ABSTRACT
The
study examined the effect of training as a correlate on productivity of
workers in the First Bank Nigeria Plc and Access Bank Plc located in
Lagos State. The study examined four research questions and four
research hypotheses which were formulated in the null forms. The
significance of the study was also examined which its scope was limited
to First Bank Nigeria Plc and Access Bank Plc located in Lagos
State. Extensive and related literature were reviewed in relation with
various authorities under the following sub-headings: Theoretical
framework, concept and nature of training, the need for training
employees, concept of management development, corporate
productivity, identifying training needs, factors that affect employees’
productivity, the outcomes of training of workers, types of training
technique, and relationship between training and employee
productivity. The methodology which further dwelt on the following:
research design, population, sample and sampling technique,
instrumentation, procedure for data collection and procedure for data
analyses. Data analyses were carried out in which the bio-data and the
questions were analysed using the simple percentage frequency count
while the hypotheses formulated were tested with the application of the
Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient statistical tool at 0.05
level of significance. At the end of the exercise, the following results
were obtained: training will significantly enhance productivity among
bank workers, there is a significant gender difference in the
performance of bank workers due to training, there is a significant
difference in product knowledge of low income and high income bank
workers, and training will significantly improve the performance of bank
workers.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1Background to the Study
The
low productivity of employee could be seen as malady affecting
performance of organizations. The cause of the problem could be as a
result of lack of staff training on workers productivity. There may be
many reasons why banks invest in training and management development for
their employees. Several factors contribute to the low productivity of
workers in the Nigerian banking industry. Foremost among the factors
include; late payment of workers, poor salary and non-sponsoring of
training programmes for workers on-the-job and off-the-job training
programmes. Lack of training of bank workers may usually lead to decline
in productivity.
Gender,
in an organization where they do lots of marketing like the banking
industries and insurance companies, research have shown that female
staff perform better than their male counterparts. This is because the
female marketers take their job more serious than the male marketers.
They put more interest in their job by being very neat, looking
attractive, being bold and mastering the job while the male marketers
are less productive because it could they are not well trusted by their
clients, they have other business they are doing elsewhere which make
them not to have interest in their work. Their inability to compete with
their female counterpart could be as a result of lack of adequate
training in the organizations.
Low
income could be a barrier to high productivity. For example, bank
workers produce low quality services when they are not exposed to
periodic training and retraining. They become non competitive with their
colleagues in the other industries who are exposed to constant
training. In many cases, the non-exposure to staff on the training
programme has caused the folding up of banks in the past and even now.
This is because when staff fail to produce maximum services due to lack
of training on the job, the resultant effect could be a folding up of
the affected organization. The employee put their interest in the job
when there is motivation through better pay. A situation where bank
workers are not trained, they would lack the ability to handle or
operate the equipment that are available in the bank which will make
their production to be low and it could bring about low income or
deduction in their salary. Low income in an organization could be caused
as a result of lack of training of staff on product knowledge. Training
has always been of great importance to organization and people at work.
It forms part of the motivational tools that improves productivity.
Training
of bank staff is needed in order to enhance workers’ self-esteem, to
boost workers’ morale in the industry. Training could help to induce
certain behavioural changes in the employees. For example, many bankers
do not understand the importance of customers. They do not exhibit the
cordial relationship between worker and customer. Most of them are very
snobbish and insultive and do not relate well with their colleagues and
customers, most of the bank workers lack good exhibition of marketing
skill which will make them not to relate well with their customers.
Training could be made a continuous process that should last through an
employee’s entire working life because low and middle employees need to
adapt to new skills and technologies while managers and top management
personnel need deeper knowledge and understanding of their jobs, the
jobs of others, good understanding of where and how their jobs fit into
the wider organizational pattern. Poor staff/customer relationship could
be as a result of lack of training on staff/customer relation in an
organization, especially, First Bank and Access Bank.
Bank
workers require training because the banking work is a very sensitive
job which requires expertise and knowledge of the job. It is on that
basis that the research is undertaking a study of staff training as a
correlate of workers’ productivity in Lagos State with reference to
First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Access Bank Plc.
