PROPOSAL ON THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ON ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH

Abstract

This research work necessitated by the need to effectively understand the effects of Human Resources Development in organizational growth.  The attainment of organizational goal is very much dependent on the nature of human resources development and ways to execute them. This is important because of the individualistic differences of employees and the cultural framework of the organization under review Every business enterprise big or small, public and private attempts to initiate and input certain human resources development with a view to attaining the set goals and increase productivity and establish good cooperate image in the eye of the public. The research looked into the following findings. It is duly established that some flaws exists in training and development of human resources in ITF federal medical center lokoja Area office and the situation would worsen in the near future if appropriate actions are not taken.

INTRODUCTION

Wendel (1973) described human resources in his books as consisting of all individuals engaged in any of the organizations activities regardless of their levels. Human resources from the above simply means, men and women working for an organization, irrespective of the post they are holding. However, this went further to emphasis that there was no demarcation for men and women working for the organization that belong or do not belong to the human resources of the organization.

Meanwhile, any activity in the organization from the beginning to the end stage depends on human resources. Therefore, any organization aiming at achieving some of their goals must ensure not only maintaining constant and adequate supply of human resources but also ensure that they were adequately motivated. This is because, the human resources that are motivated will be answering human resources of the organization without putting in their best.

James (1946) stated that the effective use of people is still the key to productivity and your assignment is to motivate people to get the best of their skills and abilities. He affirmed that organization will achieve high productivity more than ever before by motivating their workers and sending them for training.

Morevover, Ubeku (1983) went further to say that although the task of motivating workers is vested on the management team as a while but said that managers have more roles to play. He said that managers, can provide the organization a continuous day to day coaching, appraisal and encouragement – that the employees will need more than ever before. He was of the opinion that manager have upper hand in motivating workers. He further stated that the supervisor who works with his subordinates on this intimate basis can do much to influence his organizations programme.

Training and development of human resources have been considered an expandable luxury in terms of financial constraints. The growth and development of any organization depends on its human resources, a specific cost of management to develop individual skills or a means of developing people for promotion to the next level of organization leadership. While these views carry some validity of human resources should be regarded in the large context of trends in society and the need of changing organization.

In the past, not much importance was attached to the role or human resources development on the growth and efficiency of organizations.  No pride of place was given man-power planning and development as a save way to enhance skills knowledge and capacities of personnel in organizations. The importance of investing in human resources has become much clear in recent years because of mounting evidence on the extent of which such investment as an engine change. Although, human resources management is that sub system of an organization which is directly concerned with planning, controlling the procurement, development, compensation, integration and maintenance of the human resources component of the organization. The effectiveness of this sub-system will be judged by the way policies and practices affect the performance and productivity of individual workers will be achieved towards the realization of the effectiveness of the organization.

Today, one of the major problems confronting management in an organization is the most effective way of putting the right position. Management should identify and provide for its human resources to accomplish its task. The concept of organizational effectiveness is that which organizations as a social system give certain resources and means fulfils its objectives without a capacitating its means and resources and without placing undue strain upon its members. The means and resources referred to have cannot be personal constituents of the organization on who the achievement of effectiveness in the organization is based through their increased performance and productivity. The existence of a conducive and carefully designed human resources management policies and practices appear inevitable for the attainment of these goals.

Human resources are the most vital of all the factors input of organization, for without it, all the other factors have to wait. Due to the immense contributions of man power programmes, the government of Nigeria has set up many institutions to help in management education in the country.

The National man-power board is responsible for the periodic appraisal of requirements for man power in all occupations and the development  of measures for in service training of employed man-power both in the public and private sectors. Among these institutions is the industrial training fund (ITF) on which these research work is carried.  Industrial training fund was established to promote and encourage the acquisition of skills in industry and commercial with a view of generating a pool of indigenous trained man power sufficient to meet the needs of the economy.

Others include the administrative staff college of Nigeria (ASCON) the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and the Center for Management Development (CMD) it is simply defined as the potential available organization from the people who work in it.

To fully achieve this its corporate objectives, an organization must establish it human resources base adequately in both quantity and quality. The effects of human resources on the economic and industrial development has been underscored by Paul G. Hoffinan who said of all the resources required economic development of human resources appear the most strategic if the countries are to achieve self sustaining growth.

