HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR QUALITY EDUCATION DELIVERY IN UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Human resource management is fundamental to quality education delivery in universities. This is due to the fact that for a university to deliver quality education, its human resources must be effectively and efficiently managed. However, there have been claims that universities are not delivering quality education as a result of the ways in which they manage their human resources for quality education delivery which were not yet known. The general purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the human resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities in South East Nigeria. Seven research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 831 subjects. This figure was made up  of 677 heads of units that include 115 Deans, 501 Heads of Departments and 61 Directors; and also 154 Senior Administrative Staff who are at the rank of Senior Assistant Registrar and above in the ten universities in South East Nigeria. The entire population was used for the study due to its manageable size. A 50-item questionnaire was the instrument developed by the researcher and used to collect the required data for the study. The instrument was validated by three experts and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha method. The data collected from the respondents were analyzed using means, standard deviations and t-test statistic. Some major findings of the study were that: job vacancies are neither determined through staff audit nor widely advertised in the media, applicants for jobs are not duly invited for interview and the most qualified applicants are not selected to fill vacant positions in the university. Also, there is irregular in-service training programme for staff and seminars are not regularly organized for staff, among others.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

University is the highest level of every educational system and it is a major vehicle for economic and social development. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004), the mandate of the university is to teach and develop high level relevant manpower, conduct research for development and provide community service. Moreso, the vital role of the university in national development has been highlighted. According to  Onokerhoraya and  Nwonye (1995),  universities are responsible for equipping individuals with the advanced knowledge and skills needed for positions of responsibility in government, business and other professions. This means that universities are expected to produce high level manpower that can respond positively to the nation’s goals and aspirations.

The achievement of the above laudable goals of a university depends to a large extent on availability of resources and their proper management. Hanson (1995) defined a resource as simply whatever that can be used to perform an educational function and realize an educational goal. To Adedeji (1998), resources are the things invested into the  educational system with a  view to achieving educational aims and objectives maximally and at a reduced cost.

Based on the above definitions, one can deduce that resources are the vital inputs made into the educational system for the achievement of the specified

educational  aims   and   objectives.  Therefore,  resources  are   pivotal   to   the

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achievement of universities’ aims  and objectives. Consequently, resources are operationally defined in this study as things such as: human resources, physical facilities/equipment and financial resources which universities can gainfully employ in the process of providing education so as to produce quality graduates needed for national development.

The resources needed for the effective operation of universities have been identified by various authorities in educational administration. According to Ndu (1991), Emetarom (1991), Ibiam (2008), and Ogbonnaya (2009), these resources include: human, physical and financial resources and they are widely regarded as factor resources. However, it is pertinent to note that human resources are of interest to this study in relation to their management for quality education delivery in universities.

Human resources have been conceptualized in different ways by different authors. Ndiomu (1992) defined human resources as the human beings working in an organization who are responsible for the supply of physical labour, technical and professional skills vital to effective and efficient planning and implementation of organizational policies, programmes, projects and daily activities of the organization. Herkimer (2008) defined human resources as the people working in an organization and the totality of the knowledge, skills, competencies, talents and other attributes that allow them to contribute to their personal and social well being as well as those of the organization and the wider society. Based on the above definitions, one can conclude that human resources essentially refer to the

people  working in  an  organization and  who  possess  different  specializations, capabilities and roles required for the effective and efficient realization of the goals of the organization. As used in this study, therefore, human resources refer to the teaching and non- teaching staff of a university and whose responsibility are to supply the physical labour, technical and professional knowledge and skills needed for the delivery of quality education in the university.

Human  resources  are  vital  to  the  delivery  of  quality  education  in universities. Therefore, they require proper management. It is in recognition of this fact that Ezeocha (1990), Ukeje, Akabogu and Ndu (1992), and Ogbonnaya (2004) emphasized that there is need for educational institutions including universities to manage  their  human  resources  effectively  and  efficiently  for  the  delivery  of quality education leading to the achievement of their overall educational goals. This means that the realization of the goals of educational institutions including universities depends to a large extent on how well their human resources are being managed.

The term “management” has been defined by different people and with each person defining it according to his or her own orientation. For instance, in the view of Cole (2002), management is the organization and mobilization of all the resources of an organization for the achievement of identified objectives. According to Casio (2006), management simply refers to the purposeful employment of resources to achieve specified organizational objectives. From these definitions of management, one can deduce that it is essentially a social

process aimed at achieving organizational goals through efficient utilization of available human, physical and financial resources of the organization. Thus, management is operationally defined in this study as the effective organization and utilization  of  the  human  resources  of  universities for  the  delivery  of  quality education in the universities.

