CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is regarded as a foundation for any country’s development. Humans are equipped intellectually, physically, spiritually and technologically to face their socio-cultural and other problems realistically through the life long complex process known as education. Education provides the necessary skills for effective functioning within the environment and the survival, growth and manpower development of the society. In the National policy on Education (1998), it is regarded as an instrument par excellence.

This situation has encouraged the government and every organization to train their manpower for the much need development and productivity of their firms and the nation at large. Organization and government depend or rely on the training of manpower and employee performance system for the perpetuation and development of effective and efficient personnel for the growth of the economy. The increase and large publicity on awareness campaign for the workshops and seminars on government personnel and organization workers as well as large enrollment of pupils at all levels of education are intended to justify the nation’s policy of providing literate manpower and self reliant individuals for development.

The reason of manpower in an organization is to ensure the accuracy of the right numbers of employee, the right level of skills suitable for the right job and also performing the right activities in order to achieve the aim of an organization. The socio-economic status of an organization seems to have a far reaching influence on the variability of the training of manpower and employee performance Leung and Lam (1998) noted that, socio-economic status of an organization plays vital roles in determining and identifying manpower needs and employee performance.

The influence of socio-economic status of an organization cannot be overemphasized as this could dictate the type and quality of workshop/seminars their employee attend, the provision of necessary training materials and timely payment of salaries. These and many more could influence manpower development and employee performance in an organization. In line with Ezewu (1993), it is generally observed, that, employee from organization of higher socio-economic status perform better than those of the lower standard. Datta (1984) in a similar view noted that workers who perform well in their duties are from organization of upper socio-economic status. It was on the basis of these assumptions that the interest to undertake this study was aroused.

Many researchers tend to pay much attention to the effect of training manpower development  and employee performance than other factors. This is probably because the organization is the initial seed-bed of the employees performance and if an organization status does not have a sound base, there is every like hood that the employee’s performance might be adversely affected.

There seems to exist some interplay between the employee’s performance and the nature of an organization. According to Blairs (1975) factors within the organizational structure should be put together to ensure effective training and development of manpower needs as to give optimal level of peters (1979) is of this view, when he says that certain parameters within the organization such as welfare packages, incentives prompt payment of bills and organization socio-economic status help training of manpower to be successful. Obemeta (1981) point out that, one of the reasons for low employee performance is lack of workshops and materials for training manpower development. This research work therefore, aimed at training manpower development and employee performance in an organization and it effects.

Training manpower development and employee performance in an organization has become a global crisis. Apart from those Asian countries and regions where economies are on the rise, the lack of manpower has swept into every corner of the world, and the prospect for the future are not optimistic Zhong Shu N04 September, 1994 China Africa. One of the problems facing developing countries is how to trained manpower development and employee performance from their graduates and skill professionals. Nigerians problems are more sympathetic in establishment of industry.

In effect of looking at manpower we may ask the following question: what is manpower? What kind of manpower does an organization need, in what numbers do they need? How many are available? What changes are there in labour market which can affect the need of manpower? All these are questions which need to be considered when deliberating on manpower needs or development and employee performance in an organization. Therefore, all these can not be achieved only from training as there are other variables that have direct or indirect influence on the employee performance which can be psychological in nature and as such this research has become imperative to investigate the effects of some of these variables.

1.2   NEED OF THE STUDY

The study was aimed at training manpower development and employee performance in an organization. A case study of Ministry of Finance, Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study sought to find  how organization structure or background, organization socio-economic status and organization changes in labour market, influence the training of manpower and employee performance.

1.3   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is ideal for an organization to trained their manpower development in view of the fact that employee performance is the ultimate goal of nay organization. But it has been observed in an organization that employee whose employer are of lower economic status seem to show less interest in organization activities. The alarming poor achievement and lack of training manpower development by firms and organizations at a time when much emphasis is attached to workshop and seminars is an issue of serious concern. Part of the problems affecting employee performance in any of the organization could be attributed to organization structure or background and socio-economic status (income).

The problem of this study therefore was to investigate the training of manpower development and employee performance in an organization. A case study of Ministry of Finance, Akwa Ibom State  

1.4   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

        The objectives of this study are as follows

1. To investigate and know the extent to which the training of Manpower Development and Employee Performance in an organization is important to Nigeria economy.
2. To determine why training of Manpower Development and Employee Performance in an Organization is unavoidable in the society of ours.
3. To assess what role has the government been able to play in order to training Manpower Development as well as Employee Performance in an Organization.
4. To offer recommendations and suggestions based on the findings of the study.

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY           

The aim or major motive and intention of writing this project is to investigate and know or create total awareness on training manpower development and employee performance in an organization. However, to shed more light on these word Training, Manpower, Development, Employee, Performance, and Organization. Nevertheless, it will help both the government and private sector to bring out or reach out with a lasting solution to Training Manpower Development and Employee Performance in an organization. Therefore, this study is of benefit to future researchers on how Training Manpower Development and Employee Performance in an organization can help to generate greater productivity and efficiency.

1.6   SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint, time and their limiting factors made it difficult to extend the research beyond Ministry of Finance Akwa Ibom State. Owing to the above factors, the sample of the study was thus limited to selected staff in the ministry of finance.

1.7   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.     How does the organization structure influence the training of manpower development and employee performance.

2.     What is the influence of organization socio-economic status on the training of Manpower Development and Employee Performance?

3.     What changes are there in labour market which can influence or affect the need of Manpower development and employee performance?

4.     What kind of manpower does an organization need, in what numbers do they need?

5.     Why is training of manpower development and employee performance in an organization needed?

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

        Terms used with the context of the study were defined thus:

1. Training: A course of special exercises, practice etc, to keep sportsmen or employee healthy and fit for a test of skills.
2. Manpower: The number of workmen needed for a certain type of work, as in industry, the army or police. The work power supplied by man rather than machines. It is also a measure of the power of one man at work.
3. Development: The act or action of developing or the state of being developed; a gradual unfolding.
4. Employee: A person who is employee.
5. Performance: The action or act of performing something especially very well of people or machines. It is also the ability to do something.
6. Organization: A group of people with a special purpose, such as a club or business.
7. Ministry: A government department led by a minster
8. Finance: The science of controlling public money.
9. Socio-Economic Status: This implies a persons position in any given group or society as determine by wealth, occupation and social class.
10. Academic Performance: This is the degree of achievement in test and examination of an employee. In other words, it means the ability of Manpower to show understanding or not in a training task and prove same in any written test, training, examination or practical assessment to merit either pass or fail in an organization.
11. Need: The condition of lacking or wanting something necessary or very useful.
12. Determination: Firm intention the ability to make firm decisions and act in accordance with them strong will to succeed.
13. Manufacturing: The act of manufacturing to make or produce by machinery especially in large quantities.
14. Marketing: The various activities by which goods are sold, supplied and advertised.
15. Status: A condition that determines one’s formal position; position in relation to others, it is also known as high social position, recognition and respect by others.