CHAPTER ONE 1.

0 Introduction

: INTRODUCTION

The history of the Port of Mombasa dates back many centuries ago when the Ocean going dhows called at the Port of Mombasa Old Port situated on the North side of Mombasa Island. This was during the famous spices trade between East Coast of Africa, the Indian Peninsula, the Arabian Gulf and the Far East. As trade grew and with the need to open the interior of East Africa through the construction of the Kenya Uganda Railway line, development of fully fledged Port with a deeper and wider harbour became eminent. The development of the modern port facilities was therefore started at the Kilindini Harbour in 1896. Kenya Ports Authority is a Parastatal established through an Act of parliament on 20th January 1978 (chapter 391 laws of Kenya) to manage the Port of Mombasa and other scheduled ports along the Kenyan coastline. (www.kpa.co.ke.) The principal port of Mombasa is strategically situated to serve the rich agricultural hinterland of Kenya and transit countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern port of Democratic republic of Congo, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Northern Tanzania. Due to the rapid increase in the container traffic there was an urgent need to extend the container handling facilities up country where two container depots were constructed in Nairobi and Kisumu. This meant that more competent

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staffs were either to be recruited or the existing staff trained to carry out new functions in these ICDS. Some of the Kenya Ports Authoritys core functions among others include: Marine services for accessing the Kenyan territory i.e. navigational aid tugs, pilotage and maintenance of the channel basin. Land based services including railhead, road links and inland container depots. Effective cargo handling services for container, general cargo, dry bulk cargo, bulk liquid and crude oil products. Dockage of ships including military, tourist and goods ships. Ship services like bunkering, provision of fresh water to the ships calling at the port. Ship repairs of Marine Engineering (Dockyard). Waste reception through pollution control to ensure that the sea is free from harmful wastes from ships and oil spillage which are continuously collected and disposed off safely. For an effective management of port operations and attraction of both new and old customer, the port management needs to effectively train its workforce to be more objective and focused in the light of current stiff competition from the ports of Dar as salaam - Tanzania and Durban South Africa. 1.1 Employee same. Training can broadly be defined as the imparting of proficiencies and knowledge that are specifically related to a relatively narrow area of NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 2 Background information training is often used interchangeably with management

development or employee development, even though they in fact are not the

employment, whereas development implies individual growth and selfrealization in a broad area. Training is the helping of people to adapt to a role behaviour that will be useful to the organization. Traditional training was the responsibility of schools; it is not the case anymore; organizations have become involved in providing both specific job training and general training. Training can further be defined as the management of human resource functions whose objective is to improve both employee performance and overall organizational goals. (Nzuve, 1997) Employee Training This is the process that enables employees acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and perform tasks differently (better) than before. A distinction however should be made between training and education. Training on one hand tends to narrow the range of responses so that all employees who undergo the same training successfully will make similar or have same responses in a specific situation. On the other hand, education tends to broaden the range of responses so that individuals who have obtained a general education will respond to a particular situation in a variety of different ways. Education occurs in formal school setting whereas training can be conducted in an organization or a training institution or centre, and focuses on how to perform specific functions. (Nzuve, 1997) Purposes of training. The purposes of training include; Improvement on the job performance Improvement of quality and quantity of products and services Creation of more favourable attitude towards work and the organization Satisfaction of manpower planning requirements Reduction on the number and cost of accidents NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 3

 Helping employees in their personal developments and career advancement Reducing the need for external recruitment when need arises Minimizing supervision time Often overlooked as the first step in the performance improvement process are ways, methods and needs assessment. These are not wants or desires, but gaps between what is and what ought to be. These assessments serve to identify the gaps created in the way training is conducted and the best way forward to improve effective training on port issues. The assessment is part of planning process focusing on identifying and solving performance which is normally overlooked by management and a generalized training program. (Nzuve, 1997)

1.2

Statement of the problem

The corporate image and reputation of Kenya Ports Authority has been injured over the years due to poor/negative publicity and attitude of some of its workforce. This has impacted negatively and given the Port of Mombasa a bad name such as being a corrupt organization, which only gets things done after corrupting its staffs who deliver services. As a result, the Authority has lost a substantial business opportunities and customers to its biggest competitors, the ports of Dar as salaam and Durban. However the few staffs who have been trained on management have worked tirelessly to give the Authority its share of good name and reputation as the gateway to East and Central Africa.

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This research wishes to address the problem of training and how it may be used to help motivate workers and know how to interrelate with the Authoritys customers for maximum profits. The research also wishes to establish why and how poor working practices, negligence and ignorance of some Port employees which have led to huge losses, claims and wastages by way of keeping to traditional ways of working as established at the time of its inception due to lack of emphasis on all modes of training. 1.3 Purpose of the Study/Justification/Rationale The main purpose of this research study is to examine how training is a motivator and a demotivator in Kenya Ports Authority. The researcher wishes to assess the current training needs and determine the training requirements. This will enable the researcher to come up with course designs, programmes and the training evaluation schemes. The researcher will then make recommendations to the management on the overall training requirements and how training should be conducted for the benefit of the Authority. 1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are to: a) Investigate the problems facing the training section of Personnel Department in Kenya Ports Authority. b) Assess how training has motivated/demotivated staffs in Kenya Ports authority. c) Examine the role played by training in addressing productivity in Kenya Ports Authority d) Determine the wastages caused by lack of employee training/development in Kenya Ports Authority.

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e) Suggest appropriate training strategies that would be helpful to staff of Kenya Ports Authority. 1.5 Research Questions in Kenya Ports Authority? b) How have training motivated/demotivated staffs in Kenya Ports Authority? c) What is the role played by training in addressing productivity in Kenya Ports Authority? d) What wastages are caused by lack of employee training in Kenya Ports Authority? e) What appropriate training strategies would be required to help staffs in Kenya Ports Authority? 1.6 Research Hypothesis.

a) What are the problems facing training section of Personnel Department

There is significant relationship between training and overall performance of employees in Kenya Ports Authority. 1.7 Significance of the study

This research study when completed will be significant and useful in the following ways; To the Government: Attraction of more investors/customers to the country due to quality, better and reliable services will result in more job opportunities which will in turn earn Kenya the much needed revenue. To the community: Training of employees will translate into a motivated workforce with increased earning/reputation leading to uplifted standards of living for the community at large. The community will be more than willing to support all initiatives of the organization having seen and enjoyed its benefits directly or indirectly. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 6

