Influence of Technical Training on Organizational Performance of Sugar Industry in the South Nyanza Zone of Kenya

Training as an investment is a means of attracting and retaining human capital as well as getting better returns from those investments. These returns are expected to improve on performance, productivity, capacity and innovation which should result to improvement of the skill base and increasing levels of knowledge and competence of employees. Sugar companies in Kenya face rapid and stiff competition due to ever rapid changing market environments. The general objective of the study was to establish the influence of technical training on overall organizational performance of sugar industry in the South Nyanza Zone of Kenya. This study used descriptive survey design. The population of the study was the management staffs in the respective industries which constitute 278 management staff at Sony Sugar Company Limited, 104 management staff at Transmara Sugar Company and 115 management staff of Sukari Sugar Company translating to 597 management staff. The sample size comprised of 80 management staff from Sony, 54 management staff from Transmara and 57 management staff from Sukari Sugar Kenya Limited translating to 191 respondents. This study employed stratified random sampling in which the population was first divided into three different industries namely: Sony, Transmara and Sukari Sugar Company; thereafter respondents were drawn in proportion to their original numbers in the population using simple random sampling technique. The study used questionnaires as the main data collection instruments. Quantitative data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics which include the mean, median, standard deviation and percentages as well as inferential statistics such multiple regressions. The study found out that there was a positive linear relationship between technical training and organizational performance. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that a sound training philosophy should be established to encompass technical training.