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University of Nigeria Research Publications
AMAEFULA, Ugonma Joy
Aut
hor
PG/PGD/03/34567
Title
Factors Affecting Manpower Development and Utilization in Umuahia North Local Government
Council of Abia State
Facu
lty
Social Sciences
Dep
artm
ent
Political Science
Dat
e
June, 2005
Sign
atur
e
TITLE PAGE
FACTORS AFFECTING MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
AND UTILIZATION IN UMUAHIA NORTH LOCAL
GOVERNMENT COUNCIL ? -
AMAEFULA UGONMA JOY
-PG/PGD/03/34567
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
ENUGU STATE
JUNE 2005.
APPROVAL PAGE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT AMAEFULA UGONMA JOY WITH
REGISTRATION NUMBER PGlPGDl03134567 HAS WRITTEN HER
LONG ESSAY UNDER MY GUIDANCE AND SUPERVISION AND
THAT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, HER WORK IS
ORIGINAL AND SHE DID ACKNOWLEDGE ALL PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA AND MATERIAL CONTAINED
THERE IN. THIS WORK IS THEREFORE APPROVED FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF N I G E U ,
D ~ \ P . c . cmwu SUPERVISOR
DATE:
DR. AS~SI ASOBIE
HEAD OE DEPARTMENT
E
DATE:
REQUIREMENT PAGE
FACTORS AFFECTING MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND
UTILIZATION IN UMUAHIA NORTHY LOCAL
GOVERNMENT COUNCIL
ANAEFULA UGONMA JOY
PG/PGD/O3/34567
A LONG ESSAY SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL
SCIENCE, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A
POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA (PGD) IN POLITICAL SCIENCE.
DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my caring husband Mr. U. I Kalu for his
moral and financial support and to my little baby Uchechi Kalu Ugbor. *
Amaefula. U. Joy
UNN
June 2005.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is a pleasure to acknowledge the help and co-operation I have
received in the completion of this long Essay.
I am particularly indebted to my supervisor, Dr. P.C. Chukwu for his
invaluable advice, guidance and untiring patience in going through this
work.
My thanks also go to my parents Mr. & Mrs. Maxwell Amaefula
whose painstaking efforts gave me the moral to do the work.
To all and sundary who contributed in one way or the other to the
success of this work I owe my immense gratitude.
Lastly, I am indebted to the Almighty God for giving me health,
sound mimi and endurance for successful completion of the career.
Amaefula, U. J
UNN
PREFACE
This work was carried to examine the factors that affect manpower
development and utilization in Umuahia North Local Government Council
of Abia State. This was necessitated as a result of lack of manpower
development in Umuahia North Local Government Council.
The main objectives of this study were to ascertain the factors that
affect manpower development and utilization in Umuahia North Local
Government, to examine the opportunities available for manpower
development and utilization, to determine the directions of the factors that
affect manpower development and utilization.
From the study it was found that factors which affect manpower
power development and utilization in Umuahia North Local Government
Council includes, inadequate motivation of Local Government, workers, the
wrong deployment of workers, political interference in the appointment
promotion, .welfare and discipline of staff in the local government,
inadequate financing, poor awareness of the need for training among
political leaders and workers.
It was recommended among others that government should make
labour policies that will improve manpower development and adequate
utilization. Also the issue of indigene syndrome or ethnic and cultural
belonging should be abolished in the local government council. Further
more local government should continue to intensifl the need for
vii
organizational in service training to enable them to meet up with the ever
changing environment and also the local government should be given a free
hand to operate without outside interference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................. .i . . E Q W M E N T PAGE ................................................................................ -11
... AE'PROVAL PAGE .................................................................................... .ill
DEDICATION. iv ............................................................................................... ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................. v
PREFACE .....................................-................................................................. .vi ... TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................. .vln
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................ .1
1 .0 IN'IRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1
........................................... 1.1 The Concept of Manpower Development. 4
1 -2 The Factors in Manpower Development .............................................. 10
1 -3 The Nhon of Manpower Utilization. .................................................. 1 3
1.4 The Link Between Manpower Development
And Utilization. ................................................................................... 16
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................... -22
2.0 Factors that Affects Manpower Development
In Organizations .............................................................................................. 22
2.1 Inadequate Capital ............................................................................... 22
2.2 Shortage of Institutional Staffto Impart
Knowledge and Skill ............................................................................ 23
2.3 Lack of a Unified National Labour Market
And the Mobility of Labour into rural areas. .......................................... 24
2.4 Language Barriers. Ethnic Prejudices and Pubic Policies ...................... 25
2.5 Religions and Literate Level of the Workers ......................................... 26
2.6 Physical Environment and Location of the Organization ...................... 27
2.7 Strategies for Manpower Development ................................................. 28
CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................... 31
3.0 Factors Affecting Manpower Development and
Utilization in Umuahia North Local Government Council ................................ 31
3.1Inadequate Motivation of Local Government Workers ........................... 32
3.2 The Wrong Deployment of Workers ..................................................... 32
3.3 Political Interference in the Appointment Promotion,
Welfare and Discipline of Staff in the Local Government ...................... 33
............................................................................ 3.4 Inadequate Financing 34
3.5 Poor Awareness of the Importance of Training
................................................... Among Political Leaders and Workers -35
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................... 36
4.0 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 36
4.1 Recommendations ................................................................................ 37 . . 4.2 Bib110 graphy ......................................................................................... 39
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Various organizations in the world today are involved in a lot of
activities, which help them to achieve their organizational goals. These
activities could be in terms of production processes, marketing processes,
management and host of others. Onah (2003) stressed that an organization
needs four basic kinds of inputs or resources fi0 the environments namely,
human resources, financial resources, physical and information resources in
order to achieve organizational goal. Nwankwo (1998) argued that
manpower is the most crucial assets of any organization and nation because
no matter the amount of capital invested in an organization its f ~ l u r e or
success depends wholly on the quality and quantity of people who plan and
execute the organizational programmes.
