Staff training and employee performance: Perspectives of the workplace

Abstract

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.

Keywords: {'name': 'staff training'}, {'name': 'skills development'}, {'name': 'employee performance'}, {'name': 'business performance'}, {'name': 'South Africa'}

Authors & affiliations

Thokozani Ian Nzimakwe
Affiliation not supplied

Reward Utete
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

Aba, I.E. & Enyioko, V. (2017). Effects of Training and Development on Employee Performance at Abia State Polytechnic. International Journal of Economics and Business Management, 3(9), 13-22.

Ackah, D. (2014). The Effects of Training and Development on Employee Performance in the Public Sector of Ghana. Unpublished Research Dissertation. Atlantic International University.

DOI: 10.20525/ijrbs.v12i3.2474

Ahmed, L.J. (2020). The Effect of Employee Training on Organisational Performance In Mogadishu-Somalia. Unpublished Masters Dissertation. Lincoln University College.

DOI: 10.1177/2158244020969383

DOI: 10.46827/ejhrms.v4i3.857

Bakare, S. (2020). The Effect of Training on Employees Performance. Journal of Finance and Marketing, 4(3), 1-14.

Bayraktaroglu, S. & Cickusic, E. (2014). Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance in Bosnia and Herzegovina. European Researcher Journal, 89(12-2), 125-132.

Enalga, A. & Imran, A. (2013). The Effect of Training on Employee Performance. European Journal of Business and Management, 5(4), 137.

DOI: 10.47392/irjash.2020.115

DOI: 10.17159/2520-9868/i75a06

Karim, M.M., Choudhury, M.M., & Latif, W.B. (2019). The Impact of Training and Development on Employees' Performance: An Analysis of Quantitative Data, February 2019. The International Journal of Business and Management Research, 03(02), 25-33.

DOI: 10.31580/ijer.v1i2.497

Khuluvhe, M. (2023). Fact Sheet on Characteristics of the South African Labour Force. Department of Higher Education and Training, Pretoria.

DOI: 10.2478/cplbu-2020-0026

Laing. I.F. (2021). The Impact of Training and Development on Worker Performance and Productivity in Public Sector Organisations. International Research Journal of Business and Strategic Management, 2(2), 1-12.

Makhanya, R.B., Nzimakwe, T.I. & Utete, R. (2023). Triggers of having few women in managerial positions: Top management’s perspective. Gender & Behaviour, 21 (2), 1-12.

DOI: 10.9734/jemt/2020/v26i530255

DOI: 10.4236/jhrss.2020.81004

DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1473

Nassazi, A. (2013). Effects of training on Employee performance. Unpublished Research dissertation. University of Applied Science.

Ngema, K., Rajlal, A., & Utete, R. (2022). Employee Training as a Panacea for Career Development: Evidence from South African Police Service. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Oeconomica, 18(6), 174-195.

Nkosi, B.M. (2007). The Skills Development Act (No 97 Of 1998) in South Africa. Unpublished Research Dissertation. University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Okechukwu, W. (2017). Influence of Training and Development, Employee Performance on Job Satisfaction Among the Staff of School of Technology Management and Logistics. Journal of Technology Management and Business, 4(1), 1-16.

DOI: 10.4324/9781315657592

Rodriguez, J. & Walters, K. (2017). The Importance of Training and Development in Employee Performance and Evaluation. World Wide Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 3(10), 206-212.

Salah, M.R. (2016). The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and Productivity. International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research, 5(7), 1-14

DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2018.1470891

Shaw, J. (2019). Effects of Training on Employee Performance. [Online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-training-employee-performance-39737. [Accessed on 14 October 2022]

DOI: 10.31838/jcr.07.04.49

Siriwardena, P. & Morais, N. (2019). Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance. Colombo Journal of Advanced Research, 1(2), 76-83.

Srirekha, G. & Rao, Y.V. (2017). Training and Development Impact on Employee Performance and Organisational Development. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research, 7(5), 297-306.

Stats SA. (2023). Quarterly Labour Force Survey-Quarter 2: 2023. https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02112ndQuarter2023.pdf

Tamba, N., & Riyanto, S. (2019). How to Improve Performance through Training and Development. Journal of Business and Management, 22(5), 09-15

Tanveer, A. (2015). Impact of Training & Development on Employees’ Performance in Banks of Pakistan. European Journal of Training and Development Studies, 3(1), 22-44

DOI: 10.1177/2158244011433338

Tuffah, M. (2020). The Determinants of Employee’s Performance. Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 3(3), 1-14.

DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1532

DOI: 10.31920/1750-4562/2023/v18n2a12

Utete, R., Zhou, S. & Ajani, A.O. (2022). The influence of populism movement on human resource management at the workplace: a comparison of South Africa and Botswana. Multicultural Education, 8 (4), 9-22.

DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v18i0.1257

Vezi-Magigaba, M. F., & Utete, R. (2023). Closing the Competence Gap of Graduates: Looking through Lens of Employability in South Africa. IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review, 11(3), 376-382.

Vinesh, D.N. (2021). Role of Training and Development in Employee and Organisational Performance. International Journal of Management and International Business Studies, 4(2), 213-220.

Williams, C. (2021). Employee Performance Evaluation, Definition, Benefits and How to Prepare. [Online] Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/employee-performance-evaluation. [Accessed on 14 October 2022].

DOI: 10.1002/job.1990