Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance: A Study of Libyan Bank

Human Resources and Their Significance

Human Resources are basically the people involved in staffing and managing an organization. Human Resource Management (HRM) is a set of activities and functions that are designed for maximizing the efficiency of the employees as well as the organization. HR management comprises of principles and methods which are applied for recruiting, retaining, training, developing and compensating the employees within the organization (Gonchkar, 2012).

Human resources form the backbone of every organization. In the present age of globalization, human resources have become a strategic resource for gaining sustainable competitive advantage. Quality workforce is the key differentiator between a good firm and a great firm. A key role of HRM is training and development of human resources. Effective training and development of human resources of an organization is associated with both immediate and long -term returns. Training is an important element for improving performance; it increases the level of individual as well as organizational competency. It also holds the key for unlocking the opportunities for potential growth and development in order to achieve a competitive edge. Training programs acquaint employees with advanced technology and help them in attaining strong competencies and skills for handling the newly introduced technology. Training facilitates updating of employee skills and leads to increased well – being, commitment and sense of belonging to the organization, hence directly strengthening the firm’s competitiveness (Acton & Golden, 2002). Training has a distinct role in the accomplishment of organizational goals by integrating the interests of organization and the workforce (Stone, 2002).

Training and Development

Traditionally training has been defined as the process through which individuals enhance or modify their knowledge, skills, attitudes and or behaviors (Cole, 2002). Training and development generally are referred to as planned learning experiences which educate the employees about undertaking current and future jobs. At its heart is the improvement in the performance of participating individuals. Learning is attained through training and development therefore; these are meant to be translated as organizational resource through which the people acquire knowledge, infer and are utilized (Tahir et al., 2014). The main role of training is to improve the skills of employees for present and future roles and responsibilities. Armstrong (2006) asserts that trained employees usually work better in teams as they are aware of the expectations and together are able to achieve them smoothly. In addition, staff receiving regular training is more likely to accept change and share new ideas (Bhat, 2013). Training has been found to be a significant variable in enhancing organizational productivity. Research (Sims, 2000; Sims, 2002) has conclusively proved that training is a powerful instrument in the successful attainment of a firm’s goals resulting in high performance and productivity of the firm. Performance refers to working effectiveness or the achievement of something significant. Organizational performance is realized both at the level of organization and that of the individual. The interrelationship among these two levels will characterize the vantage points for the organization (Tahir et al., 2014). The present research is focused on evaluation of training and development on employee performance in a Libyan bank therefore, it is necessary to understand the Libyan educational system and the banking industry.