CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

According to Scales (2010), Career development, which is an interventionist program in the field of Human Resource, does not involve only about accelerating career vertically upwards through a structured system where organization members are in separate levels of authority, obligations, monetary benefits and more amount of time spent on the job. It also pertains to assisting workers to become more proactive to change and feel more secure as the organization changes to fit new conditions in a dynamic environment. It is also increases the chances of being employed and increases the varieties of tasks available to the employees and adds more value to the organization throughout their stay in the organization. A good career development plan helps organizations to harvest from the internal pool of talent and enables the organization to match the skills and competencies of the employees to organizational needs. It enables managers to make intelligent decisions as regards remuneration and succession planning, to recruit, keep and encourage the workers, thereby leading to more committed and result-oriented pool of employees (Thite, 2001; Kapel & Shepherd, 2004; Kaye, 2005).

Savickas (2011) notes that, in the past an individual's career rested in the hands of an organization, today individuals own their own careers. Employees especially, the young generation are tend to give more emphasize towards their career growth. They tend to leave the organisation more often get breakthrough to career progression and growth. Employees who lack in development of their career in an organisation are tend to leave the organization and search for better options. This suggests that employees who perceive their organization to be interested in their career growth respond positively on behalf of their organization (Wang et.al, 2014). This can be mean that organizational career growth has an implication towards intention to leave the organisation. Nonetheless, the question remains as to whether organizational career growth has other positive effects on employee behavior (Wang et.al, 2014). Employees‟ intention to leave is one of the intended behavior resulted out of it. This behavioral aspect of the employees may have a negative impact on the organisation. It conceives serious problems in the organisation; one of these is high turnover which is always very destructive for the organizational. Consequently, organisation fall prey of spending ration of resources on selection, recruitment, induction and training of new employees once and while. It has been factually established by eminent researchers that low level of employees‟ turnover or employees‟ turnover intentions leads to productivity of individual and organisation as well. Organizations that provide mechanisms for employee career growth create a mutual investment type of relationship with their employees (Tsui, Pearce, Porter, & Tripoli, 1997), a relationship that ties career growth to important outcomes such as organizational commitment (Weng, McElroy, Morrow, & Liu, 2010) (cited in Weng & McElroy, 2012).

It is a basic assumption that every employee wishes, to be a on a career path that enables him or her ascend the organizational hierarchy (Fink, 1992). However, profession development does not entail merely climbing the corporate ladder. Rather, it is a process of making valuable contribution and looking for avenues of demonstrating excellent performance towards the actualization of corporate goals and objectives. Profession development encompasses “vertical” dimensions which include promotions and upward mobility, as well as “horizontal” motion (lateral activity transfers) within the corporation. Essentially, Career Development connects employees to their work and organizations.

Statement of the Problem

In spite various government interventions and efforts; the Nigerian public sector’s score-card has remained poor performance and inefficiency. Considering the important role of training and development in bringing the Nigerian public service to an enviable height, if those that are expected to execute policies of the government and manage public affairs are not well trained and knowledgeable, there would definitely be a problem. Obviously the achievement of the objectives for which they were employed might be affected. As the popular Adage says, “If a naked man promises you clothes, ask him which one”. Where the human capital is not planned, organizations will be confronted with the inability to deliver quality service, inability to attract and retain the people required and difficulty in the development and training of highly talented personnel. Career development on the Job and some form of in-service training are examples of training being designed or intended to develop the knowledge or expertise, greater confidence and a higher degree of performance. The principal intention of career development is to equip people with the knowledge required to qualify them for a particular position of employment or to improve their skills and efficient in the position they already hold. Career development is therefore a key element for improved organizational effectiveness and employee retention; it increases the level of individual and organizational competences. Thus the study focuses on the contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to find out the contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization, specifically the study intend to:

1.     Find out the role of career development on employee performance in public organizations

2.     Analyze the contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization

3.     Examine the importance of career development

4.     Find out the challenges of developing employee career in public organizations

Research Question

1.     What is the role of career development on employee performance in public organizations?

2.     Is there any contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization?

3.     What is the importance of career development on employee effectiveness?

4.     What is the challenges of developing employee career in public organizations?

Research Hypothesis

Ho: there is no contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization

Hi: there is contribution of career development on employee retention in public organization

Significance of the Study

The research will be beneficial to all public organizations especially in Nigeria to establishment of policy guidelines on the efficient and effective career development programme for their. It will help managers of various organizations to generate ideas and solution to problems based on the best way to develop their employees so as to retain their best employees and to achieve desired goals and objectives. It will equally be useful to small scale business, large corporations, and universities, college of education and to the government. It will also help researchers to know more about career developing as a tool for retaining employees and increase their performance. Finally, it will be of great value to students as a point of reference and will equally form the basis for further research study.

Scope of the Study

This research work will be conducted in Lagos state, south-west region of Nigeria and also will review important concepts and literatures on career development and employee retention.

Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending