Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Organisations of every kind seek ways to raise their productivity. Higher productivity depends on the proper and efficient management of an organisation's human and material resources, and most managers regard training as one of the most effective tools for achieving it. Organisations naturally concentrate on the activities and programmes that help them fulfil the objectives for which they were established.

Every organisation needs a well-trained and experienced workforce to carry out the tasks and responsibilities on which its goals depend. The dynamism and complexity of the modern business environment have greatly increased the need for manpower training and development. For an organisation to gain an advantage over its competitors, management must treat manpower training and development as a key consideration.

In the past, jobs were simple, easy to learn and only slightly affected by technological change, so workers had little need to upgrade or change their skills. That situation has largely disappeared. Technological advancement and globalisation now require organisations to transform frequently and to update workers' skills continuously.

Worker productivity is a function of ability, motivation and situational factors. An organisation may have able and determined workers, suitable equipment and good managerial support, yet still record productivity below expected standards. In many such cases the missing ingredient is adequate skill and knowledge, which are acquired through training and development. For any organisation to excel among its competitors in this era of technology and globalisation, it must therefore learn new skills and develop new abilities as circumstances change.

In view of this, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc is used as the case study for this research, since the company recognises the need to train and develop its human resources so as to cope with technological change and globalisation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Most organisations spend large sums of money on training and development every year in order to meet the challenges of a dynamic workplace. Training and development are expected to expand workers' knowledge and enable them to do more than they currently do, thereby improving organisational performance. However, many organisations remain at the same level for years, which raises the question of whether training and development actually achieve the desired results.

Against this background, the study intends to evaluate the training and development policies implemented by Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, assess how effective these policies are in achieving their objectives, and identify the problems associated with them together with possible solutions. It also seeks to determine whether a relationship exists between training and development and the performance of workers at Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, and what impact training has on that performance.

1.3 Research Questions

The following research questions guide the study and direction of the research:

1. What training policies are implemented in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc?
2. How effective are these policies in achieving the company's stated goals?
3. Is there a relationship between training and workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc?
4. Does training have a significant impact on workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc?
5. What problems are associated with the company's training policies, and what solutions can be offered?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of training on workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the training policies implemented in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc;
2. assess the effectiveness of these policies in achieving their stated goals;
3. determine whether there is a relationship between training and workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc;
4. establish whether training has a significant impact on workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc; and
5. identify the problems associated with the training policies and suggest solutions.

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H₀₁: There is no significant relationship between training and workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc.

H₀₂: Training has no significant impact on workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc.

1.6 Significance of the Study

Many organisations in Nigeria, especially public enterprises, suffer from low performance, which prevents them from achieving their goals. This situation calls for urgent attention, and examining the importance of training to workers' performance is one way of addressing the problem of poor performance.

The study will also help human resource managers to design training programmes and policies that support effective performance in their organisations. In addition, it will contribute to knowledge and encourage further research on the factors that influence workers' performance. Finally, it will be a useful source of information for training managers, since it adds to the existing literature on manpower training policies in Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study covers the impact of training on workers' performance in Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. It is limited to evaluating how training affects workers' productivity and performance.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

Several limitations were encountered during the research, although none of them materially affected the findings. The main limitation was the lack of full cooperation from the selected company: only limited cooperation was received from the staff of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, which restricted how fully the sample population could be represented.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Training: An organisational effort to help employees acquire the skills required to carry out their expected functions efficiently.

Workers' development: The activities undertaken to prepare employees to perform additional duties and take on more important positions in the organisational hierarchy.

Management: The guidance or direction of people towards the achievement of organisational goals and objectives.

Motivation: An internal psychological process whose presence or absence is inferred from observed performance.