According to Anyanwu (1997) Manpower refers to the totality of the
energies, skill knowledge and experience available in a country. Barney
(1999) sees manpower to include all the experience, skills judgment,
abilities, howledge, contacts, risk-taking and wisdom of individuals and
associates with an organization.
However, manpower development is a vital issue in a developing nation
like Nigeria. Manpower development is the process of developing the
workers in an organization in order to enhance adequate utilization. A
nation without good quality manpower development is like a nation without
foundation. This is because the nation depends on its manpower for the
supply of physical labour, technical and professional skills needed for
effective and efficient planning and implementation of development policies,
programmes and projects of the nation. (Yesuh 1966). Utilization on the
other hand deals on the ability to employ the developed manpower for the
efficient and effective management of human and material resources for the
up &ent of the nation.
The success of any nation is the utilization of the trained manpower for
its productive activities. Njoku (1995) argued that manpower development
without utilization is like wasting the nations resources. Therefore there is a
linkage between manpower development and utilization in any nation.
The purpose of this study is to examine the issue of manpower
development and utilization in Umuahia North Local Government Council.
The Local Government Council was carved out from former Umuahia Local
Government Council in August 1996. It is located within latitude 415 and 3'
O ~ ~ E and longitude 5' 08' and 4' 5 0 ' ~ . It covers a land area of about
682km2 with a population about 287,200 (National population cornmission,
199 1).
Umuahia North Local Government Council shares a common boundary
on its Eastern axis with Ikwu-ano Local Government Council of Abia State.
While it shares its Northem boundary with Bende Local Government
Council, and its Western axis, it shares a boundary with Amankwo and Ohia
in Umuahia South LocaI Government Council.
The present Umuahia North Local Government comprises seven (7)
automous communities. The autonomous communities are: Umuhu
autonomous community, Nkwo-achara autonomous community, Nkwo-
egwu autonomous community Isingwu autonomous community, Aka-ukwu
autonomous community, Aka-nta autonomous community, OssaIEmede
autonomous community. Also Umuahia North Local Government is made
up of two clans namely, Ibeku and Ohuhu.
Furthermore, the key research questions that will guide this study
include: what are the factors that affect manpower development and
utilization in Umuahia North Local Government Council? What are the
areas or opportunities and utilization? Whzt are the directions of these
factors? And how can these problems be eliminated. Furthermore the
objectives of this study includes to ascertain the factors that affect manpower
development and utilization in Umuahia North Local Government Council;
to examine the opportunities available for manpower development and
utilization; to determine the directions of the factors that affect manpower
development and utilization; and basically to make input for policy
recommentlations based on the findings.
However, hypothetically fiom this study we would deduct if there is no
significant relationship between manpower development and adequate
utilization or induct that there is sigtuficant relationship between manpower
development and adequate utilization.
Also the study would serve as an exploratory step sought to examine the
factors that affect manpower development and adequate utilization with the
bid of finding solution to it. It will also help to provide the much needed
information in the various sources of manpower development. The findings
of the stuey will be useful to the management and it will help them to ensure
optimum use of manpower available to them. The study will further provide
a practical basis for forming sources of reference to students, researchers and
provide bases for further studies on related subjects.
This study is constrained by inadequate of reading texts and journal
regards to the topic and time. Despite this, we hope that the study will be
helpll to policy makers and government, various organization and also help
them to identrfy the areas where they will contribute in the development of
their manpower and provide for the kture needs of their manpower
development and utilization.
1.1 THE CONCEPT OF MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
Oakhenan eta1 (1997) sees manpower development as the process of
training and improving the workers skills and knowledge in order to achieve
the highest productivity in the organization. Manpower refers to the total
number of people available for service or work. They are the people
employed in the organization that helps in achieving the organizational
goals, as such the management should bear in mind that an employee should
be helped to grow into more responsibility by systematic training and
development. It is only then that he will feel confident to cany out the job
assigned to him, such a worker is inbued with the potential to think and
originate ideas as to how best to carry out his job (Odike 1999).
how eve^, according to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
development means the gradual growth of a thing so that it becomes
advanced. According to Okwudiba Nnoli (1 98 1) development means:
A phenomenon associated with Changes in man's humanity and
Creative energies and a process of actualizing man's inherent
Capacity to be better and more rewardly.
Also development means increasing skill and capacity to do things, greater
fieedom, responsibility and material well being.
Burack (1972) in his own contribution to manpower development
argued that the concept of manpower at a glance seems to mean every body
who are currently on pay roll but it means much more than that, others
terms, relevance to a fuller definition include work assignment, academic
training, specific current skill, individuals, versus job categories, men versus
women, external versus internal labour, resources all seem part of a . comprehensive manpower definition. According to Diejomah (1982)
manpower development is the process, which leads to the formation of
values, and attitudes, the development of skills and the knowledge of a
people or workers and thereby contributing to the enhancement and
improvement in the quality of human resources on which the organization
ultimately depends.
