Training the Employee for Improved Performance: the Mediating Role of Employee Performance Appraisal

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DOI: 10.21522/TIJMG.2015.02.02.Art009

Authors : Freda Kabuki Ocansey

Abstract:

Training employees has big implications on time and money for businesses; yet businesses cannot do without training because businesses at all times need human resource with the requisite knowledge, skills and ability to perform to ensure productivity. How are organisations ensuring that knowledge and skills acquired from training are well transferred into job performance? The study sought to examine the seemingly inability of some employees who undergo training to transfer the competencies they acquire from training into the performance of their job functions by exploring the extent to which the employee is involved in decisions regarding his or her training and how organizations are making use of strategies and interventions to ensure that the expected transfer of knowledge and skills is achieved to ensure the expected performance. A case study design and purposive sampling were adopted to select 58 employees who had attended training in the last 24 months from 5 institutions in the Ada West district of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Data was collected by using 52 fully completed questionnaire. Data was analysed by using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that the full involvement of employees in assessing gaps in their performance would make them appreciate better, training programmes they attend. Also in order for employees to fully commit to training they attend, they should also be involved in choosing when to attend training. Post training mentoring, monitoring, evaluation, continuous coaching and encouragement, appropriate follow-up training programmes, unbiased, objective, well- structured and regular employee appraisals are identified as effective ways of ensuring the gradual assimilation and consequent transfer of taught competencies into performance.

Keywords: Employee performance appraisal, employee training, transfer of taught competencies, employee performance, organizational productivity

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