CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Human resources are cardinal element of development.
The over all development of a country revolves on the level of manpower
utilization. This has made manpower planning and development imperative for any
successful organization. Maintaining a competitive edge in any segment where
multiple players exist is only possible with people and talent. It has got an
important place in the arena of industrialization. Manpower planning and
development are two important pillars for achieving effectiveness and
efficiency in organization.
It has been observed
that both pre and post colonial administrations of Nigeria had failed to accord
adequate regard to manpower planning and development. Labour was relegated to
background among other factors of production. The human resources planning and
staff development for national growth and development were distorted. These
affected the availability of human resources for improvement of socio-economic
and political development during the first and second national development
planning.
This was made clearly in Nnadozie
(2004), he states thus; the unrealistic nature of the 1962-68 plan objectives
and targets become more apparent when
they are juxtaposed
with the financial, technical and managerial capabilities of the country.
In recognition of the
needs for human resources planning led to introducing of the policy for
Manpower Planning and Development in Nigeria at the period of 1960’s and 70’s.
Specifically, in the year 1962, federal republic of Nigeria created National
manpower board (NMB) with the responsibility for determining the manpower needs
and developments. To enhance the manpower need in local government, federal
military Government in 1978 selected three universities, University Nigeria,
Nsukka, Obefemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Though ideals do not approximate
reality, the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria state has
become elusive due to inappropriate and inadequate manpower planning and
development. Planning in Nigerian public service has become a gambling affair.
Public service in Nigeria especially local government usually embark on
manpower planning with inadequate data on the evolutionary trends of an
organization, partly on organization’s personnel, external relations, and
general organization’s objectives.
Development of workers
is no longer a matter of a necessity to much management as a result of
inability to forecast future manpower needs in relation to the organizations’
objectives. Training in local government, despite the selection of the
universities named above to under take training of local government workers;
training is still sporadic, unstructured and unsystematic. There is little
emphasis on training for technical and professional staff; such as surveyors,
accountants, engineer and doctors. This finally retards the progress of an
organization.
The resources of
organization are diverse but human resources is recognized as the most
important out of other resources required for effective and efficient service
delivery in local government. Human resources are the key to rapid
socio-economic development and efficient service delivery. In addition,
Mwagbala (2005) posits that “it is Human resources of a nation not its capital,
nor its material resources that determines the nature of, direction and pace of
its socio-economic development. Essentially, nations are built through the
creative, productive and innovative hardworking of people. At best financial
resources can only facilitates production, but real wealthy is increased by
productive labour activity.
The quality of
company’s personnel is the single factor that determines whether the
organization is going to be successful, whether the organization will realize a
satisfactory return on its investment and whether it will reach its basic
objectives.
Getting the right
caliber of people through the process of recruitment to meet the organization’s
need is not just enough; this makes manpower development crucial in an
organization. Development of employees in enterprises is associated with long
run profitability of organization. Organizational effectiveness is strengthened
through workforce development. In other words, it improves employee’s
productivity and increases their loyalty to the company and their job
satisfaction. Manpower development is a link between the manpower planning and
organizations objectives.
In analysis of the
above, manpower planning and development are necessary for effective
productivity, growth and development. Unless there is planning, event is left
to a chance affair, planning minimize risk while taking advantage of
opportunities. When adequate arrangement are not being made for future manpower
needs of the organization, the organization find itself fighting with
emergencies as the manpower needs arises. This may definitely resulted in
spending more money for hiring manpower. It also results in
procuring wrong personnel which may have devastating
effects on the organization.
In a critical analyses of the above,
manpower planning and development are path way to sustainable development. In
view of this, both private sector and public have to embrace manpower planning
and development if Nigeria really wants promote sustainable development. Local
government which is regarded as non-functioning sector will turn to functioning
sector if adequate emphasis would be accord to manpower planning and
development.
1.2
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The quality and quantity of services delivery of
local government for
two decade now had generated national crisis. There
have been sharp drop in effectiveness and efficiency with which local
governments discharge their constitutional responsibilities. This is justified
by pathetic nature of the high rates of under development in our rural areas.
This is as a result of nonchalant attitude of the management and government
over human resources planning and development which are essential for any
organization which wants to remain relevant in our dynamic society.
Organization is established in order to achieve stated objectives or goals. To
achieve these objectives, effective human
resources must be in
place. Since every organization depends on its employees for its survival and
accomplishment of its task, manpower planning and development are crucial in
all organizations be it private or public sectors especially in local
governments where their constitutional responsibilities appear elusive.
Paradoxically in our
contemporary society, emphasis has shifted from manpower planning and staff
development to controlling and sharing of the national cake meant for
implementation of the development projects. Human resources planning are considered
as luxury affairs and human resources supply is seen as an elastic item which
can be expanded anywhere leading to acute neglect of manpower planning.
Recruitment in local
government has turned to political patronage for political aspirant and party
loyalist. This has a negative impact on the performance or productivity of
organization. Some organizations that embarked on planning usually end up not
achieving the objectives as result of inadequate and inaccurate data on
personnel profile and on projected objectives. Poor data management abounds in
local government because of lack of adequate skilled employee and continued use
of manual /filing methods. These have adverse affect on manpower planning.
