JOB EXAMINATION AND STAFF PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA  

ABSTRACT

This study is entitled Job Analysis on Staff Performance in Public Colleges of Education in Kano State, Nigeria. Five objectives were set some of which are to examine the influence of recruitment process on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State, find out the influence  of job design on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State, ascertain the influence  of  job description on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State, assess influence of job specification on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State, and determine the influence of training and development on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State. Five research questions were asked in line with objectives and five null hypotheses were postulated and tested at P < 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 346 staff, consisting of 24 management staff, 180 academic staff and 142 non-academic staff in the three Colleges of Education in Kano State. The sample size was determined through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. A 50- item structured questionnaire titled “Job Analysis on Staff Performance Questionnaire (JASPQ)” was used as instrument for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed using test-retest method for testing stability over time, computed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation method and the value obtained was 0.82. The data collected were analysed by using frequency tables to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment was used to test the null hypotheses. The results of the study revealed that both federal and state public Colleges of Education in Kano State complied with approved guidelines on staff recruitment; that public Colleges of Education in Kano State were designed into a structure of schools, departments and units as well as functional positions and offices; that job behavior required in terms of roles, duties, and responsibilities of functional positions and offices were clearly described and that the associated standard features of job specification in the Colleges of Education in Kano State were apparently employed in the process of recruitment or assigning of official positions to staff. Also training and development programmes in Colleges of Education in Kano State enhanced staff productivity and effectiveness due to active participation in national and international seminars, workshops, conferences and self-development efforts through readings of current and related articles in journals and other sources. Some of the recommendations made are: that Colleges of Education should maintain the standard of recruitment processes adopted in the employment of competent management, academic and non-academic staff; that adequate provision of job design such as placement and posting of staff into functional positions and offices should be based on training, qualification and experience of staff so as to facilitate goal attainment; that the Colleges should ensure that Staff training and development is regular and continuous and should not be sporadic.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

      1.1        Background to the Study

There has been expression of great concern from different scholars, policy makers and various stakeholders in education on the gross failure of the Colleges of Education in Nigeria to provide the needed competent and professional teachers to Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria, which is the primary objective of establishing them. The failure of the institutions to actualize the objective of establishing them has precipitated and warranted call for scrapping the institutions, which was momentum in 2008 and 2010 when there was strong move and recommendations for the complete scrapping of Colleges of Education and the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme offered by the institutions nationwide. Scholars have strong divergent views on the unsuccessful attempts; some scholars are skeptical or pessimistic about the whole idea, as according to them, scrapping Colleges of Education and the Nigeria Certificate in Education (N.C.E.) programme would result in the mass production of

unprofessional, unqualified and ill-competent teachers, especially at the primary and Junior Secondary Schools level (Adebayo, 2010).  Emphasizes was made to retain the system for the provision of solid and sound educational foundation, specifically, at the primary school levels. In addition, others scholars argue that without Colleges of Education, the entire educational system in the country would inevitably collapse.

On the other hand, other scholars and researchers (Halliru, 2012, Ibrahim, 2012, Auta, 2012 Timothy, 2014 and Ndalaye, 2014) are optimistic and in strong support of the idea of scrapping N.C.E. programme and the awarding institutions, (Colleges of Education). According to them, Colleges of Education like the Teachers Training Colleges (the latter has already been scrapped) have failed to produce the needed or expected competent and professionally-based teachers to teach in Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. This assertion is supported by the findings of numerous researchers (Ndalaye, 2014 and Timothy, 2014). The gross failure of Colleges of Education to achieve the basic primary objective of establishing them is, according to experts, attributed to the quality of staff employed by the institutions, poor or wrong placement of staff, job description, specification, assigning of responsibilities and the employment of wrong personnel who were incapable of giving the optimum services for the successful realization of the institutions goals and objectives (Auta, 2012). Similarly, Halliru (2012) discovered poor and wrong placement of staff in some Colleges of Education in North Central States of Nigeria, as a manifested evidence to justify the failure of Colleges of Education in producing academically and professionally qualified persons as teachers, as provided for as part of the goals of Teacher Education in the National Policy on Education (2004). In the same vein, Timothy (2014) discovered that the problems associated with Colleges of Education in Nigeria, especially in their gross failure to produce the expected qualified and competent teachers to teach at the primary schools levels are precipitated by the problems revolving around Job Analysis and Description.

The employment process of staff in Nigerian Colleges of Education, and the associated Job Analysis and Description especially on the type of academic and non-academic staff needed to work in different units, department and sections, as well as the pre-requisite skills, qualifications and abilities they are required to possess, in order to perform the specified responsibilities assign to them effectively are strictly guided and regulated by the Colleges of Education regulatory body, the National Commission for Colleges of

Education, N.C.C.E. However, Timothy (2014) discovered evidence of non-compliance with the set Minimum Standard for Job Analysis in some Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The National Commission for Colleges of Education, as a regulatory body for the Colleges of Education in Nigeria is mandated to ensure that Colleges of Education employ the services of relevant personnel and also place in position, departments and assigned with responsibilities relevant to their ability, training and area of specialization. In order to ensure conformity with the Job Specification and Description, the regulatory bodies conduct accreditation exercise at regular intervals. The primary objective is to assess the level of conformity to specified standard. Conversely, Auta (2012) and Halliru (2012) opined that the accreditation exercise is adversely affected by numerous problems; corruption, double-standard, perjury and hiring of competent staff from some other institutions to serve or disguise as permanent staff, while the employed incompetent staff were hidden. These seeming problems can negatively affect the standard and well specified job analysis and description, which in turn affect the outcome or productivity of colleges of Education in Nigeria (Ibrahim, 2012).

