International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research Vol. 5 No.

2 2019 ISSN: 2545-5303

www.iiardpub.org

Human Resource Management and Teachers’ Job Performance

in Secondary Schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of
Cross River State, Nigeria

Arop Festus O. Ph.D., *Owan Valentine J., & Madukwe Esther C.

Department of Educational Administration and Planning
University of Calabar, Calabar.
[email protected], *[email protected],
[email protected]

Abstract
This study assessed human resource management and teachers’ job performance in secondary
schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. Three null hypotheses were
formulated accordingly to guide the study. Census technique was adopted in selecting the
entire population of 432 teachers. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire
designed and administered by the researcher. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive
statistics, while the null hypotheses were all tested at .05 level of significance using Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Analysis. Findings from the study revealed that there is
significant relationship respectively between principals’ interpersonal relationship (r=0.364,
p<. 05), teachers’ participation in decision-making (r=0.624, p< .05) and principals’
delegation of responsibilities (r = 0.538, p< .05) with teachers’ job performance in secondary
schools. Based on these findings it was recommended among others that; principals should
ensure that they create a conducive school climate by building a sound interpersonal
relationship with teachers in order to improve their job performance; teachers should be
actively involved in making certain decisions for the school especially those within their
jurisdiction in order to foster unity and cooperation in the implementation of such decisions.

Keywords: Human resource, Resource, Resource management, Teachers, Job performance,

Teachers’ job performance.

Introduction
The success of any organization depends on the availability and efficient management
of both human and material resources. With the rapid development in the educational sector
and the projected increase in sizes and demand for education, there is need to effectively
channel managers' attention towards the function and usefulness of human resources in a given
organization. Otherwise, the goal of the school which is aimed at instituting teaching and
learning will be jeopardized. Within the school context, teachers job performance is very
important in determining the extent to which learners learn and it is their duty to ensure they
raise good students in character.
Teacher job performance, therefore, refers to the statutory curricula function that is
performed by the teachers to enable learners to achieve the set educational goals in the schools.
This ultimately depends on the commitment of the managers and teachers to make judicious
and adequate use of both human and materials resources, to harness them together and bring
job effectiveness in conformity with the standards expected. The effectiveness of the teachers'
job performance is manifested in their knowledge of the subject matter, skills, and
competencies in the teaching and learning processes, which leads to the accomplishment of the
stated educational goals. The real teacher must possess these qualities for effective teaching
and pleasant learning in the school.
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With the indices of effective teachers’ job performance presented above, it can be said
that many teachers in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State do not appear to
be meeting these standards. The quality of teachers’ job performance in the area has been put
in doubts due to the poor attitudes manifested by several secondary school teachers who appear
to be non-committed to their jobs. Some public-school teachers do not go to school on time,
some rarely teach students, writing notes of the lesson appears a boring task to many teachers
who ought to have professionally behaved. The truant nature of secondary school teachers as
exhibited in their poor attitude towards instructional duties; lateness to work, inconsistent
attendance to school or classes, poor record keeping attitude, and their poor disciplinary
attitudes, is a pointer to the fact that many teachers are ineffective in their job performance.
The menace of teachers' poor job performance in the area had been on the high strain and
cannot be overemphasized as it has not only eaten deep into the quality of students produced
but has also contributed to the poor quality of leaders produced into the Nigerian economy
(Oluwaseun, 2016). It was based on these setbacks that the study was carried out to ascertain
the extent to which human resources in the schools are being managed, and to examine whether
there is an association between human resource management and teachers’ job performance.

The function of human resource management in an institution cannot be overlooked.

This is because of the pivotal role it plays in motivating people, enhancing the vital relationship
and harmonizing with physical facilities to achieve organizational goals. Akpakwu (2012),
view human resources management as the process of recruiting, selecting and retaining the best
people and putting them in jobs where their talents and skills can be utilized. Flippo (2015),
sees human resources management as the "planning, organizing, directing, controlling of
procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance, and separating of human
resources to the end that individuals, organizational and social objectives are achieved. This
relationship is stipulated at bringing together and developed into an effective organization of
the men and women who made up an enterprise and harmonize them for the well-being of the
individuals and of working groups, to enable them to contribute to the success of the
organization in term of job performance.

