13th Annual International Management Conference Proceeding

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The Influence of Work Environmental Characteristics on Training Outcomes in Agribusiness: Case of the Rift Valley and Central Provinces of Kenya By: Samuel Obino Mokaya 10 , Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Damary Sikalieh 11 , United States International University, Kenya Paper presented at 12 th Annual Makerere University Business School International Management Conference, 21 st – 24 th November 2006, Kampala, Uganda Abstract The influences of work environment on the transfer of training of participants in an Enterprise Development Programme were examined in this study. Training is considered a major strategy to improve enterprise performance since it equips entrepreneurs with knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) for application. However, training does not automatically translate into practice, creating the transfer problem. Therefore, the challenge lies in the ability of the trainees to apply the KSAs acquired. Measurement of the impact and role of training on enterprise performance is a vehicle for establishing accountability and effort justification. The study sought to determine whether the transfer climate matters when it comes to the transfer of training in an agricultural context. Thirty participants in enterprise development training from Rift Valley and Central Provinces of Kenya were used in this qualitative study. Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires, administered through personal interviews. To authenticate the results, data was triangulated through observations and document analysis. Results indicated that the trainees had experienced improved business performance as a result of the training. All participants experienced increased income/profits and better living standards. A major notable difference in the two Provinces was that participants in Central Province were more entrepreneurial engaging in more diversified activities than those in Rift Valley Province. The study also revealed other contextual factors in addition to the generally documented factors. Inadequate funds affected the application of KSAs in both provinces, as the training did not have any credit provision and linkage. The study concluded that training had played a major role in improved enterprise performance; culture had an influence in the application of the KSAs. The study recommended that training for the MSE sector should be participant needsdriven to enhance transfer and application; be linked to credit provision; provide an opportunity to practice during and after the training and have in-built follow-up and evaluation so as to facilitate required changes and adjustments to improve training effectiveness. Key words: Training, skills transfer, work environment factors, enterprise performance Background to the Study Training is a planned process aimed at modifying attitudes, knowledge or skills through learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities (Osborne, 1996). It is providing entrepreneurs with information and knowledge, which they translate into practice with a view to enhancing enterprise effectiveness and productivity (de Silva, 1997). Research that examines the influence of the work environment on post-training behaviour is valuable because it can help to move beyond the question of “whether training works” toward a better understanding of “why training works” (Campbell, 1988; Tannenbaum & Yukl, 1992). Training has often been regarded as a major mechanism for equipping people with knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to enable them engage into productive activities. This view is further strengthened by Fluitman (1989), who contends that training involves the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes, which is organized to prepare people for organized activities. In addition, it is expected that the KSAs acquired during training will be transferred and applied effectively as a factor for improved job performance (Machin & Forgarty, 1997). However, there appears to be a widespread failure of learners to apply the knowledge acquired during training to their jobs. Thus training does not automatically translate into practice, creating the transfer problem (Broad & Newstrom, 1992 and Ford, 1994). Fluitman (1989), suggests that a carefully designed training programme should be based on needs, linked to opportunities for immediate results and complimented with follow-up services and periodic evaluation to determine 10 Samuel Mokaya is an Assistant Registrar (Production) and Part-time Lecturer in Entrepreneurship & Management at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. He is also a 2 nd year Ph.D. student in Entrepreneurship Development at Kenyatta University, Kenya (skomokaya@yahoo.com) 11 Dr. Damary Sikalieh is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship & Management at the United States International University (USIU), Nairobi, Kenya (dsikalieh@usiu.ac.ke) 93
whether those trained start their own enterprises or not. His sentiments are supported by Harper (1983), who says that any entrepreneurship training programme should be designed to include or at least reveal and develop entrepreneurship in an individual. Such a training designed so as to increase entrepreneurship should be offered as part of an integrated programmed which includes technical and management aspects and an opportunity for trainees to put together proposals for their new business or expansion of existing ones. Whether a training programme has contributed to improved business performance or not, should be a major concern for training providers. As budgets are tightened and return on investment is closely scrutinized, measurement of training effectiveness is a vehicle for establishing accountability (Fenwick & Parsons, 2000), making evaluation of training urgent for both internal and external customers who are asking for evidence of programme effectiveness (Fluitman, 1990 and Harper, 1983). This viewpoint is further strengthened by Louks (1987), who argues that good training programmes should include rigorous evaluation as an important part of their on-going activities. He further says that, just as the owner of a successful business takes action to make changes to certain departments not performing up to standard, so too must an entrepreneurship development programme be prepared to change, add or delete a component that is not in line with the programme objectives. This will also improve future services to clients and ensure efficiency in programme delivery (Gibb, 1991 and Oakland, 1999). Training providers are, therefore, under pressure of being evaluated not only on their ability to elicit positive reactions from trainees and to show evidence of learning, but also on the extent to which they are able to improve human performance and to show a bottom-line result, which is a positive return on investment (Holton, 1996). Even when training provides relevant knowledge, utilization of that knowledge