Furthermore, in reaction to the felt need for the development of human resources in this country. The federal government established the training agencies;

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1971, The Center for Management Development (CMD) in 1973,The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in 1973 and Six Federal Training Centers (FTCS) scattered in different  locations across the country Lagos.

Wendel (1973) described human resources in his book as consisting of all individuals engaged in any of the organizations activities regardless of their levels. Human resources from the above simply means men and women working for an organization, irrespective of the post they are holding. However, this went further to emphasize that there was no demarcation for men and women working for the organization that belong or do not belong to the human resources of the organization.

James (1946) stated that the effective use of people is still the key to productivity and your assignment is to motivate people to get the best of their skills and abilities. He affirmed that organization will achieve high productibit6y more than ever before by motivating their workers and sending them for training, he said that training is the development of individual skills for ultimate success. He also said that training takes place on the job and improves the skills of the individual on his present position for better job performance. Meanwhile, any activity in the organization from the beginning to the end stage depends on human resources.

Therefore, any organization aiming at achieving some of their goals must ensure not only maintaining co constant and adequate supply of human resources but also ensure that they were adequately motivated. This is because, the human resources that are not motivated will be answering human resources of the organization without putting in the  best.

According to Ojemba F. Agbo 92003) Human Resources and management, he said that human resources is also the concern of personnel management. He said that any activity in the organization needs the effective use of employees thereby leading to yield more productivity in the organization, by so doing the objectives of that organization will be achieved. According to this author, he made us to understand in his text that there are two resources in an organization. The material and human resources. He said that the human resources is the concern of personnel management that this have to do with the brining of a person into an organization, his behaviour in the work situation, his interests and relationships both with his fellow workers and the organization. It is also the concern with the maintenance of human relationship and ensuring the physical well-being of employees so that they give the maximum contributions to efficient working. This author looks at the welfare of the employees and also how do the workers contribute to the upliftment of the organization.  And he also said that workers should be sent for training, this will enable them to put in their best in the organization.

According to E. J. Abiodun Akinwale (1999), he said that human resources is the effective use of people in an organization. He also stated that the success of an organization partly depends on the people who work to achieve organizational objectives growth, profitability of efficiency and the effectiveness of workers in the organization. His belief is that people working in an organization are the people that will make out the objectives and growth of the organization.

The historical background of human resources development in Nigeria. The development of human resources management will be given a general treatment sand with particular reference to Nigeria.

GENERAL: The development of human resources has four states. The first stage marks the classification of the elements, which make up the human resources.

FUNCTION: Within the 1950’s and 1960’s G. R. Moxow classified these elements into six by this stage and as at this time, human resources management was accepted for guiding and advising management rather than regarding it as an executive function.

The second stage is the stage of where the behavioural scientists brought in their study of both individual and group behaviour. At this stage, the human resources management was extended to include matters as corporate planning, man power planning, organization structure and remuneration and employee relations.

The third stage is brought about change. Studies have however, shown that development of change within an organization should be one of the personnel function.

Mumford has supported this by saying that personnel managers should be seen as agents of change because of studies of social aspects of technical change in relation to the introduction of computer and need to develop a social technical change in an organization.

The fourth stage is the latest development in personnel function. It is all about the relationship between line and staff concept of personnel function becoming as rigid and that personnel function is seen to be changing to be solely concerned with the management of human resources in an organization. This brings us to line and staff concept of a personnel manager maintains three levels of relationship/

• A staff relationship exists between him and the managing director because he advises him on personnel issues.
• A function of specialist relationship exists between him and both functional and line managers, with whom he has direct contact in a purely advisory capacity. Non can command or direct each other.
• A line or direct relationship exists between and his own department staff since he is the headman that must be obeyed.

Personnel concepts and approaches, personnel management is concerned with the human side of an enterprise. This makes people particularly those not in the field to have different concepts about it. Personnel management is also concerned with the deployment and development of people within an organization so the objectives of the organization will be achieved and adapted within the changing circumstances or conditions.  The different concept about personnel management is as follows:

The concept of society for recruitment:      People in this group believe that personnel management does nothing or contributes nothing in an organization than recruitment of workers. They therefore, give it less importance believing that everybody can recruit. After all, is it not a matter of picking somebody you like and who can work with you? This is mainly the concept of the sole proprietors, some and medium sized organizations.