Thus, the need for human resource management in the school system is integral and
offers a wide range of channels through which the school administrator carry out statutory
duties and other responsibilities. There are many ways in which human resources within the
formal school system can be effectively managed. These include promotion, discipline,
remuneration, motivation, supervision, the involvement of staff in decision making, inter-
personal relationship, effective communication, the delegation of responsibilities and so on
(Owan, 2018). However, the emphasis was based on three aspects of human resource
management in this study including principal interpersonal relationship, teachers’ participation
in decision making, and principal delegation of responsibilities.

Principal inter-personal relationship refers to the cohesion that exists between a school
principal and his teachers, students and other personnel within and outside the school
environment. According to Azzari (2008), the school administrator must understand his own
behavior and the behavior of pupils, teachers, other staff members, parents, and all citizens of
the community who influence educational policy in any way. He must understand the group
dynamics not only of school boards, school-related organizations such as the parent-teacher
association and groups of school personnel, but also of many other groups in the community
which can affect the operation, strength, and qualities of schools. Vasiliki (2015) investigated
interpersonal relations between teachers and between principals and teachers, as well as their
contribution to the effective operation of the school unit and especially to the students'
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achievement and conduct. It was found that the relations between teachers and between
principal and teachers in most schools are official and friendly. Important factors that create
good relations are good behavior, the qualifications and the personality of the teachers and
principals.

Teachers’ participation in decision making refers to the degree of employee’s

involvement in a firm’s strategic planning activities. Every school principal must ensure that
every staff is adequately involved in making decisions that concern the school. This will raise
their morale to take an active part in an activity in which they were involved in the planning.
Newman (2012) examined the influence of teacher participation in decision-making on their
morale in Zimbabwean schools. The sample comprised of 5 secondary school heads and 20
secondary school teachers who were purposefully selected. The study established that
insignificant teacher participation in critical school issues result in low staff morale and this
culminates in stressful school governance. The study recommends teacher empowerment in
decision- making.

Principal delegation of responsibilities is the act of assigning duties and responsibilities

to the teachers by the school principal in order to ensure that there is a division of labor as well
as specialization in the school system. The main reason for delegation in schools emanates
from the fact that the task of running a school is too broad for one person to manage alone.
There are many tasks and people to deal with in the school, so the workload has to be shared
among various units and personnel. Educational managers should strive to create a balance
between giving up total control to a group and holding too tightly to the reins. Delegation means
initially setting the parameter, and then staying involved through coordination of resources,
reviewing progress report, and being able to meet with teams at critical junctures (Nnior, Ratau
& Mmasepatela, 2012).

Jackson (2015) investigated teachers' perceptions of the influence of principals' level of

delegation of duties on their work performance in public secondary schools in Eldoret
Municipality. Proportionate random sampling technique was used to select the respondents.
The study established that teachers in public secondary schools in Eldoret Municipality felt
that the level of Principals' delegation of duties influenced their contribution to decision
making, their capacity to develop self-managed teams, team spirit, their opportunities for
advancement and learning, initiative and creativity. Through involvement in decision making,
there was an enhancement of teachers' motivation and job satisfaction. It was therefore
recommended that the Principals of the various secondary schools need to delegate more duties
to teachers in order for them to be able to make efficient decisions, develop work teams, train
and develop teachers, which results into motivation and job satisfaction.

From the literature reviewed, it can be inferred that there exist several gaps which the
present study might be able to fill. These gaps include those resulting from variables, location,
scope, and/or methodology. It is important to note that the majority of the studies cited herein
were conducted in foreign countries and other parts of Nigeria. Earlier studies did not integrate
the variables selected for this study and have not also been able to provide empirical evidence
to this effect in terms of the relationship in existence. The methodology, instruments, and
procedures used are not the same as those of the present study. Based on these gