Training and employee performance in manufacturing organizations in Uganda:

Abstract

This study was set to investigate the relationship between training and employee performance at Kakira Sugar Limited in Uganda. Its objectives included assessing the relationship between coaching and employee performance, job rotation on employee performance and apprenticeship on employee performance at Kakira Sugar Limited The study adopted a cross sectional survey design in which data was collected for three weeks using questionnaires from 85 managers and officers working within Kakira Sugar Limited. Interviews were also held with the top management of the company. Quantitative data was entered and analyzed in SPSS. The results showed a weak positive relationship between coaching and employee performance (r = 0.331, Sig. = 0.002) but a moderate positive and significant relationship between job rotation and employee performance (r = 0.522, Sig. = 0.000). It however found a weak negative but significant relationship between apprenticeship and employee performance (r = -0.287, Sig. = 0.009). Such negative relationship was attributed to the fact that apprenticeship was less valued unless the employee was given the job that required such skills acquired during apprenticeship. It was thus concluded that coaching and job rotation practices of training were significant predictors of employee performance such that the higher the level of coaching and job rotation provided to the employees, the higher their performance and the less the coaching and job rotation the lower the performance of the employees. It was also generally concluded that apprenticeship had a negative influence on the performance of employees. Based on the results and objectives of the study recommended among others that human resources policy makers within the different departments should design and operationalize training programs that provide appropriate task-specific decision making skills amongst the employees and that organizations should put in place mechanisms that permit equal opportunity of their employees to assume different job responsibilities and tasks on a regular basis as to improve their performance.