Nwankwo (1998) argued that manpower development refers to more
than just the specific development of a person. It involves educating people
at all levels, vocational training, rehabilitation and retraining programmes.
Akpan (1982) stressed that manpower development is the process whereby
an employee is enabled to grow in job through the acquisition of wide
experience, and increasing confidence resulting form the exercise of varied
that tested responsibilities the aim being to enable him to reach the top or
achieve his best in his profession of employment. Also manpower
development enables the workers to improve their efficiency and
effectiveness and assume new roles and fimctions in the organization.
Cuming (1968) asserts that manpower development enables workers
to give the best out of their job. Manpower development also means human
resource development. According to Awotunde (2000) it refers to the
productive capacity of the people in an enterprise who are involved in the
acquisition of 'knowledge skill and abilities through education and training
for productive purposes. The prosperity of any organization depends, to a
large extent on the competence of its manpower. So manpower
development c:m be viewed as a series of activities, which an organization
undertakes to provide for its self on a continuous basis, a regular supply of
skilled manpower to meet its present and future needs.
The work done by Burack (1972) shows that, organization both
private and public may employ a low skilled worker with the intension of
providing them with in service training. The main purpose is to provide the
workers with more skills, which are in turn, utilize by the organization in
question. This training will help them to acquire more skills in order to
enable them to adapt to the new environment.
David Downey (1989) in his own contribution stipulated that
development needs vary according to the circumstances, the kind of
organization, the level of complexity of the job and the experience and
educational level of the employee all determine the kind of development .
needed. He finher stated that development programs are devised to meet
one or more of the following objectives, to reduce mistakes, accidents,
increase motivation and productivity and prepare the employee for
promotion, growth and development. Managers seek to increase the value of
the fbm through employee development. Furthermore, he noted that
development programme should be based upon specific objectives and meet
the test of the fbllowing formular. What should be known (-) minus what is
. know equal to (=) what must be learned.
Olalokie (1989) in his own contributions assets that training fall under
the following major categories. Firstly, training on-the-job. This is the type
of training undertaken by lower level manpower, that is those who are
unskilled and semi-skilled. The management organized training for them
internally, in which they are taught how to make use of machines, filing
system and host of others. Secondly formal education training; this type of
training is carried out, outside the organization. It involves acquiring skills
and knowledge fiom the higher institutions of learning. Thirdly is the out
side formal; this includes organization of conferences, conventions,
workshops, lectures and seminars.
Nwobi (2002) emphasized that the capacity to acquire and generate
knowledge is all its forms is a critical aspects of the development process
regardless of how that process is defined. The type of skill or knowledge
differs depending on whether a social, political, economic, technological or
scientific perspective is adopted. He further added that several skills are
required in order to solve problems. Recent research has shown that
manpower development processes are influenced by cost and time.
However, this conception of manpower development has been questioned
and it is much more widely recognized today that the social setting and
people's capabilities are crucial to the manpower development. Knowledge
and capital are also essential to all aspect of manpower development.
Hence, major transformations are occurring in the formal education sector
and other organizations that play key role in enabling people develop new
capabilities and skills.
FWhermore, study done by Appleby (1982) pointed out that there is
the need to develop the organizational manpower due to the technological
changes in recent times. He further stressed that change is a dominant factor
today, processes, products, system and methods are rapidly changing as
times goes on. As a matter of fact an organization needs to develop its
manpower in order to acquire more skill and knowledge that would help in
adopting new techniques used in modem technologies. The training would
also help them to increase their coping capabilities. Take for instance the
use of the Internet, computer works could lower transaction cost
dramatically among organization and facilitate new type of commercial
transactions. Also he argued that development of manpower in an
organization is necessary to allow them to acquire more skills for coping
with new technologies instead of laying them off.
Really manpower development refers to methods where by worker's
skills are improved. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) in their opinion stipulate
that manpower development is the key to creating, adapting and spreading
knowledge. Basic manpower development process increases people's
capacity to learn and to interpret information. It is also needed to build a
labour force that can keep up with a constant stream of technological
advances, which comprises product cycle and spread the depreciation of
human capital. Manpower development therefore is critical for enhmcing
people's capabilities to harness knowledge for economic development
especially in the developing countries.
1.2 THE FACTORS IN MANPOWER DEVELOPOMENT
There are many factors that determine or influence manpower
development in an organization. In the first place, we have the management
manpower-planning objective as a factor in manpower development. Goetz
(1949) stipulated that plans alone couldn't make an organization to be
successful; action is needed; the organization must operate plans, and focus
on action. They can forcast, which actions will tend towards the ultimate
objective. Without plans actions must become merely random activity,
producing nothing but chaos. For an organization to achieve its goal, there
must be planning. Planning means making decisions to meet up competing
needs. It involves allocation of resources. Resources here refer to anythtng,
which is considered by those making decisions to be of potential use in
achieving a particular objective. These include capital resources and human
resources. Capital resources include equipment, building etc. Planning
involves also making decision about how to make the best use of the
available resources.
Consequently, the quantity and quality of these have a very important
effect on the process of choosing between different courses of action. On the
one hand, the fact that there are almost always limits to the quantity and
quality of resources available is the main reason why planning involves
deciding on a number of desirable course of action should be given priority.
