HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRODUCTIVITY

1.1 Introduction

Human Resource, capacity building and staff welfare are the basic roles of the personnel management. The local government system is basically designed to bring governance close to the people at the grassroots. The need to enhance efficiency and workability of the system led to the reforms in the local government administration in Nigeria. In spite of these reforms the system has neither brought the much desired results especially in transforming the rural areas nor checked corruption which thrives in Nigeria. Indeed, one area where the system has suffered severe dislocations is in the field of human resource and capacity building and staff welfare (Isabemoch, 2010).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Personnel Management In an organization means the harnessing of human potentials for the performance of some vital fundamental functions in order to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Personnel management in the sense of Human Resource Management can be said to be the contribution or the role of every person who is responsible for the work of the organization. However, the Human Resource Management approach implies a very broad meaning of “Personnel Management” and does not tell anything about the particular areas of work in which personnel specialists make a distinctive contribution to an organization (Bankole, 2000).

Human resources is recognized as the most vital of all the resources required for the production of goods and services, infact it is the key to rapid socio-economic development and efficient service delivery. Without adequate, skilled and well-motivated workforce operating within a sound human resource management programme, development is not possible. An organization that underrates the critical role and underplays the importance of people in goal-achievement can neither be effective nor efficient (Armstrong, 2006).

Human resource or Man Power Planning has been defined as “the process of determining manpower requirement and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out the integrated plans of the organization.” Human Resource Management range of activities including aspects of team leadership such as grievance handling and employee counseling, personnel management function recruitment and selection, employee development, performance appraisal, disciplinary matters, motivation and management development.

Human resources has been identified as very important because of the dynamic nature of man, that is, man has the ability to think and reason which invariably make him to make choices in every given situation. On like other resources that are static which do not move unless they are moved, such as land, capital and machines, these resources are best managed by human beings to bring about organizational growth and development, (Gary, 2005).

Human resources management is critical to any organization; inadequate human resource can make or mar an organization. Most organizations de-emphasize the importance of human resources and this has led to the unproductive result been experienced in such organization. The management of human resources is crucial to the growth and survival of any organization particularly those of the 21st century who encounter on regular basis unhealthy rivalry in the global market.

Perhaps, it may interest you to hear that as important as human resources is to organization, it is the most difficult to manage. Difficult in the sense that, unlike materials, money and time, human beings have their faculties for reasoning, and the ability to respond or resist the various types of stimuli that may considered intolerable.

Nevertheless, of all the resources needed by organization, human beings combine the other resources to make them efficient and effective. Example, money which is usually scarce could not come on its own to the organization except human beings in the organization source them, and huge sums of money could disappear into tin air if not managed properly by human beings and this could nail the coffin of the organization concerned.

Similarly, land may be expensive and the location may be fraught with problems, but once it is acquired with efficient people around, it can be profitably utilized. In the same vein, materials are obviously needed to make the combination of land and money meaningful, yet without the right type of people in the system; the material and land even the money may not be handled in a way that desired results will be obtained. Apart from being the user of other resources in ways that will yield the best result, human resources are themselves the most dynamic, complex and unpredictable. Therefore, it is not an overstatement to conclude that the survival of an organization is largely enhanced or guaranteed by the ability of effective and efficient human resource management to attract, retain, motivate and develop employees.

Scholar (1995:5}; acknowledged that the much attention which human resource management received in recent time was not unconnected with the global recognition that much could be gained from a better handling of human resource management.

According to Giwa (1990); “without the organization and management of human resource, there perhaps will be no Nation-state and life would be nasty, brutish and short.” Perhaps it is in full endorsement of this inescapable truth with local government, in the Lagos plan of action (1981) stated categorically that “since African’s greatest asset is it’s human resources, full mobilization and efficient utilization of labour force for local government development and social progress should be a major instrument of development.

Having shown that effective management of human resource is fundamental to the survival of any organization, it becomes imperative for any organization who desires to survive, to put in place, policies, programmes, and practices that can ensure optimal acquisition and utilization of human resources. This study therefore centres on Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. In order to determine the extent to which the Amuwo Odofin Local Government appreciates, the overriding benefits attained from proper management of human resources on the local government productivity.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation reveals that some organizations encounter low productivity inspite of improper management of its human resource. However, local governments have not really been impressing towards rapid decrease in productivity. Therefore, the likely problems facing local governments, most especially Amuwo Odofin Local Government are as follows:

1. Failure to identify and address various approaches to human resources management.
2. Improper analysis of staffing process
3. Putting round peg in a square hole in terms of training its employees which eventually leads to under-development of the organization.
4. Also, negligence of manpower planning which result to low productivity.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to scrutinize the impact of human resources management and how it affects local government productivity. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To identify the various approaches to human resources management
2. To analyze the staffing process in Ojo Local Government Area.
3. To analyze the effect of training and development of employees on local government productivity
4. To investigate the impact of manpower planning or local government productivity.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• How can human resource management approach increase the level of productivity in the local government?
• What is the effect of improper staffing process on local government productivity?
• Does training and development improve the level of productivity in the local government?
• What is the impact of manpower planning on local government productivity?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

• H₀1: There is significant relation of human resource management to local government productivity
• H₀2: There is a positive relationship between performance appraisal and promotion in Ojo Local Government Area
• H₀3: Frequent training and development programmes can improve the performance of employees in Ojo Local Government.

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1.7 Significance of Study

This research work will be making contribution to knowledge as well as assisting the local government to take informed decisions as it concern human resource management and productivity. Other researchers will equally benefit from this study as some of them may review such study in the course of their own research work. The populace of the local government areas will be able to know the problems and hindrances of local government productivity.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the Human Resource Management and Local Government Productivity Ojo Local Government in Lagos State.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

• Human Resource Management: This has to do with a series of activities in which the job, the individual and the organization, all interact towards changes and development.
• Local Government: This is the third tier level of government that serves as a grassroots government created for the purpose of efficient and effective administration of the local areas or localities.
• Man-power planning: This is the acquisition plan of an organization for the right number and the right kinds of people at the right place of work, at the right time, doing the right kind of things for the maximum benefit of individuals and the organization.
• Productivity: This is a measure of the production efficiency of an organization when measured with the ratio of input of output.
• Staffing Process: Deals with the process of acquiring workers or employees for the execution and achievement of an organizational goals and objectives.