Training needs assessment in Islamic banking sector

Abstract

Purpose

The training needs assessment is a significant activity for the training and development function. A human resource generalist or a specialist should be proficient in performing a training needs assessment. The purpose of this paper is to explain the training and development function in the Islamic banking sector and how the needs assessment of Islamic banking fits into the process, followed by an in‐depth look at the core concepts and levels involved in conducting a training needs assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

A research design is the structure for investigation and way of answering the research question. The authors have conducted this research under the umbrella of quantitative paradigm, using the cross‐sectional way of obtaining responses as it saves time and cost, and the strategy adopted for data collection was “survey questionnaire technique”. In this study, Performance Analysis. Job Analysis, Career Development and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities were taken as independent variables and Training Needs Assessment as the dependent variable. The sample size of 100 employees was selected without any preference among the employees. Random sampling technique was used and appropriate stratification was undertaken to represent both male and female.

Findings

This study was conducted to know about training need assessment in Islamic banking in Pakistan. The authors found that the process of needs assessment identifies more than one training need; the training manager, working with management, prioritizes the training based on the urgency of the need (timeliness); the extent of the need (how many employees need to be trained); and the resources available. Also, the authors learned that training needs assessment is more crucial for performance analysis and for job analysis. Based on this information, the training manager can develop the instructional objectives for the training and development program.

Originality/value

The paper's findings will be beneficial for the training and development sector of Islamic banking. The results of the study would help training and development practitioners, showing how better planning and implementation of the training need assessment process could save their costs and time.

Citation

Asrar Mirza, A. and Riaz, S. (2012), "Training needs assessment in Islamic banking sector", Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Vol. 4 No. 2/3, pp. 142-155. https://doi.org/10.1108/17554171211252484