To the organization: Training of employees will improve their performance and increase productivity. A better training policy will also attract potential employees into the organization. To the researcher: The researcher will be better placed to learn new skills and ideas regarding employee training. This will enable the researcher to come up with comprehensive recommendations to management regarding the implementation of the existing training policy. 1.8 Scope of the Study

The major concern of this study is employee training in Kenya Ports Authority. The research will be carried out at Kenya Ports Authority, Headquarters which is in Mombasa and the time required to complete the research is three months as indicated in the table (Appendix 111). 1.9 Limitations of the Study

The researcher anticipates the following challenges when carrying out the research. a) Time The period of three months given to carry out the research is too short a period taking into consideration that the researcher is a full time employee. b) Financial constraints The researcher anticipates financial constraints in typing and printing of the research project, sending enough questionnaires to the respondents. c) Lack of cooperation

1.10 Conceptual Framework NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 7

Any training program must balance the need to provide employees with the proper level of training weighted against organizations objectives. A tilt one way or the other could have detrimental repercussions upon the organization. There is too much training on a few individuals in Kenya Ports Authority which is unnecessary wastage of resources and too little training or no training at all on the majority of employees which has resulted in the organization being unable to achieve a competitive position on the marketplace. There is need to have a training model which reflects the delicate balance between training content set against a backdrop of organizational objectives and constraints. The necessity of developing such a model is important because despite Kenya Ports Authority spending 90 million per year on training the effectiveness of that training is questionable as compared to many other organizations. To improve the effectiveness of the training function a systematic process needs to be established that provides a framework for evaluating training goals and techniques subject to organizational objectives and constraints.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction As a background to this paper literature pertaining to the learning process with an emphasis upon adult learning and the implications for organizational training will be cited. 2.1 Theoretical Literature NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 8

Learning and Human Capabilities Learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in human capabilities that is not a result of growth processes. These capabilities are related to specific learning outcomes (verbal information, intellectual skills, motor skills, attitudes and cognitive strategies). Verbal information includes names or labels, facts and bodies of knowledge. Verbal knowledge relates to specialized information that employees need in their jobs. Intellectual skills consist of understanding concepts and rules. These concepts and rules are critical to solve problems, serve customers, and create products. Motor skills pertain to the coordination of physical movements. Attitudes are a combination of beliefs and feelings that predispose a person to behave in a certain way. Attitudes include a cognitive component (beliefs), and effective component (feelings), and an intentional component (the way a person intends to behave in regard to the subject of the attitude). Important work related attitudes include job Finally, They relate to the satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and job involvement. cognitive strategic regulate the processes of learning. how to remember, and how to solve problems (Noe 1999). Learning Theories Several learning theories can be utilized to provide a foundation for understanding how a trainee is motivated to learn. 1) Reinforcement theory emphasizes that people are motivated to perform or avoid certain behaviours because of past outcomes that have resulted from those behaviours. There are several Negative processes in reinforcement theory. Positive reinforcement is a pleasurable outcome resulting from behaviour. reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant outcome. Eliminating any reinforcement that is maintaining behaviour is called extinction. Punishment is presenting an unpleasant From a training perspective, Page 9 outcome after behaviour.

learners decision regarding what information to attend (i.e. pay attention to),

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reinforcement theory suggests that for learners to acquire knowledge, change behaviour, or modify skills, the trainer needs to identify what outcomes the learner perceives as being positive (or negative). Trainers then need to link these outcomes to learners acquiring knowledge, skills, or changing behaviours (Noe 1999, Robbins 1998). 2) Social learning theory suggests that learners first watch others who act as models. Next, they develop a mental picture of the behaviour and its consequences. Finally, they try the behaviour themselves. If positive consequences result, the learner repeats the behaviour; if negative consequences occur, no repetition occurs. In a training scenario, a group of trainees can be presented with models of effective behaviours, such as serving customers or performing managerial analysis as well as the relationship consequences, satisfaction. between such these as praise, desirable behaviours or and promotions, customer

Trainees then rehearse the behaviours and

consequences, building cognitive maps that intensify the links and set the stage for future behaviours. The learning impact occurs when the subject tries the behaviour and experiences a positive result (Gordon 1996). 3) Goal setting theory implies that the establishing and committing to specific and challenging goals can influence an individuals behaviour. Once the goals have been established the individual then directs his (or her) energy and attention towards obtaining the goals. From a training perspective, goal setting could be utilized to identify the specific outcomes that should be achieved from the training (Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman 1995). 4) Need Theories (Maslows Hierarch of Needs, Alderfers ERG Theory, Herzbergs Dual-Structure Theory and David Page 10

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McClellands Need Theory) assume that need deficiencies cause behaviour. A need is a deficiency that an individual is experiencing an any point in time. Needs theories suggest that to motivate learning, trainers should identify trainees needs and communicate how training program content relates to fulfilling those needs. (Noe 1999, Moorhead and Griffin 1995). 5) Expectancy theory implies that an individuals behaviour is a function of three factors (expectancy, instrumentality, and valence). The expectancy factor refers to an individuals belief that effort will lead to a particular outcome (instrumentality factor) and that the outcome is valued by the individual (valence factor). From a training perspective, expectancy theory suggests that learning is most likely to occur when employees believe they can learn the content of the program (expectancy), learning is linked to outcome such as better job performance, a salary increase, or peer recognition (instrumentality) and employees value the outcomes. (Noe 1999). Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy) and Implications for Workplace Training Traditionally, pedagogy dominated the literature in education. More recently, educational psychologists recognized the need to focus upon adult learning and developed the theory of adult learning, andragogy. Malcolm Knowles (1990) is most frequently associated with adult learning theory. The adult learning model is based upon several assumptions. (1) Adults have the need to know why they are learning. (2) Adults have a need to be self-directed. (3) Adults bring more work-related experiences into the learning situation. (4) Adults enter into a learning experience with a problem-centered approach to learning and finally, (5) adults are motivated to learn by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Some implications regarding adult learning theory for workplace training are summarized below (Noe 1999). NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 11

