The impact of training strategies on human resource development in Libyan public commercial banks

This study investigated training and development in Libyan public commercial banks in relation to improving policies and practices to improve skills and performance. It assesses and evaluates training and development from the views of managers and staff. The study considers how organisational culture influences the assessment of staff and their needs and assesses the relationship between gender, experience, qualifications and staff training choices for training.

The study has investigated the problems that trainees and trainers encounter in training and how they could be avoided. The attitudes of three managerial levels, top managers, HRM managers and training and development managers were obtained via 351 survey questionnaires and 12 interviews with three levels of bank managers.

No systematic training needs assessment was undertaken professionally at the banks investigated. The specialised training that staff get sometimes takes place abroad and is influenced by foreign banks and financial institutions whose operating methods can conflict with Libyan banks and culture. Training material is mostly in the form of lectures, discussions, seminars and other traditional methods of training.

Training improves job satisfaction, reduces absenteeism and contributes to a sense of workplace belonging. Nevertheless, this study has found that culture plays a significant role in training and the selection of staff for training, particularly for women. Other influential factors affecting HRD strategies are management style, cultural norms and religion.

This is one of the first studies to attempt to understand the nature of strategic training and development activities in Libyan commercial banks. It identifies the concerns and problems related to the training strategies adopted in order to improve organizational performance. Additionally, the study identifies and proposes factors that will improve staff training, as well as methods of training assessment and evaluation that are required in the context of a business sector that is essential for economic development.