| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of training programs on the organizational
performance of Meru County Government, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research
design, which enabled assessment of the characteristics of the population. The target population
comprised 33 senior-level managers and 677 middle-level employees in 11 departments of the
Meru County Government. The study used the purposive sampling method to sample 11 CECs,
11 directors, and 11 administrators, while the simple random method was used to sample the
middle-level employees’ sample size. In determining the sample size of the population, the
Yamane formula was used to arrive at the sample of 251 middle-level employees. The middle-
level employees answered the questionnaires, whereas the senior-level management was
interviewed. A pilot study was conducted in the Tharaka Nithi County Government.
Additionally, the Cronbach alpha method was used to measure reliability. The study assessed
content and criterion validity. SPSS software version 24 was used to analyze descriptive
statistics such as frequencies, percentages, and means. Additionally, inferential statistics such
as model summary and ANOVA were developed, as well as regression coefficients to
determine the model of the study. The correlation coefficient for training programs was r =
0.501 at α < 0.002 and a 99% significance level, which enabled the study to reject the null
hypothesis. It was concluded that training programs were vital towards enhancing the
performance of the county government. Their contribution made it possible to transfer skills
and knowledge from the management to the staff within reasonable time and environment. The
skills transferred enabled them to remain relevant in their industries and professions. That
notwithstanding, the number of trainings offered to the staff was still few as compared to the
training needs placed by business demands. The study recommends the need for the county
government leadership develop an adequate policy framework that would increase the budget
allocated to training and development programs that can support employees. Additionally, the
departmental managers should encourage the employees to collaborate with their colleagues in
gaining peer-related training on operations. The employees are also encouraged to develop
proactiveness with regard to seeking information and knowledge from the internet and other
external sources so as to become innovative in their roles. They do not necessarily have to wait
for formal training in the county government to take place to gain work-related insights. | en_US |
