Impact of skills development training on employee motivation, perceptions of organizational climate and individual performance.
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Date
2009
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Abstract
There is a huge skills shortage in South Africa which impacts negatively on its
worldwide competitiveness. Since the advent of democracy, the South African
government has been faced with the challenge of addressing one of the major legacies
of apartheid; namely, the dire skills shortage affecting the majority of the citizens of
this country. This legacy of apartheid has a direct correlation with the economic
performance of the country. Various intervention strategies to remedy this socioeconomic
situation were explored, resulting in the birth of various Skills Development
Acts, which will have far-reaching consequences for all sectors of the South African
economy. Skills transfer is at the centre of all these Acts.
The impact of training on the ‘bottom-line’ has always been the concern for most
business organisations, not only in South Africa, but the world over. However, the
focus for most of these business organisations, in terms of strategic human resource
development, has arguably, focused mainly on middle management and top
management. The most fundamental and underlying hypothesis of this study
therefore, is to highlight the difference in production brought by lower-level
management of these business organisations as a consequence of training
opportunities offered to them. The actual implementation of production targets occurs
at this level of management. Thus, it is the researcher’s contention that focuses and
endeavours to improve productivity through strategic human resource development,
need to consider lower-level employees as a critical part of this strategic mission.
The empirical objectives of this thesis were firstly, to validate the four questionnaires
used in this study namely, the Motivation/Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JDI); the
Organisational Climate Questionnaire (LSOCQ); the Effectiveness of Training
Questionnaire and the Self-rated Performance Questionnaire for employees in
selected organisations in South Africa. Secondly, it was to determine the reliability of
the above mentioned constructs.
Thirdly, the aim was to determine differences between employee motivation and job
satisfaction and organisational climate levels of various demographic groups.
Fourthly, it was to assess the relationship between the three variables namely,
motivation and job satisfaction, organisational climate and effectiveness of training;
and lastly, to determine whether effectiveness of training can predict employee
motivation and job satisfaction and perception of organisational climate.
A pre-post longitudinal study, following a form of quasi-experimental research
comparable pre-test post-test one group design (Cooper & Schindler, 2000:405;
Shaughnessy & Zechmeister, 1997), with a random sample of (N = 604 pre-; and N =
526 post-) of lower level employees in five selected companies across sectors in
South Africa was used. All the questionnaires, that is those previously validated
namely, the Job Description Index Questionnaire (JDI); Litwin and Stringer’s (1968)
Organisational Climate Questionnaire (LSOCQ); Self-rated Performance
(SELFPERF); and the one constructed and validated namely, the Effectiveness of
Training Questionnaire (EFFTRA) were based on Kirkpatrick’s (1976) framework for
the evaluation of a training programme and a demographic questionnaire which were
administered.
Descriptive statistics were used to describe the measuring instruments in terms of
frequency distribution tables and summary statistics namely the mean and standard
deviation. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to describe the reliability of the
measuring instruments. Exploratory factor analysis with a Varimax rotation was used
to determine the validity of the constructs of motivation/job satisfaction,
organisational climate and effectiveness of training and Cronbach coefficient alpha
was used to establish the reliability of the same constructs. Hypothesis testing was
conducted to look for significant differences between constructs across both pre and
post sample groups. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the
relationship between the measuring instruments. Regression analyses were used to
develop possible significant models in line with the objectives of the study.
The results revealed that all constructs used were both valid and reliable, supported by
both the literature research and the empirical findings of this study. For example this
study provided a significant contribution in that it developed a valid and reliable
measuring instrument in the form of the effectiveness of a training questionnaire.
In addition, significant differences within constructs (namely, motivation/job
satisfaction and organisational climate) across both pre and post groups were
identified specifically in regard to certain demographics namely different
organisations, gender, age, home language and race. Also significant differences were
found between the levels of both motivation/job satisfaction and organisational
climate constructs of employees in terms of skilled/semi-skilled groups and
qualification levels in particular. It is also worth noting that, one of the study’s most
significant findings revealed that those employees that received more training are
more motivated and have an increased perception about their organisational climate
than those who received less or no training at all. Therefore, the two core variables of
this research (namely, motivation/job satisfaction and organisational climate) are both
influenced by skilled/semi-skilled groups as well as the amount of training received.
Finally, the results also revealed significant relationships between the constructs of
motivation/job satisfaction, organisational climate and effectiveness of training. A
few interesting regression models were also developed. The first and second models
respectively showed that effectiveness of training was strongly influenced by
motivation/job satisfaction and in the case of the second model by organizational
climate. A third model also revealed that motivation/job satisfaction could be well
modelled by the independent variables of self performance, organizational climate
and effectiveness of training and a forth showed that organizational climate could be
well modelled from the independent variables of self performance, motivation/job
satisfaction and effectiveness of training.
In conclusion, the significance and limitations of the research are discussed, followed
by recommendations for organisations and for future research.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.
Keywords
Organizational change., Employee motivation., Occupational training., Theses--Business administration.