EFFECT OF JOB TRAINING APPROACHES ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT NAKURU PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Employee training methods form an indispensable strategic tool for employee performance and by extension organizational success justifying the reasons for the ever increasing budgets on an annual basis purposely to enhance employee performance in the health sector. Every year, Kenya’s Ministry of health spends a substantive amount of money on employee training with key emphasis on providing quality health services. However, even after devolving health services in the new 2010 constitutional dispensation, quality of health services is still wanting as evidenced by the staff unrest and patient complaints. With that in the hindsight, this study sought to establish if the various job training approaches have effect on employee performance of the Nakuru provincial General hospital. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of job training methods on employee performance in health sector at Nakuru provincial hospital. Three theories namely Attitude Theory, Motivation Theory and General Systems Theory (GST) guided this study. Using a descriptive survey design the target population consisted of employees from various departments of the hospital such as Nurses, doctors, pharmacists, clinical officers, laboratory technicians and health records staff at Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. A sample size of 226 respondents was selected using a sampling matrix of Krejcie and Morgan from a total population of 550 possible respondents. The data was collected by the use of both open and close ended questionnaires which were delivered by the researcher on drop and pick later basis. Secondary data for health performance index of the hospital for a retrospective period of three years (2012-2014) was also collected. A pilot test was undertaken at Nakuru Provincial Hospital to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics which were done with the aid of SPSS. Descriptive results involved calculation of frequencies, ranking, percentages, mean and standard deviations. Pearson Correlation analysis was used for establishing the association between independent and dependent variables. From the descriptive results, 92.92% respondents indicated that training generally brings about performance change while 7.08% indicated that it does not bring about performance change. The findings show there is a strong association between job rotation (r=0.667), Coaching (r=0.753) and employee performance while simulation (r=0.480) and Vestibule training (0.390) have a moderate association with employee performance according to Cohen correlation decision rules. However, vestibule training method was found to be rarely used in the hospital. Overall both on the job and off the job training methods are occasionally undertaken in Nakuru General Hospital. The Hospital performance index shows improved performance which can be attributed to training approaches. The study concludes that job training approaches have effect on employee performance at the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. These findings may be useful to the managers of health facilities and contribution to both theory and body of knowledge on employee training and its relationships.