Abstract:
Firm performance is crucial for organizations aiming to remain competitive in any
business environment. Despite having robust corporate strategic plans, many firms
struggle with functional strategy execution, leading to poor performance. In today's
dynamic market, strategic training has become essential for sustaining superior
performance. The increasing global competition necessitates that consulting
organizations enhance their functional strategies to maintain a competitive edge.
Previous research highlights issues such as uncertainty of returns, poor corporate image,
and resource inadequacy. However, the impact of strategic training practices, employee
commitment and firm performance among human resource management consulting
firms in Nairobi Kenya, remains under explored. Many organizations invest heavily in
training and development, yet employees often fail to transfer their learning to the
workplace, raising questions about the true value of these initiatives. This research
aimed to examine the role of strategic training practices in firm performance. The study
focused on three objectives: determining the effect of employee motivation to learn on
firm performance, establishing the impact of perceived supervisor support on employee
training, and analyzing the influence of employee training attitudes on firm
performance in Nairobi's human resource management consulting firms. The study was
grounded in three theoretical frameworks, learning organization theory, Valence-
Instrumentality-Expectancy (VIE) theory and organizational support theory. An
explanatory research design was adopted, utilizing questionnaires to collect data from
185 human resource management consulting firms in Nairobi. The data was analyzed
using descriptive and inferential statistical methods to draw meaningful insights. The
findings revealed the importance of strategic training and employee commitment on
firm performance among HR consulting firms in Nairobi, Kenya. It was further,
established that motivation to learn, supervisor support, and training employee attitude
show significant positive correlations with firm performance. The regression analysis
indicates these variables explain 2.3% of the variance in firm performance (R² = 0.023).
The motivation to learn (β=0.079, p=0.009), supervisor support (β=0.128, p=0.022),
and training employee attitude (β=0.196, p=0.013) were found to be statistically
significant predictors of firm performance. Hierarchical regression model showed that
affective, continuous, and normative commitments significantly moderate the
relationship between strategic training variables and firm performance. Affective
commitment had a moderate effect (β=0.210, p=0.030, < .05), while continuous
(β=0.595, p=0.000 < .05) and normative commitments (β=0.445, p=0.000 < .05), all
had stronger and significant moderating effects. In conclusion, while direct effects of
strategic training strategies are good, the moderating roles of different commitments
are very important for the success of the organization. Organizations should focus on
supportive leadership, fostering positive training attitudes, and strengthening employee
commitment. Recommendations include enhancing supervisor support, promoting
positive training perceptions, and implementing retention strategies. Further research
should explore additional variables, employ longitudinal designs, and include diverse
contexts to deepen understanding.