Human resource management, on the other hand, has equally been conceptualized in different ways. Akubue (2003) and Okeke (2007) defined it as involving all activities and responsibilities aimed at supporting the functions that are associated with the staff of an organization which include recruitment, selection, placement, staff training and development, job analysis, compensation and staff performance appraisal. In the same vein, Oboegbulem (2004) had earlier defined human resource management as the manpower activities of any organization which embrace recruitment of staff, staff maintenance, training and development, compensations, personnel policies and evaluation of staff for organizational activities.

The above definitions of human resource management clearly indicate that it is an activity that is concerned with the procurement of the required staff, their development and maintenance in order to enable them contribute to the achievement of  organizational  goals.  One  can  also  conclude  from  the  above definitions of human resource management that it is not only concerned with the purposeful employment of people to accomplish organizational tasks and realize organizational goals but also with the harnessing of the people’s skills, capacities

and competencies for the effective and efficient achievement of organizational goals.  In  this  study,  therefore,  human  resource  management  is  operationally defined as the systematic process of recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating and controlling university staff and appraising their performance for the delivery of quality education in the university. In relation to this study, the university staff comprises both the teaching and non- teaching employees of the university that have to be properly managed for the accomplishment of quality education delivery in the university.

The need for proper management of human resources in universities cannot be over-emphasized. According to Mortimore and Mortimore (1995), human resource management in universities provides the frame-work to consciously plan, direct and implement policies and decisions that will lead to the procurement and proper utilization of the human resources needed for the achievement of their stated educational goals. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (1993) had earlier remarked that human resource management is the organizational function through which educational institutions procure, develop, utilize and motivate their staff effectively  and  efficiently  for  the  achievement  of  the  desired  educational objectives.

It is equally noteworthy that human resource management enables universities to recruit and select qualified and competent employees, organize, direct and control them for the delivery of quality education. Cartwright (2005) and Cumming (2008) amplified this viewpoint when they posited that human

resource  management  enables  educational  organizations  to  plan  their organizational structure through proper and effective recruitment and selection, development and appraisal of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure.

Based on the above views concerning the importance of human resource management  in  universities,  one  can  conclude  that  it  is  the  rational  activity through which universities procure, develop, utilize, motivate and control their human resources for  the accomplishment of  quality education delivery. Thus, human resource management is pivotal to the delivery of quality education in universities. This has, therefore, informed the need for this study in order to empirically determine the human resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities.

Quality  education  is  of  paramount  importance  to  both  individual  and societal development. In support of this assertion, Williams (2005) referred to quality education as the education which is productive and relevant to the needs of the individual and the society. This definition means that quality education is an education  which  is  effective  and  efficient  in  solving  personal  and  societal problems. As used in this study, quality education delivery is the provision of the required standard of education in universities so as to produce the much-needed quality graduates that will contribute maximally to the socio-economic, political, scientific and technological growth of the nation.

The  above definitions of  quality education  clearly indicate that  quality education delivery in universities produces well-groomed, highly knowledgeable

and skilled graduates who have the requisite capabilities and competencies for meeting the nation’s socio-economic, political and educational needs. It also gives the stake-holders in university education the opportunity to increase their feelings of satisfaction, sense of belonging and support as well as participation and achievement in the present and projected educational endeavours. Thus, UNICEF (2000) outlines the indicators of quality education delivery in educational institutions and  these  include: effective teaching and  learning.  Students’ high academic performances, maintenance of minimum academic standards, high level of staff productivity, efficiency in university operations, and proficiency in the provision of services by the university staff.

The foregoing views and explanations clearly illustrate that human resource management is invariably a holistic process that plays a catalytic role in the delivery of quality education in universities. It is against this background that Okeke   and   Onyia   (2009)   have   identified   the   expected   human   resource management practices for  quality education delivery in  universities and  these include:  staff  recruitment and  selection,  staff  training and  development, staff motivation, staff discipline and control, and staff performance appraisal.

