HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS PREDICTORS OF LECTURERS’ JOB COMMITMENT IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study investigated human resource management practices as predictors of lecturers’ job commitment in public universities in Anambra State. Three research questions guided the study and three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the lecturers from the two public universities in Anambra State. The sample size for this study consisted of 517 lecturers drawn using proportionate stratified sampling technique. Two sets of instruments titled “Human Resource Management Practices Questionnaire (HRMPQ)” and ‘‘Lecturers’ Job Commitment Questionnaire (LJCQ)’’ were used for data collection. The instruments were face validated by three experts, two from the Department of Educational Management and Policy, and one from the Department of Educational Foundations in the Measurement and Evaluation Unit, Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The internal consistency of the instruments was determined using the Cronbach alpha method, which yielded overall coefficients of 0.80 for HRMPQ and 0.83 for LJCQ, respectively. The researcher, together with one research assistant, collected data for the study using the direct approach method and 98% return was recorded. Simple regression was used to answer the research questions and test hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed, among others, that staff recruitment practices are a moderator and significant predictor of lecturers’ job commitment in public universities in Anambra State. It was also found that staff professional development and performance appraisal practices are strong and significant predictors of lecturers’ job commitment in public universities in Anambra State. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the Academic Staff Union of Universities should organize an annual professional development programme for their members to enable them to update their skills and knowledge so as to improve their job commitment in the universities.