1.2 Statement of Problem
The
problem inherent in non-exposure of bank staff to organizational
training cannot be over-emphasised. This is because, there exists the
problem of lack of male training programme, lack of funds for the
training programme, for both on-the-job and off-the-job training
programmes, poor productivity knowledge by the workers as a result of
non-exposure to relevant training programmes and so on.
For
instance, a situation where bank workers are not exposed to on-the-job
training, the resultant effect could be lack of the abilities and
expertise to handle the job effectively, and this by extension, will
result to low job performance and dismal job productivity, which may
even result to the closure of the bank. Poor job training has led
workers to exhibit poor customer relations and poor quality of service
due to non-exposure to periodic training and retraining on the job.
Also, workers in the bank become non-competitive with their counterparts
in other banks if they are not trained to live up to expectation and be
at par with current events or developments in the contemporary banking
industry. No wonder, there is poor exhibition of marketing skills and
negative job behaviour which is counter productive to the bank as a
result of lack of training.
The
above identified problems gave rise to the examination of staff
training as a correlate of workers’ productivity in First Bank and
Access Bank Plc.
1.3 Purpose of Study
1. To evaluate the impact of training on workers’ productivity in the banking sector.
2. To examine whether gender difference exists in the productivity rates of bank workers due to
3. To find out whether low income bring about how product knowledge.
4. To ascertain whether training of employees can indeed improve workers’ performance in the banking sector.
1.4Research Questions
1. Is there any effect of training on workers’ productivity in the banking sector?
2. Is there any gender difference in the productivity rates of bank workers due to training?
3. Does low income bring about productivity?
4. Can training indeed improve workers’ performance in the banking sector?
1.5Hypotheses
The following hypotheses will be formulated and tested in the course of the study
1. H0: Training will not significantly enhance productivity amongst bank workers.
2. H0: There will be no significant gender difference in the performance of bank workers due to training.
3. H0: There will be no significant difference in product knowledge of low income.
4. H0: Training will no significantly improve performance of bank workers.
1.6Significance of the Study
This study will be beneficial to some individuals and corporate organizations which include:
The
bank workers would benefit from the finding and recommendations of this
study, in that it will enable them to have better insight of the
importance of training and its effect on job productivity and corporate
profitability in the banking sector.
The
banking system is an organization which requires training and
retraining of its staff for better and higher productivity and corporate
profitability. With the findings and recommendations of this study,
managers in the investigated banks would be able to have better
understanding concerning the training and retraining of their staff and
its positive effects on productivity.
Bank
management will through this study, understand better that exposing
workers to constant training and retraining, will bring about workers
change in behaviour and attitudes towards their customers.
1.7Scope of the Study
This
study was restricted to the effect of training as a correlate on the
productivity of workers in the First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Access Bank
Plc located in Lagos State.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
The
study was limited by the chances of getting the people within the staff
of the banks easily for the collection of data since they are mostly
busy with field operations. Time and protocol of obtaining clearance
from the branch managers before having access to interact with their
workers especially on official hours also will elongate the study.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Training: This
means training somebody for something in order to be somebody or
something; the act of giving teaching and practice to an individual or a
worker in order to bring to a directed standard of behaviour,
efficiency or physical condition.
Productivity: The total volume of goals and services produced per worker within a specific period of time in a given production unit.
Workers’ Productivity: This
has to do with the total output or result of work obtainable from the
input of employees in any organisation. In other words, it is the total
production level of all the workers in a company, industries, schools
and other parastatals within the private and public sectors.
Employee Behaviour: Refers to manners, moral conduct and treatment shown to or towards management
Staff Training: This means the exposure of bank workers to on-the-job training so as to gain knowledge for high productivity.
Low Product Knowledge: This is a situation where workers’ production in terms of service is below expectation by management.
Staff/Customer Relationship: This refers to the staff-customer cordial relationship which is healthy for growth of the bank.
Staff Behaviour: This
refers to the overall behaviour of bank staff either to the fellow
staff or to the public (customers), which may be positive or negative.