 Employees learn best when they understand the objective of the training program. The objective refers to the purpose and expected outcome of training activities. The training objective should be comprised of three components. An explanation of what the employee is expected to do (performance). A statement of the quality or level of performance that is acceptable (criterion) and finally, a declaration of the conditions under which the trainee is expected to perform the desired outcome (conditions) Employees tend to learn better when the training is linked to their current job experiences for this enhances the meaningfulness of the training. Recent research suggests that providing trainees with opportunities to choose their practice strategy and other characteristics of the learning situation can further enhance the training experience. Employees learn best when they have the opportunity to practice and that the training must be related to the learning objectives. In addition, the trainer should identify what the trainees will be doing when practicing the objectives (performance), the criteria for attainment of the objective, and the conditions under which the practice session(s) will be conducted. Employees need feedback and to be effective the feedback should focus on specific behaviours and be provided as soon as possible after the trainees behaviour. Employees learn by observing and imitating the actions of a model. For the model to be effective the desired behaviours or skills need to be clearly specified and the model should have characteristics (such as age or position) similar to the target audience. After observing the model, trainees should have the opportunity to reproduce the skills and behaviours shown by the model. Communities of practice refer to groups of employees who work together, learn from each other, and develop a common understanding of how to get work accomplished. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 12

 Employees need the training program to be properly coordinated and arranged. Good coordination ensures that trainees are not distracted by events (such as an uncomfortable room or poorly organized materials) that could interfere with learning. The linking of adult learning theory with the strategic objectives of the organizations is referred to as high-leverage training. High-leverage training helps to create a corporate culture in which continuous learning is encouraged. Continuous learning requires employees to understand the entire work system including the relationships among jobs, their work units, and the company. Employees are expected to acquire new skills and knowledge, apply them on the job, and share this information with other employees. (Noe 1999). The Foundations of the Strategic Training of Employees Model (STEM) The concept of high-leverage training is embedded within the framework of STEM for the model is built upon the realization that organizations have limited resources (capital, financial, human) and those resources must be allocated in an efficient manner. STEM directly links employee training and career development with the strategic objectives set by management so that the focus of any workplace training will be centered upon the obtainment of organizational goals. It is this fundamental bond that defines the content direction for the entire training development process. STEM directs the flow of the training process by focusing upon the strategic objectives of the organization and then designing specific training and career development activities that relate to obtaining those strategic goals. A byproduct of utilizing this approach is that training finances will also be directed toward achieving the strategic objectives of the organization. By effectively and efficiently allocating training content (as well as finances) an organization should be able to improve the value of the product(s) that it brings to the marketplace. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 13

To accomplish the effective and efficient allocation of training content and finances the training function is analyzed at two levels. The first level, is the macro-organizational training level while the second level is referred to as the micro-organizational training level. well as a task analysis. At the macro level, the focus is upon identifying the strategic objective of the organization (or business unit(s) as At the micro level, specific training content is developed that supports the outcome(s) of the analysis that was conducted at the macro level. Following macro and micro level analysis, training programs are them implemented. Once implementation has occurred the next step is to obtain feedback and evaluate the quality of the training provided.

The Strategic Training of Employees Model (STEM): The Four Ps Approach MACRO-ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING LEVEL Four Business Strategies MICRO-ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING LEVEL Targeting and the Four Ps of Micro-Organizational Training Level Analysis

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Concentration Strategy

Target Market Who will be receiving the training (Executive Level, Upper Middle Management, Lower Middle Management, Supervisory Level, Non-Management Level)

Internal Growth Strategy Task Analysis External Growth Strategy

Place (Location Factors) On- the- job Off- the-job Equipment required

Product (content of training program) Purpose of training Content and Constraint Factors Presentation Options

Disinvestment

Promotion (communicating information about training program(s) Strategic Planning involvement Company Newsletter Personal Communication Word-of-Mouth

Price (cost considerations) Budgetary Allocation Employees Facility Material Equipment Travel

Training Implementation, Feedback and Evaluation

Macro-Organizational Training Level Analysis. The macro-organizational training level begins by incorporating the business strategy (or strategies) that have been formulated by senior management into the training process. Business strategies have been classified into four general categories (1) concentration, (2) internal growth, (3) external growth and (4) disinvestment (Noe, 1999). A concentration strategy focuses on increasing Page 15

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market share, reducing costs or creating and maintaining a market niche for products and services. An internal growth strategy focuses on new markets and product development, innovation and joint ventures. An external growth strategy (acquisitions) emphasizes acquiring vendors and suppliers or buying businesses that allows the organization to expand into new markets. A disinvestment strategy stresses liquidation and divestiture businesses. These business strategies are not necessarily mutually exclusive and once management has determined the course of action that the organization will pursue the training function should concentrate on developing employee capabilities that will assist in accomplishing the objectives set by management. Given the business strategy, a task analysis should then be conducted to evaluate what jobs, tasks and abilities are necessary to accomplish that strategy. A task analysis generally consists of four steps. The first is the determination of the jobs to be analyzed. Second, a preliminary list of the tasks involved to perform a job is established. Third, the preliminary task list should be validated or confirmed. Finally, the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are necessary to perform the job are identified. Micro-organizational Training Level Analysis After the task analysis is completed, the focus of the training function is shifted towards developing specific training programs that are based upon the task analysis. At this micro-organizational level the training process includes identifying who needs to be trained (targeting) and what should the training content consist of (the Four Ps of micro-organizational training level analysis). The task analysis would have resulted in a list of specific jobs as well as the tasks and the skills required to perform those jobs. From that information, the training function becomes one of targeting specific employees for training and designing training content that will assist those employees in performing their jobs for the ultimate purpose of achieving the strategic objectives established

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by management.

When determining specific training content a four Ps

approach can be utilized. The Four Ps Micro-organizational Training Level Analysis. A four Ps approach (Place, Product, Promotion, and Price) provides a framework for guiding training content decisions. The four Ps approach is a managerial tool utilized in the field of marketing. Place Place analysis refers to the location decisions such as an on-the-job (OJT) or off-the-job training as well as equipment and other facilities criteria. OJT basically involves the trainee working in the actual work setting usually under the supervision of an experienced worker, supervisor or trainer. Examples of OJT programs include job rotation, apprenticeships and internships. alternative to OJT is off-the-job training. An Common examples of off-the-job

training are formal courses, simulations and role playing exercises in a classroom setting. In a classroom situation, some of the facility decisions include evaluating a room in terms of noise level, colours, room structure, lighting, wall and floor coverings, type of chairs, glare, ceiling height, electrical outlets and acoustics. In addition, the seating arrangement should also be considered. Different types of seating arrangements include a fan-type setting, classroom-type setting, conference-type setting and a horseshoe arrangement. Equipment decisions focus upon any multimedia learning tools that may be required including audiovisual or computer based and possibly intelligent tutoring or expert systems equipment. In sum, a proper training location is comfortable, accessible, quite, private, free from interruptions, has sufficient space and equipment to ensure that a quality training involvement is created (Noe, 1999). Product

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Product analysis focuses upon issues such as what is the purpose of the training? How should the training be presented? What organizational constraints limit the amount of training that can be provided? In terms of the purpose of the training, two factors need to be considered. The first involves the determination of whether the reason for the training is training or career development? Training typically provides employees with specific skills or helping to correct deficiencies in their performance while development is an effort to proved employees with the abilities that the organization will need in the future (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin and Cardy, 1995). Besides distinguishing between training and career development, the second factor relating to the purpose of the training is a clear understanding of what type of skills is the training attempting to develop? Skill development could include improving basic literacy, technological know-how, interpersonal communication or problem solving abilities (Robbins, 1995). Thus as a specific training program is being designed the purpose behind the training needs to be reflected in the content. For example, if the purpose is career developments then several training activities are applicable such as mentoring coaching, job rotation and tuition assistance programs (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin and Cardy, 1995) Also associated with content decisions is the determination of what methods should be utilized to present the content. The following table depicts the percentage of companies utilizing various training methodologies.

