CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

In today’s competitive business world, every organization is facing new challenges regarding sustained productivity and creating committed workforce. Employee performance is a way of measuring the performance of employees in an organization. It refers to the level at which an employee attaches himself to the job or organization and sees its success or failure as his own. Ketchand and Strawser (2001) opine that employee performance is the attachment which is formed by individuals towards their employing organizations. It is a psychological state that binds people towards an activity related to the purposes in an organization (Lee, Kim, & Kim. (2013). It is the individual feelings of employees with regard to the organization (Joo, & Park, (2010). The importance of this term might be analyzed from the fact that over the past, numerous researches have been carried out in order to find methods which might increase an employee’s performance to his job and organization (Lunenburg, (20ll). In the ever turbulent contemporary business environment, no organization can perform at peak levels unless each employee is committed to the organizations objectives.  One of the ways an employee can be committed in modern day’s organization is through talent management. In the world today, it is difficult to find employees who have served one organization for more than four or five years. Modern organization needs to maintain valuable employees for a long time. Since that human resources are considered as the most important asset of an organization and the key factor for organizations to survive and compete. Quantity of human resources that needed to work and to produce products or services is not only what an organization needs, quality of those resources is the real need which is recognized as one of the leading factors contributing to sustainable competitive advantage in organizations. Lockwood (2006) describes Talent management as the implementation of integrated strategies designed to reach a high level of productivity through improving the processes for attracting, developing and retaining people with the right skills and aptitude to meet current and future needs of an organization. From the forgoing therefore, the study seeks to examine the relationship between talent management and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

Talent management is founded to ensure that the right talents with the best skills are in the right place at work, also, talent management focus on developing and improving talents skills and compensate them with the suitable compensations even financial or nonfinancial benefits to increase their performance and loyalty to the organization which in turn will reduce employees turnover and increase productivity and quality of work to create the different and the best value to achieve competitive advantage over competitors. Several studies have been conducted on the relationship between talent management and organizational performance (Lockwood, 2006).

This study will explore the relationship between talent management components and organizational performance in Selected oil firms in Port Harcourt. For more understanding, we should clarify what we mean by talent management, organizational performance and the relation between them.

From the foregoing therefore, the study is determined to examine the relationship between talent management and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.3 Objectives of the study

          The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between talent management and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt. The specific objectives are as follows:

1.       To examine the relationship between talent acquisition and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

2.       To examine relationship between talent development and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

3.       To examine the relationship between talent retention and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.4 Research Questions

With the above objectives in focus, the study seeks to find answers to the following questions:

1.       To what extent does talent acquisition associate with organizational performance in selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt?

2.       To what extent does talent development associate with organizational performance in selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt?

3.       To what extent does talent retention and organizational performance relate in selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

HO: There is no significant relationship between talent management and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

HA: There is a significant relationship between talent management and organizational performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The outcome of this study will be of immense benefit to a wide range of people. First, to the government and public policy makers, this study will help them appreciate the strategic importance of talent management and policies that can fast-track organizational performance for business to serve, hence, promote friendly investment climate which is an impetus for increased foreign direct investment. The study will reveal to Multinational firms to promote talent management in the organization in other for the organization to be effective and face their competitors. It will also be of immense benefit to other researchers.

1.7 Scope/Limitations of the Study

The study is delimited under the following heading: content scope, geographical scope and unit of analysis.

Content Scope: The content scope of this study involves on investigation to ascertain the relationship between talent management and employee performance. The dependent variable is organizational performance, measures by affective performance, normative and continuance performance While independent variable is talent management measure by talent acquisition, talent development and talent retention.

Geographical Scope: This study is delimited in Port Harcourt Metropolis with special reference to Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt.

Unit of Analysis: The unit of analysis in this research involves the individuals at the time of carrying out the study. The scope of this study is to ascertain the relationship between talent management and employee performance in Selected oil producing firms in Port Harcourt Metropolis.

In carrying out an investigation of this native the researcher must be faced the following constraint.

Firstly, the time constraint’s the time frame provision for this study was short.

Secondly, financial constraints. Usually, a study of this nature involved some level of expenditure therefore, finance was also a limiting factor.

Thirdly, poor response from the respondent and inability to access the entire population of the study. In the next segment significance of the study will be discussed. Lastly, poor measurement instrument.

1.8 Definition of Terms

There is need for every work in a research proposal and of course in any research report to be clear as to its meaning, since words have different meaning in different context.

Affective Performance: It is the employee’s emotional attachment to the   organization.

Continuance Performance: Continuance performance develops out of the perceived cost (benefit against loss), and requires that the employee should be aware of these benefits and loses.

Organizational performance: It is a way of measuring the performance of employee in an organization. It refers to the level at which an employee attaches himself to the job of an organization and sees success or failure as his own.

Normative Performance: It is feeling of obligation to continue employment. Employees with a high level of normative performance feel that they ought to remain with the organization”.

Talent Management: It is the implementation of integrated strategies designed to reach a high level of productivity through improving the processes for attracting, developing and retaining people with the right skills and aptitude to meet current and future needs of an organization.

Talent Retention: Retention factors are the factors that facilitate the retention or departure of employees and their decisions to leave or remain, depending on their priorities.