Most times the decision makers give greater attention to issues that
are involved in solving their personal problems rather than organizational
problems. Thjs is to say that they formulate policies and objectives that are
geared towards solving their individual goals. This means that the
objectives of developing the workers are not the interest of the top
management cadre of the organization and this influences manpower
development.
However, in a situation where it becomes their concern, it is usually
politicized. 'I'his is to say that the political environment within the
organization usually affects manpower development. The management ,
determines whom to send on training and whom not to send. Another issue
is connected to the selection and release of workers for training. In various
organizations merit is a major criterion for the recruitment and promotion of
civil servant. Also the process of management trainee selection is bound to
be affected by non-merit criteria. Sometimes officers selected for training
may not know the job or cope with the demands of training programs.
Furthermore, the financial resources available or capital are also a
factor in manpower development. Take for instance a large budget enable
you to hire more people and pay higher wages. Conversely, a projected
budget cruch could mean fewer positions and lower salary offers (Onah
2003). Therefore capital plays an important role in manpower development.
It is capital availability that dictates the number of workers that will be sent
on training especially outside and to formal Education training. Thus the
management is usually constrained in terms of the amount of capital needed
for manpower development.
Also the developments of the management workers of an organization
are necessary in order to ensure maximum productivity. However, most of
the institutions and organizations that are involved in manpower
development are sometimes involved in not given out the quality of
development needed by the organization. So the type of education or
training received by the workers are also among the factors that determine
manpower development. Most people involved in the education or training .
received by the workers are also among the factors that determine manpower
development. Most people involved in the education system are not
adequately developed and because of this the workers did not receive
adequate training needed for their working conditions.
Tang (1995) in his own opinion stipulates that manpower
development process is age related favoring the young. This is to say that
length of service affects manpower development. For instance youths or
young people in the service are highly favoured by manpower development
due to the fact that they are newly employed with little experience.
Furthermore the older ones who had stead for many years in the service are
almost retiring with full of experience and can hardly go for manpower
training especially in-service training. Also training process can be
influenced by time, place and cost of manpower development.
Silverstone (1996) emphasized that the competitiveness of industrial
sectors necessitates the training of manpower and its utilization. The
organizational performance depends on the quality of workers. And the
ability of firms to transform the results of their new skill into market
products easier access to up-to-data scientific and also the technical
information as well as opportunities to communicate within an organization
the skills hodedge and techniques acquired by in-service training
programme will generate new demands and fueling higher expectation in the
organization.
In another development, the income of the workers plays a significant
role in manpower development. A worker that earns a reasonable amount of
money at the end of month will also like to engage himherself' in training.
This is outside the organized training that is carried out by the management.
1.3 THE NOTION OF MANPOWER UTILIZATION
Manpower utilization according to Ojofertimi (1988) refers to
recruitment, selection, placement and compensation of the workers. The
recruitment process in this definition means reabsorbing the workers after
they might have completed their training programmes. In this context
selection is the procession and rank ordering of internally developed workers
in order to fix them in their new job. Placement means putting them in their
appropriate positions in the organization after passing through the series of
training process. Manpower utilization also involves getting the right caliber
of people and most importantly providing conditions that are conducieve,
which will enable them, stay on their job and cope with the demands of their
job. Therefore Griftin (1992) sees utilization as the organizational activities
directed at attracting, developing and maintaining an effective workforce.
However, the efficiency with which an organization can perform will
depend to a large extent on how its human resources can be managed and
, . utilized Mathais and Jackson (1997) emphasized that manpower had become
of strategic interest to upper management recently because the effective use
of people in organization can provide a competitive advantage. Onah (2003)
argued that the achievement of the goal in an organization depends on the
maximum utilization of human and material resources of the organization.
The full utilization of the human resources of any establishment depends
mainly on the kind of industrial relations prevalent in the organization. The
type of industrial atmosphere in any enterprise will go along way in
determing the extent to which the organization will tap its human, material
and financial resources in order to achieve its objective. b
Osuji (1992) stressed that the increasing complexity of technology,
the multiplicity of organizational roles, the pressure of social needs and
problems heighten the desire for effective manpower development and
utilization. However Odike (1999) sees manpower Utilization as those
personnel who are gahhlly employed and used in carrying out the objective
of an establishment. It is ideal that after developing the workers on the
nature of job or work what follows is utilization of workers within the
organization. The workers in various organizations today usually face the
problems of inadequate utilization sometimes and also the problem of lack
of proper placement and conversion.
In another development, Denga (1984) maintain that improvement in
the provision of food shelter, higher salary and so on will cost the
organization more money but will not necessarily increase productivity or
efficiency and investment. But human labour can actually increase
productivity. Therefore utilization is important in order to increase -
efficiency and productivity. Dessler, (2001) stipulates that factors that can
influence staff retention and utilization include favourable conditions of
service, leader effectiveness, job security or task analysis and job
satisfaction.
Apart &om the internal utilization of manpower, utilization can also
take place outside the organization. People also acquire skills, experience
and knowledge for the purpose of being utilized in other establishments.
This will go along way in increasing their standard of living.
However, the issues of under utilization of human resources or
manpower in its entire ramification should be seen and treated as one of the
most serious problems facing developing countries. In the first place
manpower is seen as the most abundant of all the factors of production. The
waste of manpower in the developing countries has a number of facets that
makes it different fiom what obtains in the advanced countries. It takes the
forms of open unemployment i.e. complete lack of employment.
