Abstract
The purposes of this research were (1) to study the influence of organization characteristics, namely the size of organization and the nationality of the owner on human resource development (HRD) strategy in the insurance industry; (2) to study the influence of intervening variables: HRD policy, top management support, and allocation of budget for HRD activities on HRD strategy in the insurance industry; (3) to study the influence of organization characteristics on intervening variables; and (4) to present suitable models for HRD training strategies in the insurance industry in Thailand.
Based on cross-sectional survey research data, the study was both quantitative and qualitative. Primary data were collected from questionnaires distributed to a sample of 78 managers who were responsible for HRD in insurance companies, and 12 insurance company managers participated in the in-depth interview. Descriptive Statistics and Inferential Statistics using Path Analysis were implemented for data analysis.
The research findings were as follows:
1. The organizational size had influenced on the insurance industry’s HRD policy; the insurance industry’s top management support and the allocation of budget for HRD at the 0.05 significance level;
2. The factors influencing HRD strategy at the 0.05 significance level were the nationality of the owner, HRD policy, top management support, and allocation of budget for HRD.
3. The qualitative research revealed that staff members of the insurance industry lacked motivation and did not accept new ideas. The industry encountered the brain-drain phenomenon. The management system did not support the human resource development effort and there was discontinuity in the human resource development endeavor. As a result, the insurance industry’s human resource development was not very effective. HRD Model of insurance industry in Thailand should emphasize middle or long-rang HRD plan and devise effective compensation system to create motivation and loyalty among the personnel. |
