IMPACT OF MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

IMPACT OF MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NASARAWA

ABSTRACT

This research work is set to examine the impact of manpower development in tertiary institution, a case study of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa with the view of finding out the way by which training and manpower development can be conducted and its effects on organizational performance.  The objective of the study is to highlight the advantages of human resource training and development and recommend an appropriate measure that could help improve the current human resource training programmes. Relevant data for this research work were collected from both primary source and secondary source of data. A descriptive method was used for this study. The total population of the staff in the institution is 750 out of which questionnaires were drawn from staff of the organization which constitute a sample size of 150.  The statistical instrument used in testing the validity of the hypothesis was chi – square. Among the major findings of the work was that manpower development programme improve productivity and better performance. The research therefore recommended that there should be a free flow of information to enable all the staff to be aware of the training and development programme available to them both internally and externally.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background Of The Study

In a developing country like Nigeria, training and development of manpower resources is highly needed in virtually all business organizations for its effectiveness. It is hard for any business organization to exist without adequate manpower hence it is an indispensable tool for any business organization. For Managers to perform their functions effectively there must be well designed training and development programs to enable them enhance their performance. These training programmes may range from on-the-job training scheme aimed at exposing managers to new techniques adopted in modern office environments.

Manpower development must be based on a need analysis derived from a comparison of “actual performance’’ and behavior with “required performance’’ and behavior. Manpower training and development is one of the major ways organization invests in the workforce for greater return today and even in the foreseeable future.

Organizations are facing increased competition due to globalization, changes in technology, political and economic environments (Evans, Pucik & Barsoux 2002, 32) and therefore prompting these organizations to train their employees as one of the ways to prepare them to adjust to the increases above and thus enhance their performance. It is important to not ignore the prevailing evidence on growth of knowledge in the business corporate world in the last decade. This growth has not only been brought about by improvements in technology nor a combination of factors of production but increased efforts towards development of organizational human resources.

Organizational effectiveness rests on the efficient and effective performance of workforce that makeup the organization. The efficient and effective performance of the workforce in turn, rest on the richness of the knowledge, skills and abilities possessed by the workforce. Training and manpower development in most organizations is a continuous act/exercise. The inexorable march of time and the ceaseless glamour for social change combine to make adaptability and continuing preparation of the workforce as inevitable as the initial acquisition of knowledge and skills. This cannot happen if employees training and development do not occur in an enterprise. In other to maximize the productivity and efficiency of the organization, every executive, manager or supervisor in a public or private organization has the responsibility and indeed the binding duty to ensure the development of their employees who have requisite knowledge and expertise.

Training is like sharpening an existing skill in order to reflect the trends in technology and other social–cultural environmental changes of an organization. Productivity is the goal of today’s competitive business world and training can be a spring board to enhance productivity. The aim is to enable them contribute their full measure to the welfare, health and development of the organization (Onah 1993).

The main objective of training and manpower development in an organization is to increase efficiency of employees with the resulting increase in corporate productivity. This accounts for why a large number of fund and time is expended by organization at one period or the other in the improvement of the skills of their employees at various levels.

Manpower development also provides a variety of employee’s services ranging from research to training and retraining of the workforce (Gregory 2018). But many human resources organization struggle to allocate their resources, they are often hindered by a multitude of manual based process and benefits information’s that are costly, prone to errors and time consuming to manage, this factors can make it difficult for human resources organizations to focus on higher value initiative that helps to drive profitability, efficiency and contribute to the organization bottom-line, many human resources administrative units are transforming to an E-human resources task tools and processes into internal intranets via the internet, organizations are seeking E-human solutions that can help automate tasks and streamline workflow and improve efficiency of the workface  by providing self service tools, training and information. By automating processes human resources can better align itself with the organizational services and employees needs such training and development (Armstrong 2016).

The Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The establishment of the Polytechnic was predicated on the Government’s desire to transform the society technologically. Currently, the institution have the followings schools: School of Applied Science, School of Business Studies, School of Environmental Studies, School of Engineering Technology, School of Information Technology, School of General Studies and School of Technical and Vocational Studies.

Manpower development in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa requires adequate attention due to the recent continuous application of information technology in almost all facets of academic activities. Also, Lectures and students alike recently prefer electronic resources to print resources and a greater aspect of service provision in tertiary institution in the developed world are undertaken electronically. Tertiary institutions in Africa, particularly Nigeria need to be trained and retrained to cope with the changes to be able to manage information equipment, package and repackage information, market, digitize and adapt to the current trend of tertiary institutions (Mabawonku, 2015).

Therefore, accomplishing the manpower development goals of a tertiary institutions requires close coordination between the human resources administration and operating managers (Richard, 2017). This research work therefore, examines the impact of manpower development in tertiary institution, a case study of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa.

1.2       Statement Of The Problem

This research deals with the impact of manpower development in tertiary institutions with particular references to Federal Polytechnic Naarawa.  Since this organization is a public organization which deals with impacting of knowledge on the students there are numerous problems which affects the achievement of organizational objectives. Such problems ranges from:

1. Lack of employees with requisite skills and knowledge to carryout their official responsibilities.
2. Lack of training, retraining and manpower development for the employees of tertiary institutions.
3. Lack of qualified instructors and consultants to undertake training courses,
4. Lack of essential training tools, to
5. Lack of effective communication within the organization which makes it impossible for most employees to know about training opportunities available to them.

1. Objectives of the Study

The objective of this research is to examine the impact of manpower development in tertiary institution using Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa as a case study with a view to find out how the organization is performing in terms of its employees training and development.

The following are the specific objectives of the study:

1. To highlight the advantages of manpower development in tertiary institution.
2. To examine the current training and development of employees in the institution
3. To increase the general knowledge and understanding of individual staff as regards training and development.
4. To recommend appropriate measures that could help improve the current manpower training program.

