Employees’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Training And Development Practices: A Case Study Of Insurance Firms In Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study sought to identify the effectiveness of training and development practices of Ghana Insurance companies. The objective of the study is to ascertain, identify and find out the perceptions of staff about the effectiveness of training and development practices in the insurance industry in Ghana. The study employed the qualitative approach, cross-sectional design and sampled thirty (30) respondents (staff) from three insurance companies in Ghana using an interview guide as the data collection instruments. By employing the thematic analysis, the study revealed that staff perceived training as an activity which enhances their performance, equips them with skills and imparts knowledge into them. The study also disclosed that development was an activity that leads to succession plan and improving human resource capacity. The study further revealed that firms dimension of training practices to include on-the-job training and off-the-job training with coaching and mentoring as the dimensions of development practices. With regard to relative strengths of training and development practices, the study showed that training of new recruits was rated as the most frequent training practice, while coaching was rated as the most frequent development practice. The study however ascertained that the meaning of effectiveness from staff perspective occurs at a point where organisation attains its goals as well as when staff practice what they have learnt at training and able to transfer the knowledge obtained unto their job. The meaning of development effectiveness was also seen to relate to leadership competence and succession plaining. The study therefore recommended that management of the insurance companies adopt training and development practices as indicators for the success in the insurance industry as a whole.