internationally owned healthcare institutions. The data supported the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate a significant association between HRD and the levels of behavioral engagement. HRD and the levels of emotional engagement had an insignificant relationship. HRD and the levels of cognitive engagement were significantly related. The findings also indicated that the association between HRD and employee turnover intentions was mediated by employee engagement. The present study’s emphasis on healthcare institutions may constrain the generalizability of the findings. The study suggests the adoption and development of well-designed and formulated HRD practices enhance employee engagement, knowledge development, and organizational commitment. By empirically demonstrating that employee engagement mediates the nexus of HRD and employee turnover intentions, the study extends the literature.

Whenever the issue of poor employee performance arises, the question of the provision of staff training takes center stage. Staff training is seen as the principal driving force and central to effective and efficient job performance. The quest to achieve high performance at the workplace has always been derailed by an acute lack of skills. Despite the plethora of studies of staff training and employee performance in different sectors, the literature has not yet explored the relationship between the two variables in the transport sector, particularly in the South African context. However, the relationship between staff training and employee performance has been engulfed in and apprehended by complexities, mistrust, and misunderstandings. It is through this premise that this paper seeks to evaluate the influence of staff training on employee performance in the transport sector. The study adopted an exploratory research design and tapped into a qualitative research approach. Using the purposive sampling technique, a sample of 15 respondents, comprised of skill development representatives of organizations operating in the transport sector in Durban, were interviewed. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data from the respondents. The key findings revealed that staff training has a positive influence on employee performance in the transport sector. The study plays a pivotal role in extending knowledge in the fields of staff training and employee performance.

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 transition from informal to formal economy represents a fundamental transformation in how organisations manage their human resources, especially regarding employee training and development. This study explores how formalisation reshapes training and development practices in Zimbabwean business enterprises, focusing on the link between enhanced employee capabilities and perceived career growth opportunities. Drawing on an interpretive phenomenological study of 25 participants, including employees, HR managers, business owners/executives and policymakers from organisations that have formalised their operations within the past five years, the research captures lived experiences of training transformation across manufacturing, retail, hospitality, construction, mining and transport sectors. The findings reveal a significant shift from unstructured, experiential learning characterised by “trial and error” and peer observation to systematic, structured training programmes including formal induction, technical upskilling, safety compliance workshops, customer service training and regular refresher courses. Crucially, formalisation has made it possible for long-term career advancement through employer-funded external certifications, nationally recognised qualifications, leadership development and clear progression pathways. However, challenges persist including uneven access to training across departments, resource constraints affecting training frequency and difficulty balancing productivity with development activities. With implications for practice and policy in transitioning economies, the study provides empirical data on how formalisation changes human capital development from a survival mechanism to a strategic career-enabling function.

Training and development are globally acclaimed determinants of employee performance and organizational success, particularly for service sectors such as banking. Despite the prominence of T&D in the banking sector, empirical studies attempting to quantify the influence of  training and development on  service quality  have yielded mixed results .This research aims to reconcile these conflicting findings in the literature by redressing the existing knowledge gap and the limited body of literature by examining the effect of Training and Development programs on communication and service assurance as the specific service quality dimensions at Indo-Zambia Bank. The Quantitative study was grounded by a positivism paradigm with a descriptive research design. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using a structured questionnaire administered to 100 Indo-Zambia Bank employees who were chosen using stratified random sampling. Descriptive and Pearson correlation coefficient using SPSS were conducted to establish the statistically significant relationship between T&D and communication and assurance. Results reflect a statistically significant relationship between the T&D and communication (p < .002) and assurance (p < .001). The most implemented T&D programmes included KYC Training, Induction/Onboarding, Ethics & Confidentiality, Customer Service Excellence, Service Recovery/Complaint Handling, Digital Systems & IT Training, Communication & Interpersonal Skills, and Leadership/Coaching. The study concluded that T&D improves communication (r=.279) and assurance (r=.271). The study concludes that T&D programs at Indo-Zambia Bank significantly and positively influence communication and service assurance. At a policy level, the findings inform regulatory emphasis on continuous professional development as a mechanism for sustaining competitive service standards in Zambia’s financial sector.

In today’s era of disruption and rapid technological advancement, the demands for organisational competence development are on the rise (Richter et al., 2020; Schaeffer, 2017). Making investment in human capital development the single most guarantor or tonic for sustainable competitive advantage for any organisation. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between training, demographic variables and employee job satisfaction. 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 from 5 companies in South Africa. Utilising diverse multivariate statistical methods, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation and regression modelling, for data analysis. The study’s empirical evidence revealed that (i) those workers who received more training are more motivated than those who received less or no training at all. Further, categories of demographic variables that led to a significant increase in the dependent variable i.e. “employee motivation and job satisfaction” consisted of skilled workers, females, South Sotho language group, those who had post-Matric qualifications and those with 6 – 10 years’ experience in the same job. This paper offers insights to management, especially HR policy makers on creating a learning culture and embrace the value of continued investment in human capital. Plethora of documentary evidence proved T&D to be the predictor of organisational efficiencies, profitability and long-term survival and growth. 

This quantitative study assesses the effects of T&D programs on service quality at Indo-Zambia Bank. Few empirical studies have been conducted to assess the impact of T&D on service quality levels in banks in Southern African developing countries, including Zambia. This research tries to redress the existing knowledge gap and the limited body of literature by focusing on the Zambian bank. The study was grounded in a positivist paradigm with a descriptive research design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to 102 Indo-Zambia Bank employees selected through stratified random sampling. Descriptive and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted in SPSS to establish the statistically significant relationship between T&D and reliability and responsiveness. The results reflect a statistically significant relationship between T&D and reliability (p < .001) and responsiveness (p < .001). The most implemented T&D programmes included KYC Training, Induction/Onboarding, Ethics & Confidentiality, Customer Service Excellence, Service Recovery/Complaint Handling, Digital Systems & IT Training, Communication & Interpersonal Skills, and Leadership/Coaching.  The study concluded that T&D programs at Indo-Zambia Bank significantly and positively influence both SERVQUAL dimensions, with responsiveness most strongly enhanced by Induction/Onboarding and assurance most strongly driven by Ethics & Confidentiality training.  At the industry level, the study offers a contextually validated framework that regulators and training institutions may use to align professional development standards with measurable service quality outcomes in Zambia’s banking sector. Further research can be conducted in other sectors to verify whether the results will be the same

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.