Impact of Training and Development on Administrative Staff Performance: Evidence from Selected National Universities in Taiwan

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Training and development (T&D) programs are pivotal in national universities, serving as a response to the rapid changes in activities, equipment, and technology. However, there is a paucity of empirical research on the influence of these programs specifically on the performance of administrative staff working in departmental offices of national universities in Taiwan. As a result, this study was aimed to examine the impact of T&D programs on the performance of administrative staff engaged in their routine tasks across various departmental offices in national universities of Taiwan. The primary data collection method utilized for this study was semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, resulting in eight interviews with departmental administrative staff members from six national universities in Taiwan. To ensure the validity of the interview questions, a two pilot interviews were conducted before carried out the actual interviews. Similarly, to uphold the validity of interviews, the researcher employed a dual approach by incorporating both tape-recording and hand-writing methods respectively. Furthermore, consistency was maintained throughout the data collection and analysis phases to ensure the reliability of the study's findings. The study provides valuable insights to national universities, shedding light on the influence of training and development programs on the performance of their administrative staff members. The findings of this study indicated the importance of T&D initiatives in meeting job performance expectations, addressing job clarity concerns, resolving work-related problems and fostering teamwork abilities among administrative staff members in national universities. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that all national universities in Taiwan should implement regular T&D programs to foster administrative development. By doing so, national universities can effectively address task force-related issues and implement necessary changes to enhance overall performance. This study addressed the empirical gap in understanding the impact of T&D programs on the performance of administrative staff members working for a national university departmental office. The outcomes of this study have practical implications for national universities in Taiwan, guiding them to invest in T&D initiatives aimed at improving the performance of their administrative staff members.