Perception of the Employees of Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd on the Effectiveness of Training and Development Programmes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the employees’ perception of the effectiveness of the training and development programmes at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd. Perception of employees of the effectiveness of the training and development function is of strategic importance as employees are the driving force behind any successful productivity. If staff perception of what is expected of them is consistent with the actual expectations of the organization, then the result is effective performance. Employees form a major stakeholder group in any organization. However, their productivity and performance is dependent on their degree of motivation. This can be influenced by how they perceive and interpret various initiates that may be introduced by the company; a critical one in this regard being training and development. According to Jackson et al (2009), training and development programmes improve the workforce competence in order to create a competitive advantage and contribute to organizational success. Training and development activities are also means for employers to address the employees' needs. By offering training and development opportunities, employers help employees develop their own competitive advantage and ensure long term employability. The research design used was a descriptive survey. The target population was the staff working at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd headquarters office in Stima Plaza, Nairobi. The number selected for this study was 106 though 80 questionnaires were filled and returned. This shows a 75% response rate. Primary data was collected by use of semi-structured questionnaires consisting of both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. Data was checked for completeness and accuracy before analysis. Descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, standard deviation, percentage and frequency were used to analyze the various responses of employees on their perception of various aspects of the training and development programmes. Presentation of findings was by means of pie charts, bar graphs and tables. Respondents of different ages were involved in the study though most of the respondents were between 30-39 years. The respondents had served for different periods of time in the company with majority of the respondents having worked for between 6-10 years. Majority of the respondents were aware of the existence of training and development programmes at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd and had attended some form of training since joining the company. On average, respondents agree that training and development makes them more effective in their work and that clarity of objectives is good. They disagree that there is fairness in choosing participants, that the programmes are frequent enough and that employees are involved in choosing training topics. They rated level of comprehension of content, extent of linkage of objectives to corporate goals, effectiveness of evaluation, feedback and implementation of staff suggestions, on-job training, new employee orientation and commitment of management to continuous improvement of training and development programmes as average. They rated guidance and counseling sessions and education sponsorships as poor. Overall, majority of the respondents rated training and development programmes at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd as average. The factors cited by most respondents as influencing the effectiveness of training and development programmes include top management’s commitment to promote a learning culture,company policy and legislation, education background of the workers, perception of employees towards training and development programmes and individual motivation. It is important for management and particularly the Training and Development Department to ensure fairness in choosing participants, implement staff suggestions for the improvement of training and development programmes, involve employees in choosing training topics among other recommendations offered herein to improve the employees’ perception of the effectiveness of training and development programmes at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd.