Abstract
The impact of staff training on the performance of local government area staff
in Anambra state has many problems affecting it. These include lack of well
articulated policy guidelines, no parameter for identification of workers’ needs,
no definite job analysis and job description; indiscriminate staff training that
has no relevance to their tasks. the problems of inadequate infrastructures,
no personnel, ineffectiveness and inefficiency on the part of the workers
affect them in their job performance. The call for training is very important as
it will enhance development of new skills, attitudes, as well as understanding
of new ideas and technology which the local government workers do not have
but are need for optimal job performance. For any organization to survive the
test of time, three major types of activities are imperative: These are training
of operative, executive development of managers, and organizational
development for everyone in the organization and
1.1 Background to the Study
The major function of every manager is helping his or her
subordinates improve their skills, knowledge and attitude through
training. The manager, in order to achieve the objective of running
organization, has to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, which
to train other workers. A major problem of all developing countries like
Nigeria is their inability to manage their resources effectively.
Government effects in management education dates back to 1964
when the National Manpower Board was set up by the federal
government. The board drew the attention of government to the fact
that the low level of management at all levels was one of the major
constraints on raising workers productivity in Nigeria.
The point raised by the National Manpower Board in 1964
triggered off a lot of actions on the other tiers of government. Various
manpower training and development institutes were established to
cater for management education and training. In 1969, the
Administrative Staff College of Nigeria was established as a model
institution for the training of civil servants. It has in its programme
various management courses including seminars on Management by
Objective (MBO) and human resources management. Others include
advanced management service and advanced general management. All
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these are geared towards improving the training of civil servants of the
local government areas.
With the effort of government to ameliorate the shortage of
manpower training in the country, especially in local government, one
would be led to believe that the local government areas need to change
in the field of service. Something still has to be done in the orientation,
training and development programme of personnel that conduct these
organizations.
Again, most training and development programmes look
unorganized and unsystematic, coupled with the fact that there is no
articulated plan on how the local government staff should be trained
and developed. The local governments need guidance on how to go
about developing their manpower, to ensure survival and efficiency. A
document should be prepared on training and development programme
of local government workers as a reference book; as well as a standard
for measuring training and development programme.
The phenomenon has imposed on organizations the need to
complement the motivational techniques, with concerned efforts to
improve the skills and knowledge of employees through planned and
systematic training programmes, in response to such changes in
technology, in order to achieve the objectives of increased productivity
through efficient and effective performance.
This research is on the impact of staff training on the
performance of local government area staff in Anambra state.
Personnel management deals with the problems of how to supply a
specific organization with its human resources needs. Hence, Fillipo
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(1976), defined it as the planning, organizing, directing and controlling
or procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance
and separation of human resources to the end that individuals,
organization and societal objectives are attained.
It is not known for now how far the local government area
authorities take staff training and development serious, and how far
they have been going about it since the inception of the local
government system as the third tier of government. Nor, do we know
whether anybody has fully benefited from such training. Indeed, the
weaknesses in staff performance in the local government area, can be
traced to lack of such incentive as training and development.
It is against this background that the researcher wishes to
investigate the kind of training and development policy which would
help to improve local government job performance, as well as suggest
a better training for the entire Anambra state.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
For any business organization to survive, it must be responsive
to change in its environment. The training and development of staff for
improved skills, and knowledge is an aspect of responses to change in
the technology environment. The envisaged increase in productivity
through efficient and effective employees performance justify the huge
resources organization connect to the training of their employees.
Unfortunately, it has been said that some organizations, in spite
of the resources invested in the training of staff, experience
unsatisfactory level of employee performance. There is an ever
increasing number of tasks in our government that require specialized
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knowledge, skills and aptitudes. It becomes inevitable that we should
train and develop our personnel to cope with the increasing and
changing job requirements posed by fast technological and social
changes. This could be achieved through a well planned and systematic
manpower training program.
The real problem of the local government area includes lack of
well articulated policy guidelines, and no parameter for identification of
employees training needs, no definite job analysis and job description,
and indiscriminate training of staff that have no relevance to their
tasks. As a result, workers are working for working sake, instead of
working to ‘build a cathedral’. This has somehow contributed to the
abysmal performance of the local government.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main purpose of the study was to determine the impact of
staff training on the performance of the local government staff in
Anambra State. Specifically, the study was meant to do the following:-
1. To find out why there are lack of well-articulated policy
guidelines regarding training of workers.
2. To find out why there are no parameters for identification of
employees training needs.
3. To x-ray the existing job analysis and job description in the
local government area.
4. To find out the reason for non indiscriminate training of staff
that have no relevance to their tasks.
5. To know whether gender is influencing the choice of
employees for training.
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1.4 Scope of the Study
Local government in Anambra state have lot of problems ranging
from financial problems to inadequate infrastructures, lack of
personnel, ineffectiveness, and inefficiency on the part of the
employees, and lack of equipment.
The study therefore, focuses on the problems of inadequate
attention to staff training and policy in our local government areas for
better job performance of the workers. It also looked into the system of
training need analysis, method of training, places of training, as well as
the training organizations involved. There is now the need to mention a
specific kind of training either workshop, in-service training contrary to
what was already existing in the local government areas of Anambra
state, and the country as a whole.
1.5 Significance of the study
This study is considered important because of the significance
role training of personnel for improved skills, and knowledge play in
achieving increased productivity through efficient and effective
employee’s performance. The study would be equally important to all
students of Public Administration. As future managers, the study would
contribute to their knowledge of human resources in organizations.
The study would also sensitize local government administrators
in Anambra State, to better appreciate the importance of
institutionalizing personnel and training and development. It would as
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well provide ideas that would be useful to the Federal government in
evolving policies on local government staff development in the country.
It would also enable the chairmen of the local government areas
to see the implication of not funding staff development in their various
local government areas. Finally, the study would provide suggestions
for further studies on this issue with the intention of breaking new
grounds.
1.6 Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
1. Is it true that there are lack of well articulated policy
guidelines?
2. Is there any parameter for identification of employees
training needs?
3. Has there be any assigned job to the staff of the local
government area?
4. Do they have definite job analysis and job description?
1.7 Null Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses guided the study.
1. Ho The impact of staff training on the performance of local
government area staff have no significant relationship with
workers training needs.
H1 The impact of staff training on the performance of local
government area have significant relationship with workers
training needs.
1.8 Definition of Terms
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1. Effectiveness: It is a measure of the extent to which an
organization has achieved its objectives.
2. Efficiency: A measure of the extent to which an
organization has achieved its objectives in relation to the cost
of doing so.
3. Training: It is a process of exposing individuals to the skill
and knowledge they require for effective performance of their
jobs.
4. Performance