Further more, there is
highly recognized poor human resources development and utilization in various
public organizations. There is growing evidence that lack of investment in the
development and training of workers is associated with the long-run bankruptcy
of organization. In addition, inadequate development of employees contributed
to poor performance of local governments in Nigeria. This is traceable to poor
human resources management. Human resources management according to Mathis and
Jackson (1977) is the design of formal system in an organization to ensure
effective use of human talent to accomplish organizational objectives. It is a
set of activities directed to attracting development, utilizing and maintaining
an effective workforce.
In view of the above,
manpower planning, recruitment and selection, training and development,
promotion and compensation which are the critical aspects of human resources
management had been neglected and manipulated by incompetent personnel
managers.
critical analysis of
relevant data on the performance of local government in Nigeria in this our
contemporary society expose to its totality the chaotic situation which
pervaded the whole system as result of negative attitude to human resources
planning and development.
Many key officials
occupying sensitive positions in local government are new entrants in the
system, the worst of it all is that they lack pre-requisite of administration.
They assumed the positions through Nigeria system of “whom do you know” and
political patronage. Performance of organization cannot be explained to large
extent outside those that operate it. This leads to sharp decline in quality
and quantity of service delivery.
It is in responds of
the above back drop that makes manpower planning and development imperative in
this study. The place of manpower planning and development cannot be compromise
in the achievement of development in our localities.
The following research questions were raise;
•
What is appropriate manpower planning
process for effective service delivery in local government service?
•
Does recruitment of unqualified
personnel influence productivity of local government?
•
What is the relationship between
development of employee in local government services and employee’s
performance?
•
What are measures to improve manpower
planning process and staff development?
The general objective of this study is
to explore the manpower planning and development in Nigeria public service with
the view to improve higher productivity in local government.
Specific
objective include:
•
To identify manpower planning process
and its impacts on productivity.
•
To examine building of employee’s
capabilities as a tool of inducing workers for maximum productivity.
•
To investigate the relationship between
the recruitment of right caliber of employee and quality and quantity of
service delivery.
•
To identify improve manpower planning
process and staff development
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study lies on
its functional objectives. This research study is very much imperative for our
national development. This is because development of any country depends
largely on its human resources.
Theoretically, in our contemporary
society in which research form the basis for academic study, this research work
constitute a veritable research material in all field of study as manpower is
essential in all endeavor. In line with the above, it is necessary in
sensitizing those in the realm of affairs of
education on the needs
to strengthen the school curriculum to incorporate and enhance the study of
human resources planning and development in all administrative and management
courses as manpower planning is crucial for national development.
This study is also
necessary in propelling the policy maker to integrate manpower planning and
staff development with overall national development plan as national objectives
inform manpower planning, and national objectives / goals cannot be realized
without operating under sound human resources. In addition the research will
also instigate them to make policy that will push both private and public
organization to embrace. Furthermore, it will also activate other researcher to
undertake comprehensive research on manpower planning and staff development
which will also improve the development of this country.
Empirically, the
research work really is a problem solving tool in our society. The major aim of
this research work is to accelerate growth and development in our rural as
development is synonymous with productivity, and productivity in organization
is achieved through suitable human resources. And quality human resources in
any organization in a right number and in a suitable job are stemmed from
appropriate and adequate manpower planning process.
Specifically, local
government in Nigeria are regarded as non relevant because of its inability to
influences the development in rural areas, this problem of local government
will be alleviated as appropriate manpower planning process will help to
eradicate problem of unqualified employee’s. Adequate manpower planning will
help to balance manpower requirement in local governments with their constitutional
responsibilities.
Furthermore, the data
management problem in the local government will also be ameliorated, poor data
management had constituted obstacle to adequate manpower forecasting, action
plan and implementation. This study helps to introduce the computerized method
in data management which will ease the problems of delay in their employee’s
management function and local government working with inaccurate data in
efforts towards realization of their objectives.
Essentially, it will
help in inducing the management of organization in investing in staff
development as there is growing evidence that investment in training staff is
associated with long run profitability of organization.
This study focuses on
manpower planning and development in local government, specifically in Enugu
state. The researcher examined the staff
recruitment, selection, placement, staff training
and development process.
The constraints to this
research are numerous. A lot of the finance was required to investigate
extensively the extent manpower planning and development was being carried out
in all the seventeen (17) local governments in Enugu state. As result of that the
researcher covered three local governments, namely; Nsukka local government,
Igbo-Eze south local government, and Igbo-Eze north local government.
In addition the study
lasted for 12months which is not enough for researcher to embark on thorough
research in all the local governments. In view of that, the study covered only
local government listed above. The problem, the researcher also encountered was
that some officials refused to avail themselves for interview for fear that the
information given might put their job in jeopardy. To overcome this problem,
the researcher had to explain to them critically the main purpose of research
as well as assuring them of their anonymity.
These difficulties not
withstanding, the researcher made profound efforts to ensure that the project
was comprehensively carried out to meet the desired needs.
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