TRAINING METHODOLOGY Classroom Training Video Audiovisual Role Play

PERCENTAGE OF COMPANIES USING THE METHODOLOGY 94% 74% 56% 52% Page 18

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Case Study Computed-Based Training Using CD-ROM Games Computer-Based Training Using Intranet Adventure Learning Computer-Based Training Using Internet Virtual Reality (Noe, 1999, p. 163)

38% 36% 28% 21% 11% 10% 3%

Besides determining methodologies an overriding issue regarding training content is the organizational reality illustrated by the strategic decision-making equation. Any training program will be subject to organizational constraints and those restrictions will impact the length and breathe of the content. By tying training activities into the strategic management process some organizational constraints might be lessened because the training function becomes an intrigue part of the planning system established to obtain the goals set by management. One final product consideration involves the determination of whether the training activity should be provided by an outside source. If a particular training activity can be provided by an outside vendor at a cheaper cost while ensuring product quality, then that training activity should be subcontracted. Promotion The main objective of the promotion element should be to build a relationship of trust between the training area and other departments with the organization so that the training function will be supported and viewed as a valuable asset to the organization. The level of management support for training can range from low support which means that managers generally accept training and allow employees to attend training or high support where managers actually participate in the training process as a trainer (Noe, 1999). The most effective method of promoting the training function is for the HR department to become more strategic in scope and improve its overall image (HR Focus Survey, 2001). Besides becoming more involved in the strategic NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 19

planning process other promotional avenues include utilizing the company news letter to report training related events and having administrators in the training area as well as the trainers visit managers throughout the organization to promote the benefits of training. Finally the best form of promotion is positive word-of-mouth communication among employees, which is only generated by providing a quality training experience. Price Price analysis focuses upon budgetary considerations. activity. Budgetary analysis Those cost begins with identifying the specific costs associated with developing a training Traditionally, seven cost sources have been utilized. sources include: program development or purchase, instructional materials, equipment and hardware, facilities, travel and lodging, salary of trainer and support staff and finally loss of productivity which trainees attend the program or cost of temporary employees who replace the trainees while they are training. (Noe, 1999). With these cost sources serving as the base an aggregate annual training budged can be determined by identifying each of these costs for specific training activity and then multiplying the total cost of each training activity by the number of training sessions forecasted for the year. Once costs have been determined those figures must be weighted against the benefits received from the training. A number of techniques are helpful to identify the benefits of training including the reviewing of the technical, academic or practitioner literature that summarized the benefits that have been show to relate to a specific training program. Additionally, pilot training programs can be conducted to asses the value of the training or observing the on-the-job performance of the employees after they have received the training cab also serve as an assessment tool. (Noe, 1999). As with any cost-benefit analysis, if the training benefits exceed the cost then the training activity is a value resource for the organization. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 20

Implementation, Feedback and Evaluation If the benefits of a training program exceed its costs then the program should be implemented. Following implementation, feedback will need to be received and an evaluation process should be conducted to ensure that the quality of the program does not diminish. As long as benefits exceed costs the training program should continue to be offered. 2.2 Empirical Literature (Case Studies)

Human Resources practices are very important in order to achieve the strategic objectives of an enterprise. The interaction between training in a firm and the creation of new knowledge on which the developing of innovations is based is a superior organizational capability, that is to say, a dynamical capability. It can become a competitive advantage if it produces sustainable returns, based on distinctive knowledge which is specific, not imitable and non-substitutable knowledge. This is due to certain reasons; first of all, it is difficult to discover the manner in which this is done and to understand the way training practices and the creation of new knowledge interacts in order to create value. Secondly, these practices are developed over a considerably long period of time and involve some very difficult to imitate cultural aspects, management abilities and interpersonal relations. The relationship between training practices developed by an enterprise and the result it achieves can be divided into the following specific aims. To develop a descriptive analysis of the main training strategies such as; the investment in training, training developed by the company itself, incentives for training, training activities and the training necessities detected. To analyze the influence of training practices on an enterprises results.

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 To analyze the influence of technological variables on an enterprises results, describing at the same time the possible relationship between training and technology. Let us look at training from the point of view of the resources-based theory and the relationship between training and results. 1) Training in an organization: analysis from some different points of view. Training in an organization is an issue that can be seen from many points of view and as a part of different lines of study. Indeed, it can be studied as an aspect of HR management, as the intangibles theory, as the resources theory and in relation to intellectual capital, human capital and learning organizations, as some examples from the latest literature on management show. The wide group of perspectives has its origin in the change of view about the human factor in role development. It has become, from being only a cost to minimize, a resource to optimize, a supplier of value for organizations (Becker and Gerhar, 1996). One of the theories that have had considerable influence in recent years is the resource-based theory. The human factor as another resource of the firm is very important issue of study for this theory. The resource- based theory This theory studies business competitiveness and tries to discover the relation between an enterprises resources and its ability to obtain economical benefits from them. It does not try to discard the conventional strategic analysis based on the industrial economy, but only to reflect the change in the sources of competitive advantage during a period of time. However, researchers do not agree upon the nature of the relationship between resources and results of enterprises (De Saa Garcia, 2001).

