MODULE4

UNIT2 PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Aims and Objectives of Personnel Management
3.1.1. Major Personnel Management Functions: Public Sector Experience
3. l.2 Features of Personnel Management Functions in the Public Sector
3.l.3 Recruitment, Selection and Placement
3. l.4 Wages and Salaries Administration
3.1.5 Training and Manpower Development
3.l.6 Discipline, Promotion and Transfer
3. l. 7 Staff Performance Appraisal
3. l.S Human Resources Management Manpower Planning
3.1.9 Employee Motivation
3. l. lO Industrial and Labour Relations
3. l.11 Communication
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary

6.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Personnel Management is that field of administration which is responsible for the planning,
organizing and controlling various operative functions of procuring, developing, maintaining and
utilizing the human capital in a work place.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Unit, a student should be able to:

• define Personnel Management;

• state and explain the features and functions of Personnel Management in the Public
Sector;

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Aims and Objectives of Personnel Management

As earlier defined in this Unit, Personnel Management is concerned with the procurement,
development, compensation, integration and maintenance of the human capital in any
organization.
The aims and objectives of Personnel Management irrespective of whether in the public or
private sector, include:

• To achieve an effective utilization of human resources on the achievement of organizational

goals.

• To help the organization to secure the right type of men and women to employ.

• To maintain a high morale and better human relations inside an organization by sustaining
and improving the conditions which have been established so that employees may stay in
their jobs in a longer period.

• To recognize and satisfy individual needs and group goals by offering an adequate and
equitable remuneration and economic and social security in the form of monetary
compensation.

3.1.1 Major Personnel Management Functions: Public Sector Experience

Functions performed by personnel management could be divided into two major sectors, viz:

• Management Functions; and

• Operation Functions.

The Management Functions include:

• Planning;
• Controlling;
• Coordinating; and
• Orgaisat ing,

while the Operation Functions include:

• Recruitment, Selection and Placement;

• Manpower Planning;
• Compensation, Wages and Salaries Administration;
• Training and Development;
• Employee Motivation;
• Labour and Industrial Relations;
• Staff Performance Appraisal;
• Discipline, Promotion and Transfer; and
• Communication.
Public Sector Experience

Tbe management of personnel functions in the public sector can hardly be differentiated from the
political process. The Government holds political sovereignty in trust of the people.
Consequently, certain actions which may have far reaching implications for the conduct of public
personnel functions may not be issues of negotiations between the government and the workers.

In addition, the public sector is characterized by lengthening chains of command, which tends to
de-personalize the employment relationship on the part of the workers. However, in view of the
unique role of government as a pace-setter, the administration of public sector personnel
functions does not only call for policies which are consistent with economic reality and political
stability, but also the maintenance of industrial peace and democracy.

3.1.2 Features of Personnel Management Functions in the Public Sector

It is generally observed that the organization of public personnel functions is disjointed,

fragmented and highly uncoordinated especially in developing economies. In Nigeria, there are
various organs which are responsible for personnel management functions in the public sector
and these are:

• The Ministry of Establishment;

• The Public Service Co mmission; and
• The Head of the Civil Service.

According to the report of the Public Service Review Commission of 1974, there is lack of clear
definition of authority and responsibility for the overalJ management of the civil service, unlike
the private sector where the personnel functions are handled by parent organization. But the
public sector personnel functions are shared between the office of the Head of Service and
Federal Ministry of Establishment and the Federal Public Service Commission.

Even then, it is sometimes difficult to determine who has the ultimate responsibility and
authority for some personnel functions. The office of the Head of Service, which is responsible
for ensuring the efficiency of the machinery of government, has the ultimate control and
responsibility for the management or personnel functions.

3.1.3 Recruitment, Selection and Placement

Recruitment is simply the process of attracting and stimulating job applicants in order to locate a
pool from which selection will be made.

Selection, on the other hand, takes place after the recruitment had been done and it involves
choosing the best which meets the job requirement from among the pool of recruits who have
applied for the job.
Placement is the process of ensuring that the employees are given responsibilities for which they
are best suited considering their qualification, experience, skills as well as knowledge.

Since the objective of the recruitment, selection and its processes is to appoint the best for the job
available, employment process comes in the following manner:

• Completed Job Application

• Initial Screening Interview
• Testing
• Background Information
• lndepth Selection Interview
• Physical/Medical Examination
• Job Offer
• Placement.

Unlike the private sector which bases its employment decision strictly on merit, entry into the
Nigerian Civil Service to a large extent is based on political or tribal considerations. Political
connection is more of a qualification than merit or capability. The reason for this is not far•
fetched, the main objective of the public sector is to give as many as possible employment as
against the profit motive objective of the private sector.

The use of the quota system in appointments to Federal Institutions of higher learning has
become the order of the day. The use of the quota system is predicated on the belief that they
distribution of government jobs should be proportional to or representative of the population at
large. Appointments here reflect the Federal character. Whenever the quota system is used
individual's ability and potentials are relegated to the background. Mediocrity and
incompetency are encouraged unlike the private sector where this is not allowed.

3.1.4 Wages and Salary Administration

Wages are earnings for the performance of services in a given period of time which may be daily
or weekly, while salaries can be for a prolonged period of time usually monthly.

The major factors which influences how workers will be compensated in the public sector is
based mainly on the salaries and wages commission, although lately the Unions like ASSU and
NASU have taken over the responsibility. General pay levels and policies in the public sector
are determined by a number of factors.

Notable among them is the buoyancy of the national economy, the productivity of workers, the
supply of labour and social and ethical values. The nation's wealth reflects its ability to pay.
Government ability to pay is a function of the size of its revenue which is chiefly obtained from
oil, customs duties and taxes.