In general, under-utilization of human resources in the developing
countries can be traced to repaid rates of population growth; the introduction
of new technologies, which soak-up limited capital but creates few
employment opportunities in the process. The utilization of developed
manpower in an organization enables the workers to contribute their best
there by promoting organizational goals. Adequate utilization will help to
increase the welfare of the workers as well as raise their standard of living.
Most times, after acquiring knowledge and skills the levels of the workers
usually rise higher than one who did not acquire training.
1.4THE LINK BETWEEN MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND
UTILIZATION
The linkage bletween manpower development and utilization as used in this
context means the connection between manpower development and
utilization.
Manpower development as Cole (2002) put it, involves learning
activity, which is directed towards firher needs, rather than present needs
and which is concerned more with career growth than immediate
performance. Manpower development also involves the acquisition of
knowledge, skill, values, abilities and experience that will enable the
workers to contribute and assume new roles and function in the organization.
Utilization means the reabsorption of the workers back in the organization
after training.
Okoye (1992) in his own contribution sees utilization as a process that
has to do with retention of employee in an organization with a view to
getting them to perform at a relatively high level of productivity to achieve
the set objective.
However, the importance of manpower development and utilization in
national development has been extensively discussed and demonstrated by
outstanding scholars all over the world. For instance the work done by
Fredrick Harbson (1960) titled "Human resources the wealth of nations"
Fredrick stresses that human resources, constitute the ultimate basis for the
wealth of any nation: capital and natural resources are passive factors of
production; hurnan being are the active agents which create, accumulate
wealth, exploit material resources build social, economic and political
organizations clevelopment. Manpower development helps to ensure
productivity and efficiency. It makes the workers to contribute their
measure to the welfare, health and development of the economy.
Furthermore, manpower development is necessary in order to introduce new
techniques, to provide for succession, enabling qualified replacement to be
available and to raise the standard of unskilled personnel thus over corning
labour shortages. Appleby (1982) emphasized that it helps to develop
supervisors and decrease the amount of supervisor needed and lead to a
reduction in scrap rates and improve machines utilization.
The environment undergoes rapid changes at all times and acquisition
of wide experience for future strategic advantage is necessary. Various
studies have shown that manpower development and utilization are
interwined. In the work done by James eta1 (1986) an organization may
wish to expand its outlets, for this reason the organization may organize
manpower development in which they workers have to be utilized in the new
expanded units. The individual may also acquire more managerial skills for
the organizational expansion strategies or the replacement of retired workers
in the same organization.
Also income and managerial views or aims influences manpower
development process in an organization. Work done in recent times shows
that most organization develop their workers with the view of utilizing them
for more profitable ventures in the future. This is because of economic
reason, after assessing the cost and benefit of such training programmes. It
is important to train the workers and retain so that most of the h s secret
would not be exposed to others. For this reason the establishment would
wish to train and utilize them, no matter the cost of training the workers
(Anyanwu 2000).
Ade (2003) in his study stipulated that manpower development and
utilization helps in increasing the output/profit of the organization which
will in hrm increase the welfare of the workers by increase in their wages
and salaries. He stated that it will also accelerate economic growth and in
turn reduces the wide spread poverty, in addition he states that under
development syndrome that are common in developing countries need
manpower development process and utilization through formal education
and training as well as research programmes, not only to man the foreign
machines but also to develop local and indigenous technologies.
On the other hand work done by Debel (2001) shows that manpower - development helps in impacting new skills, knowledge and ideas on the
workers as regard the nature of their job. Take for instance educated farmers
learn how to adopt new technologies first and in so doing provide those who
follow with valuable, £tee information about how best to use the new
methods. Also firms, organizations and countries use technical knowledge
to improve their efficiency in the production of goods and services. He
concluded that the essentials choices for people are to lead a long and
healthy life to acquire knowledge and to have access to the resources needed
for a decent standard of living. Thus manpower development and utilization
are crucial for development because everythmg we do depends on
knowledge.
Onah (2003) in this contribution stipulates that manpower
development enables workers to assume new roles and function so as to
adopt new technology. This will in turn increase their efficiency in the use
of scarce resources. It will also increase their effectiveness in production
process. Furthermore, manpower helps in saving time and reduces cost of
production. This is because more new techniques of doing things are leant.
Individuals through the acquisition of more skills and knowledge increase in
their area of specialization. According to Adam Smith (1776) in his work
titled the inquiry into the wealth of nation stated that specialization
facilitates the use of machinery and production of much greater total output.
OECD (1997) pointed out that trained people are required to take advantages
of manpower training in order to acquire skilled technical workforce for '
developing purposes. Through manpower training process government and
firm/organization have to invest more in their own technological capability
in order to bargain more effectively for access to newer technology,
capturing some of the economic gain fiom continued technological advance
in computers, must certainly be one of the major reasons why developing
countries are today interested in learning to use and produce computer
technology through manpower development process and utilization
programme.
Evidence has shown that manpower development and utilization helps
in reducing industrial hazard among workers in an establishment. This
stems from the fact that the skills and knowledge acquire during training
help the workers to observe critically and intelligently when operating
industrial machines. Through the knowledge, and skill; industrial accidents
are reduced (Lundall and John 1994).
