Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Employee Training and Development has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with organizational commitment. This growing interest reflects the recognition that employee training and development does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria.

Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on employee training and development, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with organizational commitment, particularly within Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about employee training and development without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect organizational commitment. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Employee Training and Development on organizational commitment in Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which employee training and development influences organizational commitment within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with employee training and development in relation to organizational commitment.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing employee training and development in order to improve organizational commitment.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of employee training and development on organizational commitment in Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does employee training and development influence organizational commitment within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with employee training and development in relation to organizational commitment?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize employee training and development in order to improve organizational commitment?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of human resource management, this study has practical value for management teams within Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria seeking to understand how employee training and development translates into measurable outcomes around organizational commitment. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected Federal Government Parastatals in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how employee training and development relates to organizational commitment within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.