Employee Perceptions of Training Impact on Performance A Case of Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)

Abstract

The study assessed employee perceptions of the impact of training on staff performance at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). The target population was 630 staff of the institute. A sample size of 20% of this target population was selected for the study. The study sought to find out whether training as perceived by staff could enable employees to do better in terms of work output to meet the institute's mission, vision and mandates. The main focus of training according to the employer was to enable the institute to remain competitive and relevant in the ever changing work environment. Structured questionnaires were administered to 129 respondents clustered in three groups comprising chief officers, scientific staff and support or administrative staff. One hundred and twenty two (122) respondents duly completed questionnaires were returned representing a response rate of 94.6%. Unstructured interviews were conducted with two top managers to shed light on policy and regulatory issues on training. All the responses were coded and keyed to the computer for analysis through the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The results of the study indicated that employee training is a continuous phenomenon focused on equipping employees with skills, knowledge, attitudes and behavior necessary to perform their jobs well. This is intended to benefit both the organization and the employee. Training is a motivator to greater performance especially when trained staff are rewarded and properly deployed to areas where their skills are required. The results also indicated that training is expensive and organizations should always seek for adequate funds to train all employees. This is important if organizations have to be competitive and remain relevant in the rapidly changing work environment of the 21" century.