Freeman eta1 (1995) stresses that the acquisition of skill and
knowledge through manpower development workers in organization are bale
to reduce the challenges prevalent in their production. For instance through
manpower training the best way of product mix or input combination at least
cost are applied to reduce the cost of production.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 THE FACTORS AFFECTING MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
AND UTILISATION IN ORGANIZATION
There have been a number of factors that affect manpower
development and utilization in various organizations or enterprises. They
are identified md explained below.
2.1 INADEQUATE CAPITAL
Capital means the financial resources, with which the management
uses to cany out development programmes in the organization. Sometimes
capital may be available but it is being mismanaged by the management.
This means that the capital that is being map out for the development of the
workers are being embezzled by the top officers in the management. Also in '
' a situation where the workers are allowed to go on the training programmes,
when they returned the management might not be in a position to afford to
pay them. In such situation capital becomes a major constraints to
manpower development and utilization.
Also due to inadequate capital in the management purse, it limits the
number of workers that will be sent on training. This will go a long way in
affecting the organizational goal and production processes, since only few
hands are developed to carry out work in the organization.
2.2 SHORTAGE OF INSTITUTIONAL STAFF TO IMPART
KN0WL:EDGE AND SKILL
This factor applies mostly to the institutions involved in the
development of the organization manpower. Some of the various
institutions to which organizations send their workers for training lack
adequate trainee staff. The availability of qualified teachers in a school
enhances lealing and the process of imparting knowledge on the students.
Due to the problem of shortage of qualified institutional staff certain relevant
courses in the curriculum are often neglected. Most times the teachers are
overwhelmed with excess course loads. On the other hand the available -
teachers are sometimes unqualified and as such they are not in a position to
give the required howledge the students.
In such a situation if the worker returned after training he will not be
in a position to give out to the organization what he was sent to learn. The
academic workers in these higher institutions are often unable to engage in
productive research, consultancies conferences, workshops and other extra
curriculum activities, which could have improved their knowledge and
skills. Closely related to this issue is lack of learning and teaching materials.
Sometimes learning go beyond paper work. And students are exposed to
learn how to use equipment
2.3 LACK OF A UNIFIED NATIONAL LABOUR MARKETAND
THE DEMOBILITY OF LABOUR INTO RURAL AREAS
This is one of the factors that affect manpower development and
utilization. According to Odike (1998) lack of unified National Labour
market affects manpower development and utilization especially developing
country like Nigeria. He went further to stress that inadequate official
registration centers that will inform unemployed labour manpower of the
availability of labour (job). This leads to mal-distribution of the labour fore
in spatial terms and raises production costs, reduces national growth and
contributes to unemployment problems. In addition the lack of unified
labour market also creates problem in manpower training and utilization.
Most people in Nigeria today obtain jobs by means of personal contacts or
family ties. There is no effective clearinghouse for labour, which brings
together employers and potential employees in order to facilitate the
effective distribution of labour.
Furthermore, effective utilization of available manpower especially
those possessing intermediate and high level skills are restricted by mobility
of labour into m a l areas and between different states. The amenities and
opportunities of the cities and towns attracted skilled labour thus leaving the
' rural areas of needed human resources for their transfornation. The
manpower requirements of different states varies with their respective
economies and extent of local services since the stage of educational
development also differs sigdicantly, some states experience more severe
labour shortage than others. If a national labour market existed workers in
search of higher wages and better job opportunities would move into states
experiencing shortage, thereby optimizing the utilization of national labour.
2.4 LANGUAGE BARRIERS, ETHNIC PREJUDICES AND PUBLIC
POLICIES
A predominant feature of Nigeria social environment is its different
languages and cultures. There are up to 400 language groups with varying
cultures and modes of production, various ethnic groups and a distance
between these groups and uneven educational development. This had helped
to bring about pronounced sensitivity and ethnic affiliation and has often
been acquised for suspicious and disunity (Onah 2003).
In the various organizations, this issue of we belong to this ethnic group
constitutes a problem to manpower development and utilization. This is
why Elton Mayo in (1927) in his analysis of human relation school stipulates
that beyond any formal organization there is in formal organization. This
informal organization such as clubs, Yoruba association etc provide a forum
in which the workers interact and discuss issues that relates their welfare.
Since the come fiom the same cultural background and speak one language,
they tend to stick together and solve their personal problems. Also when the
opportunity for staff development it is usually done within this ethnic
segment while discriminating against those who did not come fiom the same
group with them. Bellow (1992) argued that ethnic value and its effect on
manpower development and utilization have been quite costly while its
cumulative effect has been difficult to reverse. The issue of federal
character representation has been the blight of Nigeria politics; tending so to
say to solve the problem of sectional domination through creating new
dominant group. Furthermore, the public and state policies that are
restrictive usually sect manpower utilization and development in various
organizations. Take for instance the issue of indigene syndrome being
practiced in some organizations where the state governments
indiscriminately dismiss non-indigenes fiom their services.
This is to say that some laws made by the federal government usually
affect manpower development and utilization in various organizations.
These laws rather than encouraging manpower development activities
entrenched in the Nigeria constitution is not only problematic but difficult to
apply.
2.5 RELIGION AND LITERATE LEVEL OF THE WORKERS
Religion according to Onah (2003) is another relevant factor that
affects manpower development and utilization in various organizations. The
two major religious groups are Christianity and Islam. Religion has been
known to affect politics, education, altitudes and perception. It has also been
associated with violence and had a sigruficant social and economic
development in the country, particularly in the South. Govermnent at times
spends huge amount of money in maintaining the diversities in religion for
the sake of peace. Tkis affects its revenue potentials and other resources that
would have enhanced manpower development and utilization.