Another distinguished feature of wages and salary administration is the pay uniformity.
 ,

3.1.5 Training and Manpower Development

Training and development is very important in a work place. Training and development
programmes foster the initiative and creativity of employees and help to prevent manpower
obsolesce, which may be due to age, temperament or motivation or the inability of a person to
adapt self to technological changes.

Training is a process or procedure trough which the skill, talent and knowledge of an employee
is enhanced and increased. Development on the other hand, is those programmes designed for
higher level personnel to enable them have under scopes.

Training is specific, short and designed for the technical staff and lower level personnel, while
development is general, long and conceptual skills are learnt.

The objectives of training and development include the following:

• high performance of the employees.

• to impact knowledge, skills and capabilities to new and old employees.
• to broaden and equip employees to carry out future rules.
• to bring about team spirit and high morale in the organization.
• to help in adapting to changing work environment and technology.

In the Nigerian public sector, any noticeable appreciation of the importance of training is only
recent. Even the training is generally not highly developed functions in most public personnel
programme.

In the Federal civil service there is no central body or agency charged with the determining
coordinating training efforts. Each department identifies its training needs, selects candidates
and organizes training programme where possible. When employees are sent on training, no one
really knows what is gained owing to the absence of any systematic evaluation of the training
and development programmes.

3.1.6 Discipline, Promotion and Transfer

Discipline can be defined as sanctions meted out to erring workers. It can come in form of
queries, warnings and in severe cases outright dismissals. Admittedly, public personnel
managers have excessive constraints on their power to dismiss or discipline event the most
grossly inefficient employee.

The notion that government jobs are "second jobs" has created a lot of laxity and indiscipline in
most public sector employees. Hence, laziness, lateness to work, violation of rules and other
undisciplined behavior permeate the civil service.

Promotion, on the other hand, is a form of level upgrade in the service as a motivational tool It
encourages employees to perform their duties well. It has been discovered until recently, that
promotion in the public sector is not based on merit, but rather on seniority, quota system,
federal character, ethnicity and political lineage.

The same goes with transfer which has to do with the relocation of a staff from one place
to another. Transfer can be intra and inter. lnter has to do with movement between two
locations within the service, while intra transfer is within the same office.

3.1.7 Staff Performance Appraisal

This is a systematic evaluation of the employee's work performance and potentials with
the organization. Factors that normally come under evaluation include:

• Job Knowledge
• Amount of work performed
• Qualityofworkperformed
• TimeofCompletion
• General Company information
• Appearance.

Perfurmance appraisal is the systematic deception of an employee's ob-relevant strengths

and weaknesses.

The basic purpose is to find out how well the employee is performing the ob and establish a
plan of improverrent. They are arranged periodically according to a definite plan. Appraisals
are continuous process.

3.1.8 Human Resources/Manpower Planning

This invo Ives all the activities that will lead to the acquisition of the right number and quality
of staff who are to do certain jobs in the organisation.

The public sector in Nigeria hardly embarks on comprehensive human resource planning,
thereby heading to over-staffing. Here, many workers are redundant and this gives room to
the existence of "ghost workers." This usually constitutes inflated and huge labour cost
to the government.

3.1.9 Employee Motivation

The specific wants of an employee may include pay, security of job, recognition, advancement,
etc. Motivation is the force behind a person's behavior. Motivation is derived from the work
motive. A motive is an inner state that energizes, activates and moves, directs or channels
behavior towards goals. Motivation represents an unsatisfied need which creates a state of
tension or disequilibrium causing the individual to move in a goal directed pattern towards a
state of equilibrium by satisfying the need.

According to the Encyclopedia of Management, "motivation refers to te degree of readiness of

an organization to pursue designated goal and implies the detenninat ion of the nature and focus
of the forces including the degree of readiness. There are two ways that people can be motivated:

Positive motivation - People are motivated positively when they are shown a reward which may
be financial or non-financial

Negative Motivation - By instilling fear in the minds of people, one can get desired work done.
ln this method a motivation fear of consequences of doing something or not doing it, keeps the
worker in the desired direction. This method of motivation has several limitations. Fear creates
frustration, a hostile state of mind and an unfavourable attitude towards the job, which hinders
efficiency and productivity.

3.1.10 Industrial and Labour Relations

The need for Industrial Relations arises from the fact that attainment or organizational goals are
largely influenced by the type of relationship that exists between employers, employees and the
management.

Industrial Relations is the system, rules and procedures used by employees, unions, employers
association and government agents to determine the folJowing:

• how to share economic return.

• how to protect the interest of staff involved.
• terms and Conditions of Employment.

The practice of industrial relations is turbulent in the public sector because of the strong central
labour organization which exists to fight against low-wage income of the pub! ic servants. The
dominant central labour organisation is the Nigerian Labour Congress.

3.1.11 Communication

Here, communication is defined as the transmission and reception of ideas, tee lings and attitudes
both verbally and non-verbally eliciting a response. It is a dynamic concept underlying all kind
of living systems.
 ,

In the public sector because the majority of the Federal civil servants are scattered all over the
country, government gazette, radio and television and the newspapers and magazines are relied
upon by the civil servants in all tiers of government for receiving information. This is usually
slow and at times gives room for rumour and apprehension. The line of communication is longer in
the public sector and is characterised by red-tapisrn and bureaucracy.

4.0 CONCLUSION

The Unit was able to explain in details the personnel functions in the public sector. The
management of personnel functions is not distinguished from the political process.

5.0 SUMMARY

The Unit was able to state the salient functions of personnel management in the public sector
included recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, etc.

6.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Silverman, D. (1970): The Theory of Organisation. Heineman Publishers

Lawal, A. A. ( 1993): Management in Focus. Abdul Industrial Enterprises

Klatt, L. A, Murdic, Schuster, F. E. (1978): Human Resources Management. Homeroun, Illinois