CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Descriptive Background to the study
The effect of manpower development on
employee’s productivity and organization performance has attracted considerable
interest in analytical and empirical literature. On the whole, human resources
management theory has paid considerable attention to this subject matter (Dhamodharan
2010).
Manpower development is very vital to
job productivity and organization performance since the formal educational
system does not adequately provide specific job skills for a position in a
particular organization. While, few individuals may have the requisite skills, knowledge,
abilities and competencies needed to fit into a specific job function, some
others may require extensive training to acquire the necessary skills to be able to fit in a
specific job function and also make significant contribution to the organization’s
performance.
The human capital theory provides
evidence which indicates that training and education raises the productivity of
workers by imparting useful knowledge and skills, hence raising workers’ future
income by increasing their lifetime earnings also provide an explanation that
links investment in training with workers’ wages (Becker 1964). According to
Stone (2002), training has the distinct role in the achievement of an
organizational goal by incorporating the interests of organization and the
workforce.
Goldstein (1980) defined manpower
development as the systematic acquisition and development of the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes required by employees to adequately perform a task or job
or to improve performance in the job environment. This implies that for any
organization to succeed in achieving the objectives of its training program,
the design and implementation must be planned and systematic, tailored towards
enhancing performance and productivity.
Onasanya (2005) defines manpower development
as a form of specialized education aimed at giving the employee a particular or
specialized knowledge, skill and attitude which he must possess to effectively
perform in a given position while development is concerned with specific
programmes designed to prepare and groom a worker with particular education and
training for higher responsibilities. Capacity building according to entails
investment in human capital, institutions and practices necessary to enhance
human skills, overhaul institutions and improve procedures and systems.
Sanusi (2002) further sees capacity
building as the internalization of the knowledge, skills and processes that
enable the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of set goals
in an efficient manner; while views it as a series of activities, which an
organization, enterprise or even a nation needs to undertake to provide for
itself, on a continuous basis, the supply of skilled manpower to meet its
present and future needs.
Manpower development according to Anyanwu (2002)
is the process of building up human resources to meet the needs of an
organization. He stated further that Manpower development includes investment
by a society in education, investment by employers in training employees and
investments by individual in time and money in their own development.
Manpower development has been an
important variable in increasing organizational productivity. Many researchers showed
that manpower development is a fundamental and effectual instrument in
successful accomplishment of the firm''s goals and objectives, resulting in
higher productivity. Manpower development builds a team that is effective,
efficient and well motivating, thereby enhancing the confidence and self-esteem
of employees. Manpower development creates chances for the promotion of
employees to replace those who have left the organization. Indeed, the benefits
of manpower development are innumerable. (Colombo 2008).
This study will therefore, examine the
effect of manpower development on workers productivity in Cross River State
civil servants, Calabar.
1.2
Statement of problem
The
Cross River state civil service has a
vision to become a model in Nigeria in terms of loyalty effectiveness,
efficiency and quick service delivery and to maintain a highly motivated,
efficient and effective Civil Service capable of speedily implementing
Government programmes and policies.
However, every organization will always
face challenges when the objectives of the employee is not in line with that of
the organization. An employee may have the ability and determination, with the
appropriate equipment and managerial support yet such employee may be
underproductive. The missing factor in most cases is the lack of adequate
skills, and knowledge, which are acquired through training and manpower
development. Training reduces employee turnover and promotes goal congruency,
while lack of training increases absenteeism rate, low output, poor quality and
results in high unit cost (Adeniji 2002).
The continued complaints of low
productivity and the demonstrated lack of commitment and efficiency of the
civil service has been an issue of great concern. Various efforts have been
expended by researcher, in an attempt to find a solution to the problems of the
civil service and also successive government administrations have consistently
increased the remuneration and allowances paid civil employees, still in an attempt
to boost the effectiveness and productivity of it workers. However their
productivity levels are unarguably not commensurate with the increment. The
question that may naturally emanate from these is, could there be other factors
apart from money that may account for the ineffectiveness and unproductively of
an employee? And of course one of such key factors apart from pay that
determines employees’ productivity is the employee’s skills and knowledge of
the job and again what ultimately determines the amount of skills and specific
knowledge an employee possess, is the level of training received by
the employee. As strongly note by
Inyang (2001), the civil service has a penchant recruiting untrained and
unqualified personnel and does little or in most cases makes no attempt to
train personnel even after recruiting them.
1.3
Objectives of the study
The main objectives of the study is to examine the effect of manpower
development on workers productivity in Cross River State civil servants,
Calabar.
Other specific objectives of the study
include;
(i)
To
determine the impact of manpower development on organizational performance in
Cross River State civil servants, Calabar.
(ii)
To
determine the effect on manpower development on employee job performance in
Cross River State civil servants, Calabar.
(iii)
To
assess the role of training in manpower development in Cross River State civil
servants, Calabar.
1.4 Study
questions
(i)
To what extent does manpower development impact
on organizational performance in Cross River State civil servants, Calabar?
(ii)
How
does manpower development influence
employee job performance in Cross River State civil servants, Calabar?
(iii)
What
is the role of training in manpower development in Cross River State civil
servants, Calabar?
1.5 Significance
of the study
This study will be of immense benefits to public and private
organizations especially Cross River State civil service Calabar to understand the strategic role of manpower
development in organizational success. It will also help them to understand the
steps to follow in designing and implementing training programme. The research will equally be significant to both state and
federal government in making policies that will encourage regular training of
its employees to update its worker with latest relevant skills that will
enhance productivity. It will also serve as a valuable tool for students,
academician, institutions and individuals that wants to know more about the
strategic role of training needs assessment.
1.6
Scope of the study
In terms of coverage, this study examines the effect
of manpower development on workers productivity in Cross River State Civil
service, Calabar. This means that issues relating to manpower development will
be explained. In view of the technicalities involved, it would be unrealistic
to assume that all necessary facts will
be gathered in the process of the study. Information is limited to those
accesses and made available by the respondents and also have gathered from end
users. More so, since large public
organizations have many forms, the study will only be limited to Cross River
State Civil service, Calabar.