The type of education a worker acquires before being employed is
also a factor in manpower development. The literacy level in Nigeria is low
and there are in balance in educational growth in Nigeria, the South are
being more advantaged than the North. However, an employer can select
their personnel and sometimes train them after hiring them but for effective
manpower development an employer has to deal with employee whose - attitudes, expectations skills and values are fairly positively well informed
by the time they enter the service. Consequently the unemployment is hgh . technically qualified and employable individuals few and far between the
results is that organizations spend huge chunks of their budgets on available
training programmes.
2.6 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND LOCATION OF THE
ORGANISATION
The physical environment is a factor in manpower development and
utilization. Some organizations are located in R i v e ~ e areas, others in
.- topographically difficult areas. A good number of local government areas
are linked to the state capitals and other local government areas by earth
roads, few are linked by tarred roads, and poorly maintained because of the
apparent declining state of the economy. The nature of the physical
environment of the states and condition people's responses to programmes
and their work attitudes. The state of the roads, the transport system, the
unplanned nature of cities afEefls regularity and punctuality to duties.
2.7 STRATEGIES FOR MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
A worker that is not trained well or developed is a liability to a
dynamic organization. The worker usually applies the wrong skill and also
impacts the wrong knowledge to others. Akpan (1979) assets that:
An untrained man in the modern world may be a menace to the
society.
He is quack; knows only the how of things. He has no idea of their
why. Hence if there is any trouble anywhere
Such as break down in machine or a mistake in a ledger,
All he can do is to fumble and punch up trouble and
Leading to a more serious breakdown or greater confiision.
Really there is no place for the untrained worker, or even
The intelligent amateur, in these days of specialized work.
Not only that an employee who had not received adequate training before
being assigned with responsibilities lack the necessary confidence with
which to carry out the job. Therefore an employee should be help to grow
into more responsibility by systematic training and development.
Ubeku (1975) stipulates that such a person knows what is expected of
hun on the job and because he believes he can do it, his enthusiasm on the
job increases. Therefore the various aspects for manpower development
include the external and internal training schemes.
In the internal training; we have the in house training. This is an
induction programme usually a few duration. It is where the new employee
with the over all goals and aspirations of the organization are introduced into
the organization the organization ad its various parts and authorities. It helps
to give the worker an insight of what his roles are expected to be. Through
this process the worker is able to understand internal and external image of
the organization. Also training can be on the job. It is usually in the hands
of the managers or supervisors to show the workers the way things are done -
in the organization. It involves giving direction, discussing problems and
this goes a long way in allowing the learner to practice with the actual tools
in the environment of his job. Training can be inform of job rotation. The
basic purpose of job rotation is to broaden the knowledge of managers or
potential managers. The trainee learns about the different enterprise
functions by rotating into different positions.
Furthermore, the organizations can organize coderences. In this -. , approach the workers are exposed to ideas of speakers who are experts in
their field. The experts are used to impact knowledge on the workers.
Conference can also be externally organized. Workers are also sent on
seminars and workshops where subjects related to the job are discussed.
Seminztrs are teaching sessions vganized by companies and
institutions fca exchange of ideas among participant and resources persons
are invited to impact knowledge to the participants.
Reading can be a way of self-development this involves the reading of
current management literatures. Also in-service training is a source of
workers development strategy: it is a training undertaken by an employee
while in active service. It is also a situation where by an employee is
undergoing tr,xhhg in a school while receiving full salaries and other
benefits fiom his/her employer. We also have the industrial training
programme, in which tertiary institutions expose students to real work
situations so as to relate theory to practical work situations. The industrial
training fund helps in sponsoring this programme by paying the students
some stipends. This is external strategy.
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 FACTORS AFFECTING MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND
UTILIZATION IN UMUAHIA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
COUNCIL
On the other aspects of this work, the issue of manpower development
and utilization has been extensively discussed and debated. From this
section, we are going to discuss the factors that affect manpower
development and utilization with particular reference to Umuahia North
Local Government Council.
With reference to 1976 reform of local government in terms of
manpower development, there was introduction of a unified local
government service to implement through the local government service
commission of each state. The local government service commission was
charged with the function of appointments, discipline, transfer and
promotion of local government staff. Further more the commission was to
over see the implementation of the conditions of service and other welfare of
the local government employee as contained in the unified local government
service. And in the local government handbook a dot of things where
introduce that will help to improve and maintain effective and efficient
manpower development and utilization. Manpower development under this
system was improved but there are some factors that constitute serious
problems to eff8ective and efficient manpower development and utilization in
Umuahia North Local government council. Among the factors are the
following:
3.1INADEQUATE MOTNATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
WORKERS
The workers are not adequately motivated due to poor condition of
service and low revenue generation in the local government council. Most
of the workers are owned arrears of salaries yet they are expected to be
working hard and efficient in canying out their duties. The non-payment of
salary helps to breed's frustration, rancor and bitterness among the workers.
Because of this condition, there is the problem of manpower development 4
and which resulted to truancy, absenteeism, low work output, fiaud and
mismanagement among the workers. On the other hand, if salaries are not
paid it affects individuals who want to carryout training and development on
their own without the organization helping them.