on the job is usually difficult and when the knowledge gained during training is not utilized, the training is considered a waste of money, time and resources. Without a thorough understanding of the complex relationships between training and the use of the knowledge on the job, transfer problems will continue to be an obstacle to enterprises seeking superior performance through training. Many studies into the transfer of training have shown that only 10% to 15% of knowledge from a training session transfers to the job (Baldwin & Ford, 1988; Broad & Newstrom, 1992; Garavaglia, 1993; Georgenson, 1982). In addition, several efforts have been made to expand the training perspective (Tannenbaum & Yuki, 1992). Researchers (Baldwin & Magjuka, 1991; Hicks & Klimoski, 1987; Noe & Schimitt, 1986) have recognized the importance of several environmental characteristics and have examined variables outside the immediate training environment that may be important to the success of the training effort. The transfer climate here is defined as the work environment factors perceived by the trainees to encourage or discourage their use of knowledge, skills and abilities learnt from training on the job (Broad & Newstrom, 1992; Goldstein, 1993; Baldwin & Ford, 1988). In this regard, course information provided to trainees, accountability to the supervisor and programme status (Baldwin & Magjuka, 1991); supervisor support (Broad, 1982; Huczynski & Lewis, 1990; Michalak, 1981; Nadler, 1971; Tannenbaum & Yukl, 1992, Zemke & Gunkler, 1985) and organizational management and peer support (Cohen, 1990; Cromwell & Kolb, 2002), all affect the extent to which training is transferred on the job. Therefore, the transfer of training must be a concern for all those who plan, teach and evaluate, and those who support the programmes. Whereas the role of training in the corporate context seems to receive much-needed attention, the same is not the case in an entrepreneurial context, especially in micro and small enterprises (MSEs), which seems to have been neglected (Paul, Ickis, & Levitsky, 1989). Efficiency of performance is not just critical for the survival of large and medium organizations only, but MSEs, equally need to address the transfer problem in order to be able to transform themselves into medium and larger enterprises that can compete globally. In addition, various trainee characteristics, training design and the transfer environment factors have been identified from previous research. Most of these factors have been identified using the corporate or medium and large businesses but not many factors have been established in agricultural-based micro enterprises. This study is one of those attempts to explore the transfer environment factors on enterprise performance in an agricultural context. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study was to determine the work environment factors that influence the transfer of training in an agricultural MSE context and how this in turn influences enterprise performance. The study observed the socioeconomic changes in the lives of the participants both at the individual, household and business levels. Specifically, the 94
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Gender diversity on the Board, Inte
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its own. Relationship-based assets
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Boards, for example, enable the fir
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H7: Firms with diverse boards are i
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29. Johnson, J., Daily, C., and Ell
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population in Kenya especially in a
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John Adair highlighted the importan
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PRACTICAL ANALYSIS TO RESOLVING KEY
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SUB-THEME : SOCIO-CULTURAL ISSUES A
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ecognize and nourish their capabili
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threatened by increased dynamism in
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2.0 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK At the ro
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2.1 Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Dev
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FIGURE I: THE ROLE OF KENYA INSITIT
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4.2.3 Researches Services This is a
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Source: GOK, Central Bureau of Stat
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with regard to training, research a
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REFERENCES 1. Balunywa Waswa, (2004
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APPENDIX I: SCHEDULED PROGRAMMES RU
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economy activities that include one
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III. SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE (S
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two professors used a survey questi
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V. RECOMMENDATIONS : ADDRESSING THE
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16. International Finance Corporati
Page 49 and 50: DEVELOPING INTRAPRENEURSHIP IN SMAL
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Page 53 and 54: The intrapreneur is really the corp
Page 55 and 56: Figure 1 The Model of Intrapreneurs
Page 57 and 58: 1. Leadership - Any organizational
Page 59 and 60: to (Kolveried and Amo, 2002). This
Page 61 and 62: REFERENCES 1. Antoncic, Bostjan and
Page 63 and 64: 39. Kibas, Peter B. and George O. K
Page 65 and 66: 75. Whitehead Martin (2004). Rescue
Page 67 and 68: Perceived desirability Perceived fe
Page 69 and 70: experience empathy is a social entr
Page 71 and 72: ATTITUDES (Behavioral beliefs x Out
Page 73 and 74: Sociologists and organizational the
Page 75 and 76: accountability. They assess their p
Page 77 and 78: DETERMINANTS OF AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT
Page 79 and 80: The Objective of the study The obje
Page 81 and 82: A production function portrays an i
Page 83 and 84: But, Y � ax j i i bi xj b ui je .
Page 85 and 86: Land Land size and land fragmentati
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Page 89 and 90: REFERENCES: 1. Chambers R. (1983) R
Page 91 and 92: The training approach to small ente
Page 93 and 94: Topic of Training No. of Respondent
Page 95 and 96: Key to Figure A - More capital inve
Page 97 and 98: Conclusion programmes were implemen
Page 99: Bibliography 1. Abrahamson, R and H
Page 103 and 104: Changes were also noted in business
Page 105 and 106: Conclusions From the findings, ther
Page 107 and 108: References 1. Baldwin, T. T., & For
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13th Annual International Management Conference Proceeding

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