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Following the resources-based theory, firms can only achieve competitive advantages if they are able to create value in a unique and not-imitable way. The traditional sources of competitive advantage, such as natural resources, technology, economies of scale, etc., are easily imitative compared to the complex social structure that is the human system of en enterprise. So, the strategies related to the human factor can be an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. Why are the deeply embedded HR strategies especially difficult to imitate? There are two factors that determine this fact: the causal ambiguity and the path dependency (Barney, 1991: Collis and Montgomery, 1995). The first of these refers to the necessity of understanding how the elements of a complex system interact in order to be imitated. Are these additive or multiplicative effects? Which are the mechanisms that permit HR politics to create value? It is even more difficult to imitate a system like this by poaching CEOs because there are certain capabilities spread a month the personnel of an enterprise, not only among a few individuals. The second refers to the fact that HR policies are developed over a period of time so a competitor is conscious about the necessity for a period of time before adopting the strategy completely (supposing the system can be understood). In relationship to the difficulty of imitation we have to add some complex social elements like business culture or interpersonal relationship. We have to ask ourselves what role is developed by the training activities from the point of view of the resource-based theory. Knowledge that is stored only in theoretical blueprints is likely to be forgotten unless it is regularly activated, which suggests the importance of skill formation activities. Skill formation encompasses the acquisition of formal knowledge and development activities, but also informal and incidental learning in the workplace. It presupposes the engrained nature of learning in daily work routines and therefore refers less to isolated formalized training measures. Therefore, HR policies such as employee training and management development are unlikely to be the basis NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 23

of the creation of strategic assets, unless they tie into subsequent or contemporaneous skill formation activities, including ongoing daily operational routines. HR management can play a role as a part of a process aimed at preventing the obsolescence of skills by re-activating them (Mueller, 2000). Expenditure on human resource development Evidence in Europe from the Price Waterhouse Cranfield survey shows great interest by employers in increased use of training. Almost all European countries have increased training expenditure for all categories of employees (Holden and Livian, 1992). Similar evidence occurs in Australia, South Africa and USA (Bowmaker-Falconer and Hoeqirz, 1995; Bishop, 1993). However, this expenditure remains a small percentage of remuneration budgets. With the exception of France, the majority of organizations in most countries spend less than 2 percent of budgets on training. Human resource managers in France seem most cognizant of organizational expenditure on training. It is one of the few countries where legislation compels organizations to spend a portion of salary budgets on training. Those that fail to do so are taxed. Factors limiting expenditure on training include difficulty in accurate costing of training, budgetary controls, and poor firm performance often resulting in cuts in training budgets. There is virtually no legislation requiring reporting of training time, types of training received by different categories of employees, access of employees to various types of training and resources deployed. There is widespread ignorance by even human resource managers of training investment in terms of money, time and resources. This evidence suggests that HRD policy and practice have a long way to go before being considered strategic. This conclusion is reinforced by the inadequacy of measures for assessing training needs arising from strategic goals, poorly developed systems for evaluating training effectiveness, and inadequate information systems to capture, record, analyze and communicate HRD information. Other than France, there is little legislative compulsion for organizations to spend part of NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 24

their remuneration budgets on training. This has also been proposed in the skills Development Bill in South Africa (1.5 per cent). The Employment Equity Bill in South Africa also requires employers to introduce special measures to develop designated employees such as Africans and women. of the need for training and investment in people development. 2.3 Summary of Literature It is increasingly acknowledged that sound human resource (HR) practices, and the systematic investment in HRD, have long-term organizational and national economic benefits. Although progressive organizations appear to accept this relationship, strategic HR planning is severely undermined by the lack of reliable information. The effects are the HR strategy and policy are often Organizational formulated in an ad hoc manner, internal practices are not properly evaluated and meaningful external benchmarking is not possible. effectiveness cannot be measure, monitored and repositioned without the capacity to obtain, process and communication information relevant for decision making. Competitive pressures have created need for continuous learning and improvement. Benchmarking is a means of identifying areas for improvement. Although benchmarking activities are increasing internationally, barriers to occupational mobility remain. A difficulty with HRD lies not only with the lack of equality of opportunity for acquiring technical and managerial skills but also with the individual need for obtaining life skills and increased self-confidence; and an organizational culture and reward system which has limited opportunities for growth .(Horwitz et al., 1996). If properly implemented, HRD has the capacity to enhance economic competitiveness. Investing in skills development across organizational levels is vital, as is recognizing and rewarding managers who successfully coach, train NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 25 The French experience suggests that legislative intervention in this regard raises awareness

and develop their staff. This implies flexible career paths which encourage development through taking on real and meaningful responsibilities and experiential learning of the core business. Global competitiveness and technological development require the creation of new knowledge which is communicated to employees and which leads to continuous innovation. Traditional approaches to HRD are in sufficient to meet the changing needs of the contemporary organization. There is a critical need to move from providing narrow technical skills base to acquiring competencies in an ever-expanding range of skills. The view which highlights the supremacy of an organization that learns faster than its competitors, as s sustainable competitive advantage, has led to a burgeoning interest in continuous development and the notion of a learning organization (Hearty and Morley, 1997). Learning occurs at individual, work group and organization levels. A key focus of SHRD is the creation of a learning environment and structural design, which promotes learning and development for performance improvement and competitiveness.

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN 3.0 Introduction This is a study of the assessment of training as a motivator and demotivator at Kenya Ports Authority. This chapter provides a description of the organization under study. It then presents the step by step procedure for this research project. It outlines the population, sample selection, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis and limitations 3.1 Data types and Sources

Questionnaires were used to collect data. The questionnaires comprised of a list of questions which a person is expected to respond to and answer as NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 26

requested by the researcher. The data collection procedure was administered as follows 3.2 Target population/Sample size

The Target group can be defined as the entire group of possible respondents to the research survey questions. Since it will be improbable to survey every individual in my target population of about 4000 staff, a survey of a smaller sub-group of the target population, known as a sample was given structured questions to respond to in a questionnaire form. The sample size (a sub-group of selected respondents derived from the target population) was at least 100 serving employees of the Kenya Ports Authority. This included employees from the five different divisions which are Human Resource, Finance, Technical Services, Legal and Operations. Within these divisions, the study was interested with all the staff i.e. Support staff, supervisory staff and management staff. The researcher sent questionnaires to 100 employees from the different divisions as follows:

Table 1: Target Population / Sample Size

DIVISION WITHIN KPA

NUMBER OF RESPONDENT

Human Resource Finance Technical Services

20 members of staff 20 members of staff 20 members of staff

Legal Services

20 members of staff

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Operations

20 members of staff

Sampling is not expensive and the quality of a study is often better with sampling as opposed to census. 3.3 Research Design

Survey questionnaires were found to be the most appropriate method to use in this research undertaking. The researcher was also able to observe the respondents and recorded the desired information. Survey is more accurate and gives more detailed information from the sampled 100 KPA staff so as to determine the status of the problem as shown in the figure below.