Misconception of the personnel managers staff position. The personnel manager agreed is a staff  manager meaning that his activities are supportive to that of the line managers. This does not however, in any way denote inferiority of the position. He is equal and functional to the line managers and has no say in an organization.

Concept of Amen Group: The Amen Group is the ‘O’ yes members. They do the job as given by their superiors. They do not seek additional responsibilities, neither will they want anything that will make them to loose their salary or put in bad form across to their superiors. Many people be personnel managers as belonging to this group.  This is not true especially modernized personnel manager. We will see this from the approaches or evolution and definitions of management.

Personnel management provides value consumed by every department of n organization. This means  that it does not function in isolations as follows:

• Education and training: These involves training and organizing courses for apprentices, supervisions of new employee etc; organizing suggestion schemes, library assisting with the distribution and collection of library books, collection of material for the house magazine etc.
• Employment which is made up of;
  • Interview- arranging and interviewing applicants, dealing with any transfers, dismissals, promotion etc.
  • Preparing and maintaining-personnel records and statistics,
  • Grading employees
  • Recruitment – Liaison with and taping all resources of labour supplies.

Health and safety including factories act; ensuring compliance, contacts with factory inspectors.

• Maintaining works medical services
• Supervising arrangements for the prevention of accidents, supervision of and attendance at safety committee meetings.
• Joint consultation labour relations which comprised.
• Setting up consultative committees e.g joint production, works committee etc and ensuring that the results of joint consultative bodies are disseminated.
• Encouraging and ensuring the upholding of harmonious labour relations.

Wages And Salary

• Advising the parties concerned in wage and salary negotiations.
• Consulting work study and other specialist concerning proposed incentive schemes.

Welfare Service

• Administering various schemes and running clubs, Providing social and recreational facilities;
• Administering canteen policy.

In the Nigerian economy during 1955, the function of personnel officer was mainly concerned with record keeping for expatriates who owned most of the establishments in Nigeria. The personnel officer had no academic preparation or the necessary experience for the job. Some aspects of the job were delegated to Nigerians who could speak English. It was assumed by employers that  Nigerians were best suited to deal with labour union leaders and their demands especially as they were their brothers they looked for power and position.

Between 1955 and 1960s, the personnel management profession took a new turn; uninterrupted efforts were made to prepare Nigerians to manage their own affairs especially after our independence.  Many Nigerians were hired either as personnel officers of assistant personnel officers especially in the civil services and large organizations such as SCOA, UAC, PZ etc. However, they had no functional authority required in this positions. Even when the situation changed, the job holders performed the job like expatriates. These made the practice of personnel management to be classified into two groups as follows:

THE TRADITIONALIST

These groups of people rose from the ranks with many years of administrative experience but with not all that impressive academic records. They send majority of their time in administering employee fringe benefits especially medical benefits, housing, holidays, vocation benefits and related entitlements. They perceive themselves as staff to management and prefer to remain in that role. They strictly limit themselves to directing the programmes as dictated by line mangers. They appear to be conservative in their approach to personnel matters. They perceive themselves as administrators who are directed to carry out specific functions and not managers who initiate and carryout programmes.

THE MODERNISTS

Characteristically this group to be younger more educated but has less number of years experiences. This group like to assume added responsibilities and is constantly adding to functions of the office. They are very sensitive to the increasing shortage of the qualified manpower to help pilot the affairs of the organization. This is the group that emphasizes man power planning and development, employee motivation and implication their personnel departments have many sub departments, establishments, employment and training, wages and salary administration, labour relations and research.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the major problems confronting management in any organization is the most effective way of matching people with jobs. This calls for man power planning programme.

Many organizations fail to progress due to their inability to train and develop their work force. Lack of adequate skills and knowledge, which are required to work and attain the major organizational objectives, constitute a cog in the wheel of achieving them. There has been criticisms from different works of life both within and outside the country about the inefficient performance of our parastatals. The personnel officer should understand and identify certain conditions that will serve as pointers for the need for training.

As noted by Likent (1967) all activities of any enterprise are initiated and determined by the persons who make up the institution. Plants, offices, computer, automated equipment and all these that a modern firm uses are unproductive except for human efforts and direction. The researcher wants to identify the major problems and proffer a suggestion for the progress of the entire organization.

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