1. Research Question

For the sake of achieving the desired objectives for this research, the researcher tries to find answers to the following research questions:

1. Does your institution engage in any form of employees manpower development programme?
2. How often do you conduct training and development in your institution?
3. Does your institution have policy on employees training?
4. What are the major problems in the organization with respect to manpower development?
5. Does training and development improve skills and knowledge of manpower in service organization?
6. Does training and development improve productivity and better performance?

1. Statement Of Hypothesis

Here, Hi and Ho below represent the alternative hypothesis and null hypothesis respectively.

Hypothesis One

Hi:  Manpower development improves productivity and better performance.

Ho:  Manpower development does not improve productivity and better performance.

Hypothesis Two

Hi: Manpower development improves skills and knowledge of staffs in tertiary institution.

Ho: Manpower development do not improve skills and knowledge of staffs in tertiary institution.

1. Significance Of The Study

The findings of this study will be great significance to the following stakeholders:

1. To proffer a solution to the problems of manpower development in a tertiary institution especially the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.
2. To help in educating the human resources manager in ensuring that the organizational aims and objectives are met and the operational activities of the organization is run smoothly, effectively and efficiently.
3. The research work will also help the management in proper decision making especially in areas of incentives eradicating of redundancy and novice in the organizational settings and structures. 
4. The study will also assist students and other researchers who may come across it in the library on further impact of human resources administration on organizational efficiency, by providing them with some basic and necessary information’s.

1. Scope Of The Study

The scope of this study is limited to Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa as it will be very difficult to examine the impact of manpower development in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Therefore the information and data required for this research will be sourced from Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa and any conclusion reached can be binding on all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

1. Limitation Of The Study

Analyzing the efficient manpower development in tertiary institutions in Nigeria is not a shallow topic to be handled haphazardly. This is not only technical also sensitive and broad.

For the purpose of this project it restricted to tertiary institutions in Nigeria with particular reference to Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa. So many factors are deemed to militate against quick and easier completion of the work. These includes:

Cost: Lack of fund may affect not only the period of the analyzing the impact of manpower development in tertiary institution.

Time: Time is as costly as money, it is even easier facing financial problems than time. Time cost is hardly required.  Financial markets do exist but time existed for time with the school academic; the period for the research work is too short putting other course into the budget.

Source of facts:   This research has convinced me that so many authors share almost the same view on impact of manpower development in tertiary institution as such are going to a library having about ten textbooks of different authors at least you find our they are saying the same thing but in different tongue invariable you are reading a research work as compiled from the review of different authors in the library. Invariably one can say you are having a book or two.

Reluctant to co-operate:   The management and staff of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa are too reluctant  to disclose the required information and more so when it comes to disclosing the organizational books of record. The idea equally affects the quality of facts given in the research.        

1. Definition Of Terms

Manpower: This means the amount of human resources (employee) in a given organization. It is the total number of employees that undertook different tasks in the organizational setup.

Training: This is an act, event in which people engage to improve their performance in a specific job related to tasks. It`s also the process of learning or increasing knowledge to the employee in an organization.

Manpower Development: According to Ascon (1992) manpower development is a process which enables an organization to meet its current and projected manpower requirements. It`s also the process of producing or creating something new that will enable organization meet its target.

Attitude: Someone’s approach to challenge or life in general.

Education: This is an agent of change that seek to overhaul entire physical interaction of man in relation to his work, work environment and the society.

Training: This is aimed at improving skills for specific vocation or trade such as clerical duties, artisans and other operative status.

Development: This is grooming, encouraging and drawing out a potential for application to a fresh task, job or appointment.

Employer: This is someone who hired people to work for him.

Performance: This is someone’s ability to get something done, especially as regards to duty.

Skill: This is one of the traits expected from an employee after training.

Employee: This is someone who is paid to work for someone else.

1. Historical Background of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa

The Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa was established in 1983 by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The intention of the Federal government to establish the polytechnic was predicted by the governments desire to revolutionize the society technologically. This is spelt out in the objective Decree No. 28 of 1987. Amongst the important objectives is:

To train people to acquire technical and vocational skills which are needed for the economic and social development of Nigeria especially in the field of agriculture, industry and commerce.

At the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa academic work commenced in January 1984 at the Central Primary School dubbed temporary site with an initial intake of 220 students enrolled in two schools: School of environmental and business studies. A department of liberal studies course and administration of pre-national diploma programmes. An important land mark in the development of the polytechnic was initial accreditation of all the programmes in 1985 and commencement of HND programmes in 1986 in business administration and management, accountancy, secretarial studies, town and regional planning.

In 1986, the minister of education, Professor Jibril Aminu cut the sod to begin the physical development at the permanent site, with the completion of classroom blocks and offices or school of environmental studies, the permanent site was commissioned for use in December 1984. During this period, national diploma (ND) programmes in Architectural technology, Building and Quantity Surveying (BOS), Town and Regional Planning and Estate Management, school of business and management studies; Accountancy and secretarial studies were initiated.

The rapid academic development continued in 1992 / 1993 session with commencement of ND programmes in Electrical Electronic Engineering Technology, Science Laboratory Technology and Statistics. These programmes had associated with them requisite laboratories and workshops fully equipped to meet the requirements or accreditation. Indeed with this development, the polytechnic can now be said to be a full-fledged technical institution offering programme in core engineering, Applied Science, environmental and business studies.

Now, the polytechnic has a student population of over 7,000 in regulate student’s programmes spread over 21 academic departments in four schools.

An additional school of basic and remedial studies is responsible for IJMB programme and weekend courses.

Indeed, from humbler beginning the Polytechnic has grown to an institution of stature in the country, drawing students and staff from allover federation and beyond.