STAGE 1: RESEARCH DEFINITION

UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

IDENTIFY RELEVANT QUESTIONS

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REFINE / REVISE QUESTIONS

CHOOSE DESIGN

DETERMINE TRADE - OFFS

INVENTORY RESOURCES

ASSESS FEASIBILITY

STAGE 2: RESEARCH PLAN DESIGN From the above figure, it can clearly be seen that stage1 of research design entails the understanding of the research problem, identifying the relevant questions to the research problem and refining or revising the same for the purposes of coming up with a well structured questionnaire. The second phase of the research design involves choosing the appropriate research design, assessing its feasibility, confirming the availability of the necessary resources and finally determining the pros and cons of the chosen method and how best it provides the solution to the research problem at hand. The final step is to make critical corrections / improvements on the chosen research design. This forms the end of the research design process.

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3.4

Sampling Techniques

The sampling technique that was used by the researcher is the Stratified Sampling Technique. Stratified sampling is a probability sample selection method in which the population is divided into homogeneous groups (strata) and different sampling methods are applied to the different strata. Strata are usually based on some kind of size indicator. Samples can be designed more efficiently by sub-setting the population into strata based on the size of units, and then using different sampling fractions in each. This is because the variance in each stratum is smaller, meaning that a smaller sampling fraction is needed to obtain a given accuracy. (New Zealand Population clock, 2008) 3.5 were: Questionnaires Questionnaires related to training at Kenya Ports Authority were prepared (framed) and issued to the respondents. Questions that were asked wished to generate responses that could be used to rate training, its needs, competence levels of current staff and the potential for further training in cases of incompetence. In particular, respondents were asked to provide examples from their past experiences showing a specific time when they were trained as per the policy in force. The researcher chose this technique because (1) it is economical in terms of time and money. (2) It is easier to collect information (data) from a wider area / topic. (3) Results are more reliable because one can get information from a large number of respondents. The researcher delivered the questionnaires personally and collected them duly completed after three (3) days. The questions drafted were short, clear and precise to avoid confusing the respondents. All the questions were Training-related and legal. The same NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 30 Data Collection Techniques (Instruments)

The instruments which the researcher used for the purposes of data collection

questions were asked of both male and female respondents/ interviewees. The Researcher endeavored to stick to the predetermined questions only where open ended questions and closed ended questions were used. By open ended questions, the respondents were asked to provide their own answers to the questions e.g. (In your opinion, are the employees in your department well trained for their duties and responsibilities) and provided with a space to write in the answer. By closed ended questions, the respondents were asked to select an answer from among a list provided by the researcher. In constructing the closed ended questions, the researcher tried to include all the possible responses that could have been expected. The questions asked by the researcher addressed two major concerns of this research: the reasons/factors for motivation and demotivation after training. in Kenya Ports Authority. The 80 employees who completed the questionnaires in this study consisted of 41 males and 39 females. The questionnaires were distributed between 25th to 27th March 2008 to the employees. It was estimated that each employee took 30 minutes to complete the questionnaires.

3.6

Data presentation and analysis techniques

The researcher used the Statistical program for the Social Science (SPSS) version 12.0 to analyze the completed questionnaire. The statistical tools used were the averages, frequency counts and percentages. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 31

The analysis of the questionnaires results combined with the statistical applications allowed the researcher to draw factual conclusions regarding the set objectives of the study.

3.7

Delimitations of study.

The delimitations of a study are those characteristics that limit the scope (define the boundaries) of the enquiry. In this research project the following were the delimitations which the Researcher imposed: 1. Kenya Ports Authority comprises of over twenty Departments with each one having its unique problems in terms of service delivery towards achieving the corporate objective. The Researcher decided to only highlight the problems faced by the Training section within the Personnel Department. 2. Though training could be considered to be main source of both motivation and demotivation, there are other causes of motivation and demotivation which were not considered by the researcher to be as important as human resource training. 3. Training, though critical, could not contribute single-handedly to the desired overall productivity within the Authority. Other productivity variables were ignored for the purpose of this research since they were not directly relevant to the research questions. 4. Lack of training was the only factor that was considered to contribute to a lot of wastages through poor workmanship. Other causes of wastages were not of interest to the Researcher in realizing the objectives of the research project. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 32

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATIONS OF FINDINGS, ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATIONS 4.0 Introduction This chapter involves the main focus for this project, namely the findings of the research carried out and the analysis of those findings. The results of the data were determined in the following order: 1. Population and Response Rate NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 33

2. Analysis of demographic profile 3. Respondents working period at Kenya Ports Authority 4. Analysis of the reasons why training can be a motivator to employees in Kenya Ports Authority 5. Analysis of the reasons why training can be a demotivator to employees in Kenya Ports Authority. 6. Other motivating factors 7. Other demotivating factors 4.1 Presentations of Findings As mentioned earlier in Chapter Three, the questionnaire survey was used to conduct training motivational/demotivational factors at the Kenya Ports Authority. The questionnaires were designed to obtain opinions of staff on why training acted as a motivator and demotivator at the Kenya Ports Authority. This study also sought to learn the most significant training which acted as a motivating factor. The total number of respondents was 80 out of 100 representing 80% of the total questionnaires sent. The respondents were separated into two groups: male and female. The total number of male respondents was 41 out of 50 representing 51% of the response rate. The total number of female respondents was 39 out of 50 representing 49% of the response rate. The respondents were asked to provide information about demographic data such as gender, age, position, level of education and the length of employment in the port. 4.1.1 Gender Chart 1 Gender Distribution of Respondents

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49%

MALE

FEMALE

51%

From chart 1 above, the result from 80 employees showed that: fifty one (51%) were male and forty nine (49%) were female. Chart 1 on Respondents Gender Distribution indicates that out of the eighty employees who filled the questionnaires, forty one were male representing 51% while thirty nine were female representing 49%.

4.1.2 Respondents length of employment at Kenya Ports Authority Chart 2: Respondents working period at Kenya Ports Authority.

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15%

5%

15%
Less than 5 years 6 - 10 years 11 - 15 years 16 - 20 years Over 20 years

25% 40%

Chart 2 above indicates the respondents working period at Kenya Ports Authority. In Chart 2 on Respondents working period at the port, twelve respondents representing 15% had worked for less than 5 years, twenty respondents representing 25% had worked between 6 to 10 years, thirty two respondents representing 40% had worked between 11 to 15 years, twelve respondents representing 15 % had worked between 16 to 20 years while four respondents representing 5% had worked for more than 20 years.

