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Proceedings of the 9 Symposium on Applied Science, Business & Industrial Research – 2017
ISSN 2279-1558, ISBN 978-955-7442-09-9

Training and Development Effectiveness and Employee Performance: The
Mediating Role of Employee Motivation and Creativity

Rajapaksha RAUK, Deegahawature MMDR
Department of Industrial Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
rajapaksha.udeshika@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Apparel industry has become the Sri Lankan’s largest export industry since 1986.
The employment opportunities and the performance of the employees are highly
identifiable and it contributes to the overall performance of the industry. Thus, managing a
productive work force is a salient factor. Training and development is aiding the employees
in their long run. Therefore investigating the effect of training and development on
employee performance is crucial. Motivated and creative employees are more productive.
Also, they can contribute to the performance of the organization. Therefore, this study
attempts to find out the mediation role of both employee creativity and employee
motivation on employee performance. The Training and Development (T&D) effectiveness
was measured by cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects of T&D programs. Data was
collected from both sewing operators and their supervisors through a structured
questionnaire. Analysis shows a significant positive relationship between T&D effectiveness
and employee performance. Results illustrates that there is no mediation effect of both
employee motivation and employee creativity for the relationship of T & D effectiveness
and employee performance.

KEYWORDS: Apparel industry, Creativity, Motivation, Performance, Training and
development
productivity. In this regard, Training and
1 INTRODUCTION
development makes employee ready to work
by imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Apparel industry has become the Sri
Lankans’ largest export industry since 1986. Motivation transforms human resources into
Thus, it plays a momentous place in Sri effective action (Saeed & Asghar, 2012).
Lankan economy (Embuldeniya, 2015). Motivated employees become more
Future as well as present development of industrious. Training and development
this industry merely depends on the skillful programs are initiated with the aim of
motivating employees and to make the
workforce. The industry gradually loses the
comparativeness and competitive workforce confident on work. According to
advantages enjoyed over time. Also, a Amabile (1988), creativity refers to the
gradual declining can be grasped in the constellation of personality and intellectual
contribution for the economy and traits shown by individuals. Thus,
innovative and creative ideas of employees
employment (Embuldeniya, 2015). Due to
this, Sri Lanka should look beyond the have positive effect on overall performance
traditional approaches of management in of the entire organization.
order to enhance apparel exports.
Therefore, examining the current
training and development practises and
Understanding about employee
performances and their attitudes towards their effect on the employees’ performance
their job will make management easy for in the apparel industry become essential.
decision making. Also, making the Therefore, this study explores the impact of
workforce more skillful by providing them the training and development on employee
the relevant knowledge leads to high performance in the apparel industry.

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