CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY                                                                                             

Increasing productivity in the public sector to match the levels of the private sector has been the call of the Civil Services Commission in Nigeria. According to Michie & Oughton (2003), research suggests that closing the productivity gap between the private and public sectors will require increased investment in research and development, capital and people, improved education and training, and a modernised productive infrastructure. In a bid to improving productivity, Michie & Oughton (2003) further suggest that there should be a continuous improvement in management practice, corporate governance and organisational design. Michie, Conway & Sheenan (2003) also point out that a major challenge for modern organisations is the urge for increasing productivity and achieving a competitive advantage

Due to the high pace of change and economic instabilities in some markets, the organization of the workforce level possesses a crucial role in many businesses today. This especially true in the manufacturing sector since the "human component of production" is the most important and costly part of the supply chain  The volatility of demand that is prevailing in some sectors increases the importance of having a good human capital planning strategy.

Organizations are under increasing pressure to find ways to implement their strategies in a rapidly changing business  environment  in which planning lifecycles tend shrink to reduce the time 'to market' intervals. At the same time, organizations are putting more and more emphasis on aligning the  organization and people in their attempt to achieve business goals. Human capital development is usually seen as an essential feature of an ideal type model of human resource management, even if it does not always appear to be a given high priority in practice

The issue of effective planning for people was brought up long before the advent of human resources management. However, there has been little research evidence of its increased use or of its success. Hassan (2007), who argues that the developing business environment forces organizations to plan effectively for their human resources, the rapid changes in the business environment, also makes it increasingly difficult for organization.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Human capital development in Nigeria has been hindered with different problems that prevent employee development and growth and thus prevent overall growth to the productivity of an organization. Lack of careful human capital planning over the years by management has been identified by several researchers as the bane of most organizational failure for low productivity. Therefore this research thesis is to ensure that management have proper personnel in place to help ensure that the organization attain maximum productivity possible and thereby reducing wastage of resources. Recently, proper human capital development and employee career growth through adequate training, motivation and management structure has been identified as a panacea to the low productivity witness by the most organization. So this research work aim to carefully analyzed the effect of human capital development on the productivity of the manufacturing industry especially the Nigeria Flour Mills and also to measure the effect/correlation between training, motivation and career development on an organizational productivity cum level of contribution of employee.

1.3       OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this research is to examine the effects of human capital development on employee productivity in the manufacturing industry, a study of Nigeria Flour Mills Plc. The specific objectives for the study are;

1.      To examine the relationship between employee training & development and employee career growth.

2.      To evaluate the effect of employee orientation on employee satisfaction.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.      Is there a significant relationship between employee training & development and employee career growth?

2.      Does employee orientation have any significant effect on employee satisfaction?

1.5        RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis I

Ho:  There is no significant relationship between employee training & development and employee career growth

Hi:   There is a significant relationship between training & development and employee career growth

Hypothesis II

Ho:  Employee orientation does not have any significant effect on employee satisfaction

H1:  Employee orientation has a significant effect on employee satisfaction

1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

To limit the scope of our research was of major concern for us in the beginning of our work in order to arrive at some kind of starting point, on which we were able to build a realistic and feasible study. We have limited our study to include long-term HRP, career development and planning, motivation and productivity. Our study will relies heavily on empirical data, due to the specified timeframe and economic factors; it was not realistic to design our research to include visits to other or Organizations except Nigerian Flour Mills. However, most empirical data will be collected from staff of Nigerian Flour Mills who are career motivated and works in factory.

1.7  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is aimed at studying the Effect of human capital development on productivity a case study of Nigerian Flour Mills However, due to proximity and size of the case study, specifically, some department, in  Nigerian Flour Mills specifically Human Resource Department, production Department and some Management Staff member's responses were carefully analyzed through a well structured questionnaire. However, the research study is delimited with time, geographical implications, finance and other phenomenon that affect scope of research report.

1.8    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study could be relevant to the performance and importance of human capital development in the manufacturing industry. The study could also be relevant to other industry as it is an aid to enhance economic growth, planning and development on manpower issues. There is the need now than ever to re-discover the weaknesses and the strengths of employee in determining the level of motivating the employee may desire. The study will throw more light into the practice, managerial procedure and control of the human capital development, It would assist management to create a situation where the employee can grow likewise the organization can be satisfied with each other as both cannot exist without the other.

1.9    OPERATIONALIZATION OF VARIABLES

This involves expressing the relationship between of human capital development and  employee productivity in mathematical form.

In specifying the models, the independent variable is human capital development while the dependent variable is employee productivity.

EP = f (HCD)

Employee Productivity = f (Human Capital Development)………………………………. (1)

HCD = (Training & Development, Employee orientation)

EP = (Employee Satisfaction, Employee Career Growth)

EP = a + bi HCD……………………………………. (2)

Model 1:

ECG        =        a + bi TD

Model 2:

ES        =         a + bi EO

Where:

EP        =          Employee Productivity

HCD     =          Human Capital Development

ES       =         Employee Satisfaction

TD       =         Training & Development

EO        =         Employee orientation

ECG    =         Employee Career Growth

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