3.2 WRONG DEPLOYMENT OF WORKERS
The appointment of staff in the Umuahia Local Government is like
putting a square pegs in round holes. Take for instance some of the workers
who has no relevant local government background and experience were
appointed as the head of the personnel management. This wrong full
deployment has become part of Nigeria value system and therefore it affects
manpower development and utilization.
Also after training the workers are supposed to be place in areas that
relates to their training certificates. But in Umuahia North Local
Government it was not done so. Closely related to this issue is the
devaluation of qualification after training. Take for instance, the trainee of
local government in the department of public administration University of
Nigeria Nsukka had bitterly complained to the department on how the
various authorities in the local government often look down on them after
their training anll how they discriminated against in holding some positions
in the service for which they well qualified. Also the authorities usually
appoint those holding degree in a high position than those holding the
Advanced Diplcma Certificates, which they are sent on training by the local
government. This problem did not account for industrial harmony in the
local government and also peaceful relationship among staff. It is a waste of
manpower to under-utilize a worker on which much money has been spent
on training by the local government. The risk involved is that the local
government usually looses such staff to other organization where sheke is
likely to have better motivation and job satisfaction.
3.3 POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN THE APPOINTMENT
PROMOTION, WAREFARE AND DISCIPLINE OF STAFF.
The appointed council chairman always has over whelming influence on the
local government civil service commission. The chairman tends to dictate
their preferences over s M matters. Tbis affects manpower development as
sycophancy and bootlicking is a criteria for local government worker in
Umuahia North to be comfortable. This usually kills the initiative and
creativity of the workers. Hence the local government encourages
mediocrity. So the politicians and patronage syndrome prevent manpower
development and utilization. The politician usually appoints their associates
even into positions that do not exist, there by making manpower
development impossible. The politicians are trying to favour the workers
who helped them during the time of their elections. By given them the post,
which they are not supposed to hold in the local government. Because of
this the worker will not perform to expectation.
' 3.4 INADEQUATE FINANCING
Finance plays an important role in carrying out project and as well
when there is no money to pay the workers, to buy office equipment and to
send worker on braining productivity is bound to be low. The local
government lack adequate revenue base and also the revenue allocation that
comes from the federal government is too low for the local government to
use it to carry out training programmes for most workers. Because of this
there is problem of manpower development and utilization in the local
government. Also due to lack of adequate financing the condition of service
in the local government is nothing to ride home about most workers does not
have chairs to sit on while working talldess of desk to write on and most
,- importantly the workers spent the little money they had on transportation
due to the location of the local government.
3.5 POOR AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING
AMONG POLITICAL LEADERS AND WORKERS
There poor awareness of the importance of training among political
leaders under various regimes in Umuahia Local Government Council. The
leaders were unable to articulate the ideological component of training and
to relate the training and development programmes closely to the
development objectives of the various regimes. On the part of the workers
they perceived training either as an opportunity for going abroad on holidays
or as a means of enhancing their prospects for local government
advancement. Rarely has training been taken seriously by the local
government as a means of improving their workers skills, knowledge and
experience. Tlie major cause of this most times is the inability of the posting
managers to post workers directly to jobs related to their training training in
the actual sense suppose to relate to job assignment after a training
programme. Also there is reluctance on the part of government to release
many officers for training programmes.
CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 CONCLUSION
Manpower development and utilization have been very important
issues especially when the welfare of the workers were to be taken into
cognizance. For the improvement of skills, knowledge, experience, to take
care of the ever changing environment, to protect the organizational trade
secret, for the purpose of introduction of new techniques, for the
replacement of other workers to be available, to lift the standard of living of
unskilled personnel's and host of other reasons. It is necessary to develop
the available manpower as well as to utilize them.
Despite this, there are various factors that hinders effective manpower
development and utilization. The areas available for manpower
development as discussed in the study include in service training, training on
the job, conferences, workshops seminars and host of others. After
acquiring these skills and knowledge the workers are faced with the problem
utilization. Most often after attending the training the workers are not
reabsorb in the establishment. Not only that before they attend the training
they are faced with problems of lack of capital, the organization political
environment and the reluctance on the part of government to send them on
braining. Other problems that affect manpower development include
inadequate financing, non- payment of salaries, the location of the local
, government and others. All these factors contributed to inadequate /
utilization of the available manpower.
4.1 RECOMMENDATION
1. Generally the government of various countries in the world today
should make labour policies that will improve manpower development
and adequate utilization.
2. Issue of indigene syndrome or ethnic and cultural belonging should be
abolished in our various organizations so that citizens should not be
unjustly thrown out of job because they do not belong to state or
ethnic group.
3. Also government and local governments should continue to intensify
the organization of in service training of its workers to enable them to
meet up with the ever-changing environments.
4. More fund, and other resources should be allocated to agencies such
as the Nigerian institute of management, National institutes of
personnel management, Universities and other higher institutions of
learning.
5. Also training should be taken seriously in the local government. The
situation where by those who holds the training certificates are
discriminated should be discontinued and the local govemment should
create room for adequate utilization of their manpower.
6. There should be serious orientation programmes, seminars especially
for the newly appointed chairmen and councilors, for them to have
adequate knowledge on how to organize workers in the local
government.
7. Finally the local government should be given a free hand to operate on
its own without outside interference. And the revenue base should be
increase to enable it to organize various training programme for its
staff in the Umuahia local North Local Government Council.
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