Abstract:

Recently, studies on industry training and education have asserted the importance of developing individuals with a greater flexibility within the work organizations. This is due largely because organizations across the globe are now exposed to survive in hugely uncertain and unpredictable market situations, resulting in greater demands of human capitals who are capable of flexibly adjusting to the dynamically changing work environments. The present study, therefore, sheds lights on documenting the effectiveness of the flexibility-focused training and development (FFTD) practices in the industry setting. In particular, following the perspective of a person-environment fit, the study has developed a model wherein employees’ person-job (P-J) fit mediates the relationship between an organization’s FFTD practices and employees’ in-role and extra-role job performance. Using both organizational- and individual-level data collected from employees in multiple organizations at two different time points, we found significant cross-level, cross-lagged effects of an organization’s FFTD practices on employees’ job performance via their perceptions of P-J fit. Findings are used to discuss the importance of firms’ practicing FFTD practices to foster both organizational and individual environmental adaptations and performance. Limitations and the directions of the study are also argued.

Keywords:

Industry training, employee performance, flexibility.