Abstract

Purpose
This study examined the effect of human resource development practices on employee performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable among academic staff at Mizan Tepi University.

Methods
A standardized Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to academic staff members selected through stratified random sampling from eight colleges at Mizan Tepi University. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including a structural equation model and t-tests, were used for data analysis.

Results
The study found a significant positive correlation between human resource development practices and employee performance. Job satisfaction was identified as a mediator between HRM practices and employee performance. Specific dimensions of human resource development practices, such as training and development, academic career development, teamwork spirit, and counseling, had significant effects on employee performance, with both positive and negative impacts observed. Additionally, academic career development, succession planning, and counseling were found to have a statistically significant positive effect on the academic staff at Mizan Tepi University.

Conclusions
This study found that training and development, academic career development, teamwork, counseling, and job satisfaction significantly impact employee performance. The results of the regression analysis using the SEM model revealed that job satisfaction, training and development, and teamwork positively affect academic staff performance while negatively affecting academic career development and counseling. Academic career development, teamwork, counseling, and succession planning were found to have a positive effect on job satisfaction. The mediation analysis indicated that academic career development and counseling partially mediate employee performance, while succession planning fully mediates it. Therefore, focusing on training and development, performance appraisal, rewards, teamwork, academic career development, succession planning, and counseling is essential to enhancing job satisfaction among academic staff at Mizan Tepi University.

Introduction

A framework for increasing human capital inside an organization by developing the company and its employees to boost performance is known as human resource development [1]. Through planned learning activities, human resource development practices create essential competencies that people in companies need to accomplish their present and future roles. Consequently, the concept of HR development has emerged as a strategy to enhance the capacity of existing employees in organizations to perform their duties efficiently. Human resource development (HRD) practices apply to various types of organizations within the business sector that use HRD to initiate and manipulate exchanges that include knowledge sharing, skill development, information transfer, collaboration, feedback, or mentorship. HRD also guarantees a healthy balance between the desires of individual employees and those of the entire organization [1]. According to published studies [2], the foundation of human resource development is the enhancement of organizational performance through the work and skills of people. It seeks to enhance the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of an organization. The main aim of HRD is to prepare employees to work in the current environment to the best of their abilities and to develop these abilities in preparation for upcoming challenges. Training and development programs create awareness to contribute to employee effectiveness, job performance, and overall organizational success among employees through the use of new technologies [3]. According to Ref. [4], one of the vital traits in the field of HRD is the focus on work-based training, or what may often be referred to as informal education techniques. To accomplish their objectives, organizations must improve the skills and capacities of their workforce by supporting individual training and creating settings where knowledge may be generated, shared, and used by a variety of stakeholders as well as by individual workers. According to Ref. [5], the relationship and impact of HRD practices on job satisfaction indicate that the HRD climate has a definite impact on job satisfaction, which in turn leads to increased organizational performance. They studied the impact of HRD on the job satisfaction of employees in selected public sector enterprises and subsequently studied the impact of HRD on employees and organizational performance. According to Ref. [6], there is a significant relationship between the HRD environment and job performance, and any positive change in the HRD environment will bring about positive changes in job performance. The HRD climate refers to the overall environment, culture, and practices within an organization that support and promote human resource development. HRD practices are the primary way organizations attempt to maintain the competency levels of their employees, thus increasing their performance levels. Ineffective HRD practices can result in various problems, such as a reduction in employees’ ability to develop and apply new skills, a decrease in staff productivity, an increase in employee turnover, and lower overall performance levels within organizations [7]. Problems relating to HRD result from HRD programs failing to address organizational and staff needs. When HRD initiatives are carried out effectively, they may boost productivity and save costs associated with personnel turnover, services, strikes, and losses. HRD plays a vital role in improving job performance and overall organizational effectiveness. Some studies have addressed current HRD practices as an HRM issue. For example, new-entry academic staff, especially those who receive training in SPSS, STATA, and SEM and who have skill gaps, will be more effective as a result of HRD practices. This means that they are better equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies to perform their job tasks successfully and contribute to organizational effectiveness because the formal educational system does not adequately teach specific job skills for a position in a particular organization, so such employees will not have the requisite skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies needed to perform a specific job. As a result, HRD activities are required to enhance their performance and to help them make substantive contributions to the organization’s growth. However, inefficient HRD practices can lead to many problems, such as reduced employee enthusiasm for learning and applying new skills, decreased employee productivity, low morale, and higher employee turnover rates [8]. One of the most prominent and well-respected jobs in the world is teaching.

Conclusions

The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of human resources development practices on employee performance and explore whether job satisfaction mediates the relationship between human resources development practices and employee performance. The study focused on academic staff at Mizan Tepi University as the sample population. The following conclusions have been drawn in light of the study’s objectives and findings:

Firstly, the analysis of demographic variables revealed that there were no significant mean differences between male and female respondents in terms of job satisfaction. However, gender affects employee performance. This suggests that gender diversity should be promoted in organizations, creating an inclusive environment and policies that eliminate gender-based discrimination.

Secondly, the results of the correlation analysis showed a positive and significant relationship between training and development, academic career development, teamwork, counseling, and job satisfaction. It implies that when the university effectively implements human development practices, such as rewarding employees, implementing succession planning, promoting academic career development, and fostering teamwork, there is a proportional improvement in employee performance. Furthermore, all the HRD practices showed significant and positive relationships with employee job satisfaction. This underscores the significance of focusing on training and development, performance appraisal, rewards, teamwork, academic career development, succession planning, and counseling to enhance job satisfaction among academic staff at Mizan Tepi University.