The value of training and loyalty. A comparative analysis

Abstract

In the expansion phase of a business cycle, loyalty is very important for the fluent functioning of companies. One of the tools that increases it is training, but not all training has a positive influence. Training can strengthen loyalty and thereby build human capital. There is very little research on the relationship between the quality of training and the level of employee loyalty. The main aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of the value of training on the loyalty of employees and to compare results taken from Poland and Russia. The following tests were used to study these relationships: exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Cronbach’s alpha, the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin test and Bartlett`s test, as well as regression. An empirical survey was conducted both in Poland and Russia on a sample of more than 2200 bank employees. After analyzing the research, one can state that from an employee’s perspective, the value of training initiatives influence affective commitment and loyalty in general (especially in Poland). Paying closer attention to this aspect of business could bring specific benefits to an organisation by increasing employee involvement in the structure. Employees indicated that the value of training initiatives influence affective commitment more strongly than factors such as the country in which they work and their position. However, training initiatives are less important with regards to calculative loyalty. The percentage of skills learned during training have a low correlation with loyalty, affective commitment and calculative loyalty. It should also be remembered that employee loyalty testing should be included in the solutions used in managing human capital in an organization.