1.3

Histogram 1: Age Distribution of Respondents

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Age Distribution of Respondents

40
Frequen cy of R espon dents

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60

A ge Ca t egor ies of Respondent s

Histogram 1 on Age Distribution of Respondents indicated that out of the eighty respondents, twelve were between 20 to 30 years representing 15% forty were between 31 to 40 years representing 50%, twenty were between 41 to 50 years representing 25%, while eight were between 51 to 60 years representing 10%. This statistical histogram shows that most of the employees at the Kenya Ports Authority are young, between the ages of 31 to 40 years.

Level of Education NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 37

Table 2: Level of Education

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

FREQUENCY

PERCENTAGE

Post Graduate

10%

Undergraduate

15

19%

Secondary Education

20

25%

Primary Education

25

31%

No Formal Qualifications

12

15%

TOTAL

80

100%

From Table 2 on the Level of Education, twelve respondents representing 15% have no formal education, twenty five respondents representing 31% have primary level education, twenty respondents representing 25% have secondary level education and 15 respondents representing 19% are undergraduates while 8 respondents representing 10% are postgraduates.

4.1.4 Respondents Position Table 3: Position of respondents at the Port

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RESPONDENTS POSITION AT THE PORT Management Staff

FREQUENCY

PERCENTAGE

28

35%

Supervisory Staff

40

50%

Support Staff

12

15%

TOTAL

80

100%

Table 3 above indicates the position of the respondents in the Port. From Table 3 on position of employees at the port, the researcher found out that out of the eighty respondents, twenty eight were management staff representing 35%; forty were supervisory staff representing 50% while twelve were support staff representing 15% . This statistical report shows that most of the respondents at the port have worked for more than eleven years.

4.1.5 Training as a motivating Factor Table 4: Training as a motivating NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 39

TRAINING MOTIVATING FACTORS Career Flexibility Increasing skill requirements Personal satisfaction Better wages Superior performance Better quality of products or services Greater ability to deal with change Total

FREQUENCY 24 8 4 20 4 12 8 80

PERCENTAGE 30% 10% 5% 25% 5% 15% 10% 100%

Table 4 above indicates the training motivating factors. Table 4 on training as a motivating factor, the researcher found out that out of the eight respondents, twenty four respondents representing 30% indicated that the motivating factor was career flexibility, eight respondents representing 10% indicated increasing skill requirements, four respondents representing 5% indicated personal satisfaction, twenty respondents representing 25% indicated better wages, four respondents representing 5% indicated superior performance, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated better quality of products and services while eight respondents representing 10% indicated greater ability to deal with change. This statistical report shows that better wages and career flexibility ranks higher in the port as motivating factors. Training as a demotivating factor

4.1.6

Table 5: Training as a demotivating factor NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 40

TRAINING FACTORS Substandard training Trainers bad habits Limited training time

DEMOTIVATING FREQUENCY 12 8 4 32 16 8 80

PERCENTAGE 15% 10% 5% 40% 20% 10% 100%

Lack of upward movement after training Lack of opportunity to use acquired skills Unfair treatment Total

Table 5 above on training as a demotivating factor, out of the eighty respondents, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated substandard training, eight respondents representing 10% indicated trainers bad habits which are copied by the trainees, sixteen respondents representing 5% indicated limited training time, thirty two respondents representing 40% indicated lack of upward movement after training, four respondents representing 20% indicated lack of opportunity to use acquired skills, while eight respondents representing 10% indicated unfair treatment.

4.1.7 Other motivating factors NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 41

Table 6: Other motivating factors OTHER MOTIVATING FACTORS Salary Job security Fringe benefits Housing facilities Working environment Interesting job Opportunity of advancement Responsibility Interpersonal relationship Total FREQUENCY 20 12 8 4 4 8 12 8 4 80 PERCENTAGE 25% 15% 10% 5% 5% 10% 15% 10% 5% 100%

Table 6 on other motivating factors out of the eighty respondents, twenty respondents representing 25% indicated salary, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated job security, eight respondents representing 10% indicated fringe benefits, four respondents representing 5% indicated housing facilities, four respondents representing 5% indicated working environment, eight respondents representing 10% indicated interesting job, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated opportunity for advancement, eight respondents representing 10% indicated responsibility, while four respondents representing 5% indicated interpersonal relationship.

4.1.8

Other demotivating factors

Table 7: Other demotivating factors OTHER DEMOTIVATING FACTORS Lack of recognition Poor communication FREQUENCY 24 12 PERCENTAGE 30% 15%

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Lack of teamwork Lack of involvement No inspiring purpose Lack of facing up to poor performance Total

16 8 12 8 80

20% 10% 15% 10% 100%

Table 7 on other demotivating factors, out of the eighty respondents, twenty four respondents representing 30% indicated lack of recognition, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated poor representing 10% indicated lack of communication, sixteen respondents representing 20% indicated lack of team work, eight respondents involvement, twelve respondents representing 15% indicated lack of inspiring purpose while eight respondents indicating 10% indicated lack of facing up to poor performance.

4.2

Analysis and Interpretations

4.2.1 Population and Response rate The questionnaire survey method was used to reach out the Kenya Ports Authority staffs at divisional level. One hundred (100) questionnaires were sent out in batches of twenty per division (KPA has five operational divisions namely Human resource, Finance, Technical services, Legal Services and the Operations) Out of 100 questionnaires sent out 80 were responded to, making the response rate for this research paper to be 80% which is acceptable level. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 43

4.2.2 Demographic Profile a) Level of Education - Of the eighty (80) respondents 54% representing 43 respondents had undergone secondary education and above. This showed that generally majority of the employees of Kenya Ports Authority have good level of education as opposed to 46% which had primary education and below. This showed that majority had capacity to be trained further for career development. b) Position of respondents Of the eighty (80) respondents at least 85% representing 68 respondents were at Supervisory level and above. This showed that majority of the respondents could articulate well the role played by training, its significance and application within the organization. 4.2.3 Training as a Motivating Factor a) Career flexibility b) Increasing skill requirements c) Personal Satisfaction d) Better Wages e) Superior Performance f) Better quality of services g) Greater ability to deal with change 4.2.4 Training as a demotivating Factor a) Substandard Training b) Trainers Bad Habits c) Limited Training Time d) Lack of upward movement after Training e) Lack of opportunity to use acquired skills f) Unfair Treatment NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 44