Staff recruitment and selection are indispensable human resource management practices required in universities for the purpose of delivering quality education. According to Mgbodile (1997), staff recruitment and selection refer to the  rational process of  eliciting applications from job-seekers, selecting them through interview and assigning them to organizational tasks.  In  the  view of

Oboegbulem (2004), recruitment is concerned with the selection of the required number of people to be screened for a job, measuring their quality and attempting to predict their future behaviour; while selection, on the other hand, is assessing the candidates by various means, making a choice and finally making an offer of employment. These definitions indicate that the essence of staff recruitment and selection in universities is to find, employ and assign qualified staff to jobs where they  can  contribute  maximally  to  the  delivery  of  quality  education  in  the university.

Staff training and development are equally human resource management practices that are pivotal to the accomplishment of quality education delivery in universities. In the view of Ifidon (2000), training is the organized and co- ordinated development of knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by an individual to master a given situation or perform a certain task within an organizational setting. Conversely, Akpan (1992) defined staff development as the process whereby an employee is enabled to grow in the job through acquisition of wide experience,  breadth  and  increasing  confidence  resulting  from  the  exercise  of varied and tested responsibilities in order to enable him reach the top or achieve his best in his professional career. Based on these definitions, one can infer that staff training and development are integrated human resource management functions which aim at the development of  staff knowledge, expertise, and a higher degree of confidence which can be gainfully employed in the process of delivering quality education in universities.

Staff motivation has also been identified as a human resource management practice that has to be carried out by university administrators for the purpose of delivering quality education. According to Campbell and Greggs (1997), motivation entails the direction of behaviour, the strength of responses and the persistence of the behaviour towards identified goals. Nwosu (2008) defined motivation as the process and methods of caring for the staff of an organization and handling their matters with a view to enhancing school management for higher productivity. It is, however, deducible from these definitions that staff motivation is  the  systematic  process  of  inducing,  inspiring,  encouraging  and  inciting university staff to action that will lead to the achievement of quality education delivery in the university.

Staff discipline and control are also human resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities. They aim at ensuring that the university staff work in conformity with the rules and regulations governing their conduct in the university (Utulu, 1998). Therefore, staff discipline and control include all the   measures taken by a university to ensure that its employees’ actions are in conformity  with the rules of conduct as defined by the university so as to enable it deliver quality education.

Staff performance appraisal, on the other hand, helps to ascertain the performance levels of university staff and the areas that they need improvement. This view point clearly indicates that it is through staff performance appraisal that the attitudes, conduct and performance behaviour of university staff that need

improvement are highlighted and corrective measures taken to improve them for the benefit of quality education delivery.

Based  on  the  above  views  and  explanations, one  can  see  that  quality education cannot be delivered in a university without the above-mentioned human resource management practices. It is, therefore, on this premise that the basic thrust of this investigation was to determine how these human resource management practices are actually carried out in universities for the purpose of delivering quality education which, in the final analysis, will engender the production of quality graduates requisite for national development.

However, it is germane to note that studies have shown that universities are not delivering quality education. For instance, Utulu (1998) carried out a study on the quality of university education in Nigeria and the research finding showed that universities are producing poor quality graduates that cannot meet the demands of the knowledge and skilled-based labour market. In the same vein, Okebukola (2002) observed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) which is mandated to co-ordinate the activities of all universities in Nigeria had in its 2002 research report on the state of university education in Nigeria indicted all universities in Nigeria for the poor quality of their graduates. The NUC (2012) also cautioned universities in Nigeria to look for ways of improving the poor quality education they are now delivering. Moreso, Taire, Osisioma, Nwankpa and Onyia (2010) observed that the quality of instructional delivery and consequently learning  has  become  so  deplorably  depleted  in  Nigeria’s  tertiary  institutions

(universities inclusive) because the lecturers are ill-equipped and unqualified to prepare and produce quality graduates.

The above facts concerning poor quality education delivery and consequently the production of poor quality graduates by universities have been attributed  to  how  they  manage  their  human  resources  for  quality  education delivery. For instance,   in a study carried out by Ezeani (2007) on appraisal of human  resource  management in  universities in  Imo  and  Anambra  States,  the research findings showed, among others, that universities’ human resources are not properly managed because qualified teaching and non- teaching staff are not adequately provided and maintained in the universities which adversely affect teaching and learning. In a related study carried out by Amahua (2008), it was found  that both teaching and non- teaching staff of universities are not adequately motivated to discharge their appointed duties effectively and efficiently.

