The influence of senior management involvement on the effectiveness of Essay

The influence of senior management involvement on the effectiveness of management training in selected Saudi Arabia (KSA) SMEs - Essay Example pany programs in order to ensure a higher level of success for the organization as a whole, as well as develop the attitudes and behaviours of the staff members (Alliger et al., 1997). However, previous researchers have only focused on the process of achieving organizational success, without emphasizing on the participation levels of the employees, let alone the participation and involvement of the senior management. This study is of significance because first and foremost, the labour force in Saudi Arabia is comprised of 55 percent of small and medium enterprises (or SMEs). What is even more significant is that for such companies, the involvement of senior managers in development activities and programs is more as compared to larger companies and companies in the public sector. However, due to the company’s size, organizational structures and developmental programs are not as formal as they should be, hence the need for senior management intervention (Storrey, 2004). This stu dy has shown that there are a number of benefits to be achieved from a higher level of involvement of senior managers in training programs. According to Mazzorol (2003), when employees observe the active participation of their managers, they are more empowered and motivated to be open to change. At the same time, the managers themselves are also able to have the opportunity to communicate more with their subordinates and gain feedback which would be beneficial for the company’s overall development. Isaac et al. (2001) further states that by being involved, senior managers have the chance to encourage and motivate their employees to improve their attitudes and behaviours with regards to work and accomplishing tasks. One problem with training programs is that there is a risk that the trainees will not learn anything. When this happens, the company would have wasted its finances, time and effort in order to implement such programs. Thus, by being actively involved in these progr ams, managers