HUMAN RESOURCE TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE OF OIL FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between human resource training and employee performance of oil firms in Port Harcourt Rivers State. The study was operationalized - human resource training as the predictor variable with dimensions of on-the-job training, off-the-job training and transfer of skill while employee performance as the criterion variable with measures of quality service delivery, innovativeness and cost reduction. The study adopted Cross-sectional survey research design. The population of the study consisted of twenty-six (26) oil firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The sample size for the study was 280 respondents selected from the twenty-six (26) oil firms under survey in Port Harcourt, this sample size was determine using Taro-Yamen. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection for this study. 280 questionnaire was administered, 240 was retrieved, 40 unretrieved and 235 of the questionnaire was utilized. The inferential statistical tool, the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (Rho), was used in the test of the bivariate hypotheses, while the Partial Correlation Technique was used in the test for the multivariate hypothesis, using SPSS version 24. The study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between on-the-job training and quality service delivery, there is a significant relationship between off the job training and innovativeness, there is a significant positive relationship between transfer of skills and cost reduction. The study concluded that there is a positive relationship between human resource training and employee performance of oil firms in Port Harcourt Rivers State. The study recommended among others that oil firms should invest in robust on-the-job training programs that provide employees with practical skills and knowledge directly relevant to their daily tasks.