On-the-job training and development of human resources.

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As organizations, firms are institutions that in our synchronicity significantly define the market, as they produce products and provide services necessary to satisfy our needs (Williams & Anderson, 2012). And as Uhl-Bien, et al. (2016) argue, they are agents of power and authority that, through the decisions they make, their impact spreads not only to the level of the worker, but also more broadly, to the level of society and states.

Understanding the specific characteristics of the behavior of an organisation, which is a human collective in which a particular structure of formal relationships, roles, systems, rules, and procedures are developed in a hierarchical way in the light of a specific strategy and defined objectives is very important, especially for those in the management pyramid who are actively involved in decision-making. This is because they have to be aware of the mechanisms that trigger human behavior, the principles and methods of exercising leadership, the factors that affect communication in the workplace, the causes, and methods of solving problems, weaknesses and dysfunctions that arise in the management of processes within the organisation (Mullins, 2012). In short, skills are required that can have a decisive effect on businesses and organisations.

These skills, which are a prerequisite for any modern workplace, have highlighted the need for a specific form of training, focusing on the investigation of training needs and the design and implementation of programmes aimed at developing human resources. The term ‘human resources’, which has been widely used in recent years, is preferred to the term ‘staff’ or ’employees’ as it highlights the importance of the human factor in modern business (Pace et. al., 1991), as it is perhaps the most critical component in the growth and sustainability of a business. Human resources and their development is the concern of a firm’s human resources department, whose concern is not only to provide the firm with the required number of employees, but also to staff the firm with employees who possess the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities and who can develop and contribute in various ways to the growth of the firm. Human resource needs vary and are defined separately (Garcia, 2005). Each person carries his or her own load of knowledge, skills and experience, resulting in multiple identities and roles, different motivations and consequently different needs developing within a firm.

So, for example, before new recruits take up their duties, they need training on the scope of their position and the procedures developed within the company. Providing appropriate training ensures high productivity of new employees and the best use of their potential (Chitteris, 2001). Older workers, respectively, need to be trained to meet any new demands as well as, to improve and prepare them for taking on more and more important tasks. Therefore, training needs may be different depending on the target population, but the need for additional training is unquestionably necessary in every case and for all workers.

Considering the different needs, in-service training is a learning process aimed at acquiring the knowledge and skills that are deemed necessary to enable the employee to meet the demands of his/her job (Chitteris, 2001).

Employees are a critical and key parameter in any organization, therefore the achievement or not of its objectives is closely related to the development of employees and the performance of their skills according to the purpose of the job description. Therefore, in recent years, organisations have appeared positive in developing the technical and scientific skills in general of their workforce, through the implementation of various training programmes, in order to achieve an increase in the performance of employees and their overall development. And when we talk about employee development, we are actually talking about the development of the competences of each individual, but also of the organisation as a whole (Antonacopoulou, 2000). Therefore, employee training is inextricably linked to employee performance. This means that if employees through training are more skilled, this will result in a greater degree of job satisfaction, a greater degree of organizational commitment, and consequently their performance will improve and increase. And undoubtedly, when the performance of employees is promoted, the effectiveness of the organization increases (Champathes, 2006).