INFLUENCE OF EMPLOYEES TRAINING ON PRODUCT QUALITY POTENTIAL OF SELECTED FOOD MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of employees training on product quality potential of selected food manufacturing firms in South East Nigeria. Specific objectives included to: examine the effect of workers' technological skill on product packaging of selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria, determine the effect of off-the-job training on product modifications of  selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria, and assess the effect of on-the-job training on product innovation of selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria. The population of the study was four thousand, eight hundred and thirty (4830) staff of the sampled firms. The sample size of 352 was determined using Freund and Williams formula. A total of 348 staff returned the questionnaire and accurately filled them. The validity of the instrument was tested using content analysis and the result was good. The reliability was tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). It gave a reliability co-efficient of 0.83 which was also good. Data were presented and analyzed by mean scores (3.0 and above agreed while below 3.0 disagreed) and standard deviation using Sprint Likert Scale. The hypotheses were tested using Z-test statistic. The findings indicated that workers' technological skill had positive effect on product packaging of selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria, Z (95, n = 348) =5.215, p > 0.05, off-the-job training had positive effect on product modifications of  selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria, Z (95, n = 348) =4.096, p > 0.05, and also on-the-job training had positive effect on product innovation of selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria, Z (95, n = 348) =5.983, p > 0.05. The study concluded that there was positive effect of workers' technological skill on product packaging, off-the-job training positively affected product modifications and that there was significant positive effect of on-the-job training on product innovation of selected food manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria. The study therefore recommended among others that effective training programmes should be provided to all employees of food manufacturing firms to enable them enhance their skills as well as upgrade their knowledge.