FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN PRIVATE SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF IET ELECTRICAL COMPANY, HEAD OFFICES, NAIROBI

Career development programs offered by an organization include a variety of techniques and programs that can be attended to by the staff. However, all the investment an organization ventures in has costs attached to it. In addition to the cost of the training, organizations incur other costs, such as loss of normal productivity time. Therefore, the purpose of this study examined the factors affecting the implementation of career development programs in private sector in Kenya on a case study of IET Electrical Company. The specific objectives was establish the effect of management support, training needs assessment, financial resources and performance management on implementation of career development programs in IET. The study is significant to The Management of IET Electrical Company Limited, The Government of Kenya and other researchers. In methodology, the study adopted descriptive research design. The target populations were all the 54 employees working at IET Electrical Company Limited. The census design was adopted as the sample design. The data was collected through administering of questionnaires to the respondents. Quantitative techniques of data analysis were used to analyze data and the findings presented by the use of tables and graphs. The study found out that managers foster a climate conducive to learning, support the Career development initiatives and that career development is a shared responsibility of management and the individual employee while senior members and managers are supportive and engaged in the employee career development program planning and that training needs assessment criteria affect implementation of career development programs in IET given that assessment always commences with consultation to identify the learning needs of the employees considered, followed by course planning and Training and Need Asssesement(TNA) should always be performed where new development in policy and procedures is deemed to have taken place. Last but not least performance management is achieved by carrying out changes from normal company operations that members of the organization perceives as normal and employee development programs culminate to creation of job opportunities that improves organizational performance. The study recommended that there is need for the organization managers to foster a climate conducive to learning and support the career development initiatives. Career development should be shared responsibility of management and the individual employee in any organization. There is also need for the TNA to always be performed where new development in policy and procedures is deemed to have taken place and specify what behaviors or skills are required and relate these to the strategic mission of the organization. There is need for organizations to be able to quantify the benefits of career development so that they are able to understand how important career development to the organization is. There is also need to understand that career development is additional expenditure and waste of time and not in the organization’s priority list. Last but not least the organization needs to allocate enough resources in order to implement the required training need and the overall career development plans of the organization that is meant to ensure that the staff in the organization are motivated and have the required skills to perform their duties