Formulation and Validation of an Organizational Training Model with a Perspective on Enhancing Policy-Making Capacity

Abstract

Training and human resource development in the human resource management system not only play a significant role in increasing employees’ knowledge and skills but also help them contribute to improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness and adapting to environmental pressures. Therefore, the primary reason for developing employees' knowledge and skills is the demands of the job, solving performance-related issues, and shaping the future. The present study aims to design an organizational training model to enhance policy-making capacity and to test and validate it through structural equation modeling. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In terms of purpose, it is applied research, and in terms of nature, it is exploratory-survey based. The qualitative section was conducted using grounded theory, while the quantitative part was based on structural equation modeling. The qualitative research population consisted of managers and experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization as well as public administration specialists. Data were collected through interviews with 17 senior managers and operational executives of the Agricultural Jihad Organization using purposive snowball sampling. For the quantitative section, data were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire distributed among the organization's managers and technical experts. Validity and reliability were evaluated and confirmed using Lincoln and Guba's criteria. The qualitative data were analyzed using MaxQDA.2020 software, and the quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS and SmartPLS 3 software. According to the findings from the qualitative section, the concept of organizational training formed the core phenomenon of the model. Among the 29 identified influential components, the causal conditions included six elements: alignment with market changes, improvement of organizational human resources, inefficiency of the current policy, succession planning, rapid technological advancements, and organizational policy-making requirements. Contextual conditions included organizational culture, organizational support, the organization's technological level, and organizational policy-making capabilities. Intervening conditions were categorized into four groups: organizational policy actors, organizational characteristics, features of the training program, and the attractiveness of the training. Strategies were grouped into eight categories: strategic human resource management strategies, resource alignment, focus on practical training, continuous training, organizational training integration, diversity and participation, adherence to international standards, and establishment of feedback mechanisms. Outcomes were identified as ensuring organizational survival, organizational success, organizational productivity, policy-making capacity development, organizational human resource development, and employee satisfaction and loyalty. Based on the findings from the quantitative section, the primary relationships of the research model were validated and confirmed. If the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Iran develops and implements its training programs practically and in accordance with the influential components of this study’s model, it will be able to enhance the capabilities and skills of its employees at all levels and significantly improve the organization's policy-making capacity to address emerging environmental changes and solve current issues.