TRAINING AND MOTIVATION AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

1.0 Introduction

This project entitled “training and motivation as a tool for improving employee’s performance” is centered on one of the challenges currently facing both scholars and practitioners in the field of administration. In this research work power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc is chosen as a case study.

1.1 Background To The Study

Today it is worthy to appreciate the fact that training and motivation of employees for increase performance has become a serious administrative problems facing most organizations.

Where as this is one of the basic criteria for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of an organization.
Organization are said to be effective if the predetermined objectives and the expectations of both the organization and the employee are fulfilled.

The ultimate goal of every organization is to realize its predetermined objectives these objectives cannot be achieved successfully and effectively without the employees putting in their best. For the objectives to be achieved effectively and efficiently the management must ensure that employee are given the appropriate training and the necessary motivations to enable them work harder.

Many organizations especially power holding company of Nigeria have developed training programmes of various purpose for their employees. The most crucial responsibility of every management today is that of “training and motivation” directed towards improving employees performance. In the other words the success to achieve the targeted results in an organization is majority dependent on the quality of human resources in that organization.

This is factual in the sense that human resources is the active agent of resources is the active agent of any organization while finance and other non human resources are passive agent so it is the human resources that combine the passive agents for the attainment of the organization objectives or results. The human resources as an active agent of any organization cannot as a matter of fact get the targeted goals of that organization accomplished unless training and motivation are put in place as appropriate machineries to enhance the employee performance.
Training is an organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for efficient execution of functions for which he/she was hired it is an organized procedure by which new manipulative skills technical knowledge and problems solving abilities are acquired.

Most organizations tend to ignore employee training on their bid to maximize profit little such organizations know that this practice is to their own peril (Emma Chukwuemka 2007:73)

Motivation is a term derived from a latin word “Movere” meaning to move but today the word means more than that it has to do with skills resulting from training. But this employee interest and those of the organization are aligned so that behaviour results in achievement of employee wants with the attainment of organizational objectives are smoothly net.

On this note the researcher felt that it is of crucial important to carryout a research to uncover how best a work can be trained and motivated to improve his/her performance using power holding company of Nigeria Enugu zonal headquarters as a case study my choice is greatly influenced by the large number of employees of the organization. More so the organization is deeply involve in administrative activities, which is the Fukrum of this academic exercise.

This will to a large extent make this research work serve some useful purpose to many organizations with both small medium and large number of employees.

1.2 Statement Of Problems

The problems of both public and private organization in Nigeria is mainly centered on negative attitude to work lack of interest in one’s job low productivity high incidence of accidents in the work place insubordination and general low morale among the workers.

Nevertheless the researcher feels that the above listed problems are the resultant effects/consequences that bedevil any organization whose management is not able to pay priority attention to the development of training programmes and motivation incentives for her employees.

However the problems of the study is majority on how training and motivation could be harnessed in an organization to increase productivity.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The purpose of this research work is focused on the identification and evaluation of the adverse effect of inadequate training and motivation of employee towards the realization of PHCN’s goal.

The outline objectives of the study are listed as follows:

1. To find out whether the staff of PHCN receive training and motivation to improve their performance
2. To Find out the type of training given to staff
3. To evaluate the motivational tools being used by the organization to motivate its employees
4. To make a critical appraisal of the relationship between training motivation and employee’s performance
5. To find out the percentage of PHCN’s staff that have benefited from her training and motivation packages

1.4 Research Questions

Based on the objectives of the study the following questions are formulated to provide a guide and subsequent solution to the research problems.

These include

1. Do the staff of PHCN receive training and motivation to improve their performance
2. What type of training does PHCN gives to her staff
3. What are the motivational tools used by PHCN to motivate her employee
4. What is the relationship between training motivation and employee performance
5. What is the percentage of PHCN’s staff that have benefited from her training and motivation packages

1.5 Significance Of The Study

The study of this nature is carried out to provide basic need and necessary solution to the problems of training and motivations of employee in an organization. The study will be of immense benefit to both public and private organizations that wish to improve the performance of their employees through adequate training and proper motivation. The study will also be useful to researchers in the relational area of discuss.

1.6 Scope Of The Study

‘The researcher intended to cover the entire sector power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN)Plc but due to the complex nature and size of the sector couple other constants the scope of the study covered only PHCN Okpara Avenue Enugu Zonal Headquarters.

1.7 Limitation Of The Study

As a matter of fact a study of this nature cannot be conducted without experiencing some forms of hiccups sequel to this the study is confirmed to the very organization specified in the case study-power holding company of Nigeria Okpara Avenue Enugu Zonal Headquarters some of the constraints which the researcher considers pertinent to mention are:

1. Financial Constraint:

A research work of this nature demands much money for its successful completion. A lot of money is needed for the purchase of the necessary materials to be used transportation etc. lack of finance posed a great problem to the researcher in the course of conducting this research.

2. Unco-operative attitude of the respondents:

The uncooperative attitude of some respondents who either refused to be open to questions directed to them or felt resultant to provide the needed information for the research work also contributed in no small way to the difficulties encountered by the researcher.

3. Paucity of comprehensive literature:

This also contributed to the problems encountered by the researcher. Most of the books that were available to the researcher in most instances did not give satisfactory information on the subject matter/research topic.

4. Time:

As a matter of fact time factor was never or friend to the researcher the time allowed for the research work was quite tight and as such it almost affected the quality of the research work in a negative way.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Training: This is an organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the efficient execution of functions for which he/she was hired.

Motivation:

This is the reflection of a person’s desire to fulfill certain needs.

Public sector:

It is an organization owned and controlled by the government

Manager:

The senior workers/employee (boss) whom every subordinate reports or accounts to for their assigned responsibilities.

Organization:

It is an establishment set up for certain objectives through efficient management of both human and materials resources.

Responsibility:

This simply means the duty one is employed to perform.

Note:

The terms used and defined here above are contextually meant to serve for the better understanding of this research work only and do not really serve any general purpose.