4.2.5 Other Motivating Factors a) Salary b) Job Security c) Fringe Benefits d) Housing Facilities e) Working Environment f) Interesting Job g) Opportunity of Advancement h) Responsibility i) Interpersonal relationship 4.2.6 Other Demotivating Factors a) Lack of Recognition a higher percentage of the respondents pointed out that apart from training, lack of recognition of their efforts in performance was also a major demotivator. The motto of many managers seemed to be, Why would I need to thank someone for doing something hes paid to do? Respondents repeatedly confided how distressed they were when Managers dont take time to thank them for jobs well done yet are always quick to criticize when a mistake occurs. b) Poor Communication A substantial percentage of respondents (15%) saw a severe, unnecessary restriction of the flow of information within an organization as a demotivating factor. Employees frustration with an absence of adequate communication from their Superiors turned out to be one of the most negative findings of this research paper. c) Lack of Teamwork Almost a quarter of the respondents (20%) had lack of team work as their demotivator. They felt that failure by the Management to promote and encourage teamwork hampered their

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efforts of being productive since most work required a team effort in order to be done effectively. d) Lack of Involvement Lack of involvement on issues affecting them also made some respondents (10%) to be demotivated and therefore lack drive for work. They argued that their Managers were not encouraging them by ignoring their participation on issues which they felt their input was crucial to achieve meaningful progress within their workplace. e) Non-Inspiring Purpose Lack of inspiration from the Supervisors and the Managers featured promptly as one of the reasons for employees demotivation apart from formal training. Twelve percent of respondents felt that though stating the Authoritys mission was a powerful tool, it was not as inspiring to them as the Managers ability to explain to them the reason behind the KPAs mission statement. f) Lack of Facing up to Poor Performance Nearly 10% of the respondents felt that their Supervisors and Managers were not doing enough to discourage laziness. They pointed out that some of their colleagues were in effect allergic to work and felt demotivated to work since these class of employees were a hindrance to their performance. Summary of Findings

4.2

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CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 5.0 Conclusions The purpose of this study was to investigate why training can be a factor of motivation and demotivation, identify why trained staff in Kenya Ports Authority are motivated /demotivated, so as to help the human resources manager to improve on the training factors and reduce absenteeism and turnover through an effective training approach. This chapter will provide a summary and discussion of the research findings of the study. In this chapter, the researcher has included references to literature

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review and shown how the outcomes of this research are similar or different from the ones that have been carried before on the subject of training. From the data gathered from Chapter four from Kenya Ports Authority, the following conclusions can be made;

5.1

Recommendations The study provided information which could be beneficial to the human resources division in better understanding the needs of training in Kenya Ports Authority. The human resource division should be identifying training needs. Training needs can be assessed by analyzing three major human resource areas: the organization as whole, the job characteristics and the needs of the individuals. This analysis will provide answers to the following questions. Where is training needed? Page 48

NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT

What specifically must an employee learn in order to be more productive? Who needs to be trained?

The human resource department should begin by assessing the current status of the organization, how it does what it does best and the abilities of employees to do these tasks. This analysis will provide a benchmark against which the effectiveness of a training program can be evaluated. The organization should know where it wants to be in five years from its long-range strategic plan. What the organization needs is a training program to take it from here to there. Secondly the human resource division should consider whether the

organization is financially committed to supporting the training efforts. If not any attempt to develop a solid training program will fail. Next, the human resource division should determine exactly where training is needed. It is foolish to implement a companywide training effort without concentrating resources where they are needed most. An internal audit will help point out areas that may benefit from training. Also, a skills inventory can help determine the skills possessed by employees in general. This inventory will help the organization determine what skills are available now and what skills are needed for future development. Once the human resources division has determined where training is needed, it should concentrate on the content of the program. Individual employees can be evaluated by comparing their current skill levels or performance to the organizations performance standards or anticipated needs. Any discrepancies between actual and anticipated skill levels should be identified and treated as the input of the next training needs. Training an employee is expensive, especially when he or she leaves the organization for a better job. It is therefore important to carefully select who should be trained. NOAH OLELA ABONGO TRAINING WITHIN KPA PROJECT Page 49

Training programs of Kenya Ports Authority should be designed to consider the ability of the employee to learn the material and to use it effectively, and to make the most efficient use of resources possible. It is also important that employees be motivated by the training experience. Employee failure after training is not only damaging but a waste of money as well. The objectives of the training program at KPA should always relate directly to the training needs identified by the gaps of where the employee is today to where the organization would want them to be in the future. Allowing employees to participate in setting those training goals will increase the probability of success in most training programs.

5.2

Area of further research

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5.3

Bibliography / References Barney, J. (1991): Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage,

Journal of Management, 17, 49-61.

Becker, B. and Gerhart, B. (1966): The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects,

Academy of Management Journal, 39, 4, 779-801.

Bishop, J. (1993), Under investment in employer training Ahaheim, CA, paper presented at Industrial Relations Research Association meeting, pp.670-87.

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Collins, D.J. and Montgomery, C.A. (1995): Competing on Resources: Strategy for the 1990s, Harvard Business Review, 73, 4, 118-128. De Saa, P. and Garcia, M. (200!): El Sistema de Recursos Humanos Y el (English version). Falconer, A., Horwitz, F. (1995), Enhancing competitiveness through strategic HRD, People Dynamics, Vol. 12 No. 8, pp. 15-20. Gomez-Mejia, Luis R., Balkin, David B., and Cardy, Robert L. Managing Human Resources, Prentice Hall, 1995. Gordon, Judith R. Organizational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, 5th edition, 1996. Hellriegel, Don, Slocum, John W. Jr., and Woodman, Richard W. Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition, West Publishing Company, 1995. Heraty, N., Morley, M. (1997), Training and development, in Gunnigle, P., Morley,M., Clifford, N., Turner, T. (Eds), Human Resource Management in Irish

Organisations, Oak Tree Press, Dublin, pp. 127-56.

Holden, L., Livian, Y. (199@), Does strategic training policy exist?, Personnel Review, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 12-22. Horwitz, F. (1996), Executive development: facing the new realities, Journal

of European Industrial Training, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 11-16.

HR Focus Survey, HR Focus, January, 2001, Volume 78, Issue 1, Special Report on Strategic Planning.

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http://www.kpa.co.ke Noe, Raymond, A. Employee Training and Development, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1999. Nzuve, S.N.M, Management of Human Resources A Kenyan Perspective, Revised edition,Tech & Pro Associates Publishers,1997. Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, 8th edition, 1998.

. Appendixes Time table for project frame work***** Budget (Financial Resources)***** Data collections instruments

Questionnaire(s)

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