13th Annual International Management Conference Proceeding

Conclusions
From the findings, there is no doubt that all the participants experienced improved business performance as a result of
the training. Therefore, the training had played a major role in business performance improvements experienced among
participants in the two provinces. This is an indication that the training had a positive impact on their entrepreneurial
activities. The environmental factors found from this study, include information from the training provider that there
will be follow-up after the training. This agrees with findings from previous researches that when trainees are informed
that there will be follow-up, they become more motivated to transfer training. It can be concluded that prior follow-up
information and supervision are important for transfer of training in an agricultural context.
Peer support and networks were also found to have played a significant role in the transfer of training in this context.
Most of the participants consulted one another and had gone on to form community mobilization groups. In addition,
they worked closely with extension officers. Consultation and guidance are crucial for transfer of training in an
agricultural context.
Community micro-finance programmes were also significant in the transfer of training in this context. The training
programme did not have an in-built credit component and therefore, participants had to access funding from
community micro-finance programmes to enable them participants implement their action plans.
Other environmental factors included the availability of markets for the farm produce. With ready markets like
schools, neighbours and supermarkets, most of the participants were able to farm and sell their produce. This was an
aspect that motivated them to transfer as seen in the expansion of their farm activities. However, climatic conditions
became a hindrance to the transfer of training to an extent. Most of the participants were not able to transfer the skills
to their farming activities due to prolonged draught periods.
Most of the participants had their attitudes towards farming changed; they were doing it as a business, not a routine
activity as was the case before. Without a changed attitude, the participants would not have learnt any KSAs and
would also not have applied them to their business activities. For instance, the Maasais had embraced crop farming as
opposed to animal farming only.
The one trainee ability that emerged as important across tasks and context was the general cognitive ability. This was
true of this study as reflected in the participants’ ability to employ major cognitive processes such as evaluation,
judgement, memory, recognition and action planning which were used in their daily activities. For instance, they made
decisions regarding what crops to farm, when and in what quantity. This was further manifested in their innovative
and risk-taking tendencies as well as their ability to keep business records, which they used to gauge which business
activities were more productive and to ascertain their business performance levels.
From the study findings and analysis, it can be concluded that though other personal and environmental factors such
as markets, changing climatic conditions and credit inadequacy were at play, the training played a major role in the
business improvements made. The training had enhanced the trainees’ capacity to assess the environment for
opportunities, which they exploited to improve their performance. This was clearly manifested in new business
practices, breeds and varieties and high risk-taking propensity in a rural context. However, the situation was not the
same across participants from the two communities. Kikuyus were more entrepreneurial than Maasais as revealed by
the study findings in both provinces.
The study also concluded that follow-up and evaluation of training serves both to enhance application of KSAs
acquired and determines its effectiveness and impact on target beneficiaries, thus satisfying the accountability
requirement in training. The environment factors common to other organizations such as networking, credit, facilities
and peer support were confirmed in this study. However, supervisory support was not the case since the participants
were owner-managers who made and implemented their business decisions.
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