Effective Job Analysis and Description are seen by scholars (Jackson, 2012; Ash, 1988; Dong, 1990; Lawrence, 1990 as cited in Jacobson, 2013) as essential pre-requisite for the optimum realization of formal organizational objectives. According to them, Job Analysis entails both the Job Description in form of the scope, nature, and the role expected from the employee, as well as the job specification. In another word, Job Analysis encompasses the process of selection a competent staff, placement and positing to appropriate departments or units (environment), assigning of duties or responsibilities in accordance with the training or discipline of staff, giving additional training for the upgrading of staff skill and performances, as well as the evaluation of staff performance. Base on these activities inherently associated with Job Analysis, one can see that Job Analysis is set to regulate the employment of staff, performance, effective discharge of responsibilities and positive outcome. It is based on this background that, a general consensus among scholars is warranted, that effective Job Analysis is essential for the success of formal organization and vice-versa. In view of this, many scholars, researchers and policy makers attributed the failure of Colleges of Education in achieving the objectives of establishing them to poor Job Analysis. The problem or gross failure of the Colleges of Education to provide professionally sound teachers for the Primary and Junior Secondary Schools level which many seen are caused by the poor Job Analysis especially in employing the required staff to work in the institution for the optimum realization of the goals and objectives for establishing them serves as the basis or background for the study. The study is therefore an attempt to evaluate the influence of Job Analysis in Colleges of Education with a view to determine its influence on the Job Performance.

The study is an attempt to rationally and empirically study or evaluate the influence of Job Analysis on the staff performances in Colleges of Education in Kano State with a view to critically assesses the relevance of assigned responsibilities to staff, both management, academic and non-academic to their professional discipline and training. In addition, the appropriateness of placement or posting of staff to departments and existing units in the three (3) Colleges of Education in Kano State be examined.

      1.2       Statement of the Problem

The fundamental aim for establishing Colleges of Education in Nigeria is for the production of high quality teachers who are capable of transforming the future generation of Nigerians at the basic education level (NCCE, 1992; 2016). To achieve this laudable objective, the Colleges of Education should adopt human resource management practices that ensure effectiveness and high quality products and it is through effective analysis of available positions in an organization that leads to the appropriate delineation of duties and responsibilities.

For every organization to achieve the desired objective for establishing them, it must consider the quality of its human resources, the quality of these resources (personnel) depends on the type of employees working in the different sections of the organization. Most of the Colleges of Education embark on recruitment drive without recourse to stipulated processes and procedures involved in employment of individuals into various positions. It is discovered that the perennial problem of poor recruitment processes and procedures affect the quality of products of any organization as witness in the Colleges of Education as people are placed in wrong positions in the various functional areas in the organization. The organizational structure as well as classification and placement of staff in Colleges of Education in Kano State guided by the principles of job Analysis, job design, job description, and job specification resulted in job performances. These situations created the need for an evaluation of the influence of job analysis on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

Every position in an organization has defined duties and responsibilities requiring specified quality of human resourcefulness to perform such obligations assigned to it, what to do and how to do it are the basic tools of productivity to achieve the organizational goals. The attainment of these goals therefore requires demand for appropriate classification and placement as well as training and retraining of personnel in order to meet the requirements necessary to perform optimally in each of the position in the organization. However most organization within the public service in Nigeria embarked on recruitment drive without recourse to stipulated processes and procedures involved in employment of individuals into various positions. In some organizations, available vacancies are not subjected to the advertisement through which description and specification of jobs are clearly defined and where this is done, either the federal character principle overshadows the merit system or the other primordial sentiments are giving priority of consideration above the desired requirements based on the expectation of the job design, job description, job specification and job performance. As a result of inadequate orientation and reorientation as well as the neglect for the need to periodically train and retrain become an inherent part of the public institutions.

      1.3       Objectives of the Study

Study was set to achieve the following objectives:

1. examine the influence of recruitment process on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State;
2. find out the influence of job design on staff performance in Colleges of

Education in Kano State;

3. ascertain the influence of job description on staff performance in Colleges of

Education in Kano State;

4. assess the influence of job specification on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State; and
5. determine the influence of training and development on staff performance in

Colleges of Education in Kano State.

 

 

 

 

      1.4        Research Questions

The following research questions were asked to guide the study:

1. How does the recruitment processes influence staff performance in Colleges of

Education in Kano State?

2. Do the attributes of job design have influence on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State?
3. How does job description influence staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State?
4. Does job specification influence staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State?
5. How does staff training influence staff performance in Colleges of Education in

Kano State?