Other  negative  facts  similar  to  the  above  have  also  been  noted.  For instance,   in another study carried out by Mbagwu (2008) on human resource management practices  in  tertiary  institutions in  Imo  State,  it  was  found  that universities in Nigeria (South East Nigeria inclusive) no longer advertise their vacant teaching and non-teaching positions or subject job applicants to written and oral interviews so as to determine the qualified applicants to be offered employment. Rather, they go straight to the  issuing of appointment letters to unqualified job-seekers based on the recommendations of influential members of the society and the political class. Consequent upon these claims, one wonders

how quality education can be delivered in these universities as Ikediugwu (2008) observed that the success of any innovative programme in a curriculum hinges on the ability of teachers to implement the innovation. This is equally in line with the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s (2004) assertion that no educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers.

The researcher has equally noted with dismay that the state of affairs in Nigerian universities concerning human resources and their management have become so deplorable that Williams (2008) lamented that:

Our  universities  are  now characterized by  employment of unqualified academic and non-academic staff. People are no longer employed on the basis of their qualifications and merit but on political basis. The staff are  hardly provided  with training and development programmes that will improve their knowledge and skills and they are also poorly motivated and left with little or no enthusiasm to work well. The staff are not promoted as at and when due, while the appraisal of their performance are not regularly carried out as to constantly determine their strengths and weaknesses (p.6).

The above negative opinions concerning the state of affairs with regards to human resources in universities actually put a question mark on their management. Could it be that they are not properly managed as to engender quality education delivery? Mbagwu (2008) and Babuloni (2010) have attributed this ugly state of affairs in universities to the ways in which they manage their human resources and the problems they encounter in the management of these human resources. It is on this note that they cautioned that universities should look for ways of improving their  human  resource  management  in  order  to  enable  them  deliver  quality

education.

Based  on  Mbagwu’s and  Babuloni’s  views,  the  researcher  was  deeply worried that to the best of his knowledge, no study has been carried out on the ways in which universities in South East Nigeria manage their human resources, the problems encountered in their management and the ways of improving their management for quality education delivery. This gap in knowledge informed the need for the present study.

Consequent upon the above view, this study in its specific purposes determined the human resource management practices for quality education delivery in  universities as  they  relate  to  staff  recruitment and  selection, staff training and development, staff motivation, staff discipline and control, and staff performance appraisal. The specific purposes of this study also encompassed the identification of the problems encountered in human resource management for quality education delivery in  universities as  well  as  the  determination of  the strategies for improving human resource management for quality education delivery in universities.

However, there have been diverse opinions concerning how universities manage their human resources for quality education delivery. Nevertheless, these opinions lack empirical evidence because no study known to the researcher has been carried out to ascertain the human resource management practices for quality education  delivery  in  universities  in  South  East  Nigeria.  Therefore,  it  was necessary to empirically determine the human resource management practices for

quality education delivery in universities in South East Nigeria hence, the need for the present study.

Statement of the Problem

Based on the research findings highlighted at the background of this study, universities now produce poor quality graduates that do not meet the knowledge and skill requirements for national development. Studies have also shown that universities are characterized by employment of unqualified staff, irregular staff training and development programmes, poor motivation of staff, and irregular staff promotion and performance appraisal.

Furthermore, the National Universities Commission (NUC) which is mandated to co-ordinate the activities of all universities in Nigeria had in its 2002 research report on the state of university education in Nigeria expressed its dissatisfaction  with  all  universities  in  Nigeria  for  the  poor  quality  of  their graduates.  The  NUC  in  its  (2012)  publication  also  cautioned  universities  in Nigeria to look for ways of improving the poor quality education they are now delivering. The inability of universities to produce quality graduates requisite for Nigeria’s socio-economic development has been blamed on how these universities manage the human resources at their disposal. One then wonders how these human resources are managed for quality education delivery in universities. Regrettably, no study known to the researcher has been carried out to determine  the ways in which universities manage their human resources for quality education delivery. Consequently, it was the problem of this study to empirically determine the human

resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities in

South East Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study was to investigate the human resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities in South East Nigeria. Specifically, this study sought to:

1.  ascertain the staff recruitment and selection practices in universities in South

East Nigeria.

2.  determine ways universities in South East Nigeria train and develop their staff.

3.  find out ways universities in South East Nigeria motivate their staff.

4.  ascertain the staff discipline and control measures adopted by universities in

South East Nigeria.

5.  find out the staff performance appraisal practices in universities in South East

Nigeria.

6.  identify  the   problems  encountered  in   human  resource   management  in universities in South East Nigeria.

