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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
University is the highest level of every educational system and it is a major vehicle for economic and social development. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004), the mandate of the university is to teach and develop high level relevant manpower, conduct research for development and provide community service. Moreso, the vital role of the university in national development has been highlighted. According to Onokerhoraya and Nwonye (1995), universities are responsible for equipping individuals with the advanced knowledge and skills needed for positions of responsibility in government, business and other professions. This means that universities are expected to produce high level manpower that can respond positively to the nation’s goals and aspirations.
The achievement of the above laudable goals of a university depends to a large extent on availability of resources and their proper management. Hanson (1995) defined a resource as simply whatever that can be used to perform an educational function and realize an educational goal. To Adedeji (1998), resources are the things invested into the educational system with a view to achieving educational aims and objectives maximally and at a reduced cost.
Based on the above definitions, one can deduce that resources are the vital inputs made into the educational system for the achievement of the specified educational aims and objectives. Therefore, resources are pivotal to the achievement of universities’ aims and objectives. Consequently, resources are operationally defined in this study as things such as: human resources, physical facilities/equipment and financial resources which universities can gainfully employ in the process of providing education so as to produce quality graduates needed for national development.
The resources needed for the effective operation of universities have been identified by various authorities in educational administration. According to Ndu (1991), Emetarom (1991), Ibiam (2008), and Ogbonnaya (2009), these resources include: human, physical and financial resources and they are widely regarded as factor resources. However, it is pertinent to note that human resources are of interest to this study in relation to their management for quality education delivery in universities.
Human resources have been conceptualized in different ways by different authors. Ndiomu (1992) defined human resources as the human beings working in an organization who are responsible for the supply of physical labour, technical and professional skills vital to effective and efficient planning and implementation of organizational policies, programmes, projects and daily activities of the organization. Herkimer (2008) defined human resources as the people working in an organization and the totality of the knowledge, skills, competencies, talents and other attributes that allow them to contribute to their personal and social well being as well as those of the organization and the wider society. Based on the above definitions, one can conclude that human resources essentially refer to the people working in an organization and who possess different specializations, capabilities and roles required for the effective and efficient realization of the goals of the organization. As used in this study, therefore, human resources refer to the teaching and non- teaching staff of a university and whose responsibility are to supply the physical labour, technical and professional knowledge and skills needed for the delivery of quality education in the university.
Human resources are vital to the delivery of quality education in universities. Therefore, they require proper management. It is in recognition of this fact that Ezeocha (1990), Ukeje, Akabogu and Ndu (1992), and Ogbonnaya (2004) emphasized that there is need for educational institutions including universities to manage their human resources effectively and efficiently for the delivery of quality education leading to the achievement of their overall educational goals. This means that the realization of the goals of educational institutions including universities depends to a large extent on how well their human resources are being managed.
The term “management” has been defined by different people and with each person defining it according to his or her own orientation. For instance, in the view of Cole (2002), management is the organization and mobilization of all the resources of an organization for the achievement of identified objectives. According to Casio (2006), management simply refers to the purposeful employment of resources to achieve specified organizational objectives. From these definitions of management, one can deduce that it is essentially a social process aimed at achieving organizational goals through efficient utilization of available human, physical and financial resources of the organization. Thus, management is operationally defined in this study as the effective organization and utilization of the human resources of universities for the delivery of quality education in the universities.
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