      1.5       Research Hypotheses

The following null Hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

Ho₁:  There is no significant difference in the opinions of Management Staff, Academic Staff and Non-Academic Staff on the influence of recruitment process on staff performance in Colleges of Education.

Ho₂: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Management Staff, Academic Staff and Non-Academic Staff on the influence of job design on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

Ho₃: There is no significant difference in the opinions of Management Staff, Academic Staff and Non-Academic Staff on the influence of job description on Staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

Ho₄:  There is no significant difference in the opinions of Management Staff,

Academic Staff and Non-Academic Staff on the influence of job specification on Staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

Ho₅:  There is no significant difference in the opinions of Management Staff, Academic Staff and Non-Academic Staff on the influence of training and development on staff performance in Colleges of Education in Kano State.

      1.6       Basic Assumptions

The study was on the assumption that:

• Whenever staff are properly recruited with clear division of labour, the institution will achieve the organizational objectives;
• When jobs are clearly designed for every staff, the staff will perform better;
• When jobs are well described for each staff, it is expected that mistakes will be minimized and performance will be improved;
• Where ever there is proper job specification, performances of staff will be boost;
• Whenever jobs are carefully analyzed, it is expected that there will be a high level of performance from the staff for the management of the institution.

      1.7        Significance of the Study

Finding of the study is of significant importance to stakeholders in education, policy makers and implementers, academic and non-academic staff of Colleges of Education, as well as researchers. Findings of the study are will provide objective, rational and clarified information on the compliance or otherwise of the Colleges of Education with minimum standard for Job Analysis in the tertiary institutions (Colleges of Education). Similarly, the level of conformity or non-conformity would provide room for the stake holders concerned to determine the worthiness, accuracy and relevance of the various accreditation report submitted to them at regular intervals by the accreditation body

(ies). As the Provost of Colleges of Educations are part of the major stakeholders of Colleges of Education, findings of the study would provide a clarification and provide objective insight on the negative consequences on the Colleges of Education as a result of the indiscriminate abuse of Job Analysis, especially in the effective administration of the institutions as formal organization, as well as the repercussions on the optimum realization of the stated objectives of the institutions.

Findings of the study are of significant importance to policy makers and implementers, specifically, on those factors or aspects related to Job Analysis and how they influence or determine the successful implementation of policy. This is essential based on the fact that policy implementation is to a large extent determined by the effectiveness of Job analysis in a given organization (Frank, 2005 cited in Maishanu, 2012). In view of this, findings of the study would provide an insightful and useful clarification on how Job analysis affects policy implementation in tertiary educational institutions of learning.

Findings of the study is also of significant importance to academic and non-academic staff of the Colleges of Education is on those various issues related to Job Analysis; first, findings of the study increased staff awareness on what the formal organization expected from them as employed staff and how best to perform their assigned responsibilities for the effective realization of the institutional objectives. Second, findings of the study encourage staff consciousness and readiness to accept placement or posting appropriately relevant to their professional qualification, ability and skills. In addition, findings of the study is expected to provide clarification on the negative consequences of the rigorous and massive assigning of administrative responsibilities that are not in any way related to academic activities but attached or given to academic staff to the detriment of academic activities in the Colleges of Education. This is equally based on the complains and concerns raised by many as a result of the influence of politics and nepotism which characterized the process of staff posting, placement and assigning responsibilities, as such it is the expectation of this study that the findings would provide the negative consequences of such act, especially in the successful and functionality of Colleges of Education as formal organizations.

Finding of the study is of significant importance to scholars and researchers, especially in Educational Administration and other relevant disciplines in the provision of various avenues for conducting other studies. It is also expected to spur more researchers‟ interest in conducting studies in the area of Job Analysis at the various levels of Nigerian education in order to empirically ascertain the role or influence of Job Analysis on many aspects, such as policy implementation, effective administration, maximum outcome, task performance and planning.

      1.8        Scope of the Study

The scope of the study is limited to the influence of Job analysis. However, Job analysis is a multi-dimensional concept which has a wider scope. It embraces various activities and components such as, job description, processes involved in recruitment of staff, selection, placement, assigning responsibilities, performance, training and retraining. In view of the context of this study, the scope is limited to the area or aspect of evaluating Job analysis as advocated in the theoretical framework of Fleming‟s Work Oriented Approach. These scope for the influence Job analysis in formal organizations are the professional requirements and skills needed to discharge the assign responsibilities competently and effectively, the environment or place where an employer is placed or posted to do his work, as well as the extent to which the assigned responsibilities to specified staff are conducted (Job Performance). In other word, Job analysis will be done in the context of this study via the assessment of assigned responsibilities or duties, professional and other stipulated mandatory requirements needed to perform the assigned responsibilities effectively, and also, Job Performance.

The study is delimited to three Public Colleges of Education in Kano State. That is Federal College of Education, Kano (FCE, Kano); Federal College of Education

(Technical), Bichi (FCE (T), Bichi) and Sa‟adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, Kano (SRCOE, Kumbotso).  The population, sample and data for the study are to be drawn and collected from the delimited area of study.

JOB EXAMINATION AND STAFF PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA  

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