7.  determine  the  strategies  for  improving  human  resource  management  in universities in South East Nigeria.

Significance of the Study

This study has both theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical significance of this study is based on the systems theory. The systems theory is an integrative theory propounded by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in 1951. It assumes that

an organization is a unified and purposeful system composed of inter-related and inter-dependent parts such that an activity in any part of the organization affects the activity of every other parts. For instance, human resource management in a university is an integration of different functions which combine to deliver quality education in the university and any negligence in the performance of any of these functions will grossly affect the delivery of quality education in the university.

Based on the assumptions of the systems theory, the human resource management practices in universities are said to combine to deliver quality education in universities. This theory has, therefore, provided the base for this study to ascertain all the human resource management practices carried out in universities as an integrated approach to quality education delivery in universities hence, its relationship to this study.

Practically, this study will generate immeasurable benefits to university administrators, governing council of universities, National Universities Commission (NUC), educational policy-makers, students, Nigeria as a nation, and future researchers. These beneficiaries will benefit from this study in the following ways:

The data generated from the findings of this study will bring to the knowledge of university administrators the strategies they can adopt to improve the management of human resources and then be in a better position to deliver quality education in their universities.

The  findings  of  this  study  will  also  help  the  governing  council  of universities to  improve  the  staff  recruitment and  selection,  staff  training and development, staff motivation, staff discipline and control, and staff performance appraisal practices for quality education delivery in their universities. Their knowledge of these human resource management practices in their universities will enable them to take appropriate steps that will lead to their improvement and ensure the accomplishment of quality education delivery in their universities.

The findings of this study will also enable the National Universities Commission (NUC) to realize the problems encountered in human resource management for quality education delivery in universities. This will help the NUC to proffer solutions to these problems that are encountered in human resource management for quality education delivery in universities.

The data generated from the findings of this study will provide educational policy-makers with useful information on how universities carry out their staff recruitment and selection, staff training and development, staff motivation, staff discipline and control, and staff performance appraisal practices for quality education delivery. This information will provide the educational policy-makers with a useful  guide in drawing up  policies aimed at  improving these human resource management practices for the effective and efficient delivery of quality education in universities.

The findings of this study will also reveal the strategies that can be adopted to  improve  human  resource  management  and  ensure  the  delivery  of  quality

education in universities. This will benefit university students by enabling them to become better equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills with which they will live worthy and happy life in the society and also contribute significantly to the socio-economic, political and technological development of Nigeria as a nation. Thus, it is in this way that Nigeria as a nation will benefit from this study.

Finally, this study will be of benefit to future researchers by adding to the available literature in this field of study for their use. This study will also provide a spring board for the future researchers who will use it as a point of departure for further studies in this field of study.

Scope of the Study

The  geographical scope  of  this  study  was  de-limited to  all  the  public universities in South East Nigeria. South East Nigeria is made up of five states, namely: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

In the area of the content, the study covered the human resource management practices for quality education delivery in universities in South East Nigeria which include: staff recruitment and selection, staff training and development, staff motivation, staff discipline and control, and staff performance appraisal.

Research Questions

For the purpose of guiding the study, the following research questions were posed:

1.   What are the staff recruitment and selection practices in universities in South

East Nigeria?

2.    In what ways do universities in South East Nigeria train and develop their staff?

3.   What are the ways universities in South East Nigeria motivate their staff?

4.   What are the staff discipline and control measures adopted by universities in

South East Nigeria?

5.   What are the staff performance appraisal practices in universities in South

East Nigeria?

6.    What  are  the  problems  encountered  in  human  resource  management  in universities in South East Nigeria?

7.    What  are  the  strategies  for  improving  human  resource  management  in universities in South East Nigeria?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and each was tested at 0.05 level of significance:

Ho1     There is no significant difference (p<.05) between the mean ratings of heads of  units  and  senior  administrative  staff  of  universities  on  the  staff recruitment and selection practices in universities in South East Nigeria.

Ho2     There is no significant difference (p<.05) between the mean ratings of heads of units and senior administrative staff of universities on ways universities in South East Nigeria train and develop their staff.

Ho3     There is no significant difference (p<.05) between the mean ratings of heads

of units and senior administrative staff of universities on ways universities in

South East Nigeria motivate their staff.

Ho4     There is no significant difference (p<.05) between the mean ratings of heads of units and senior administrative staff of universities on the staff discipline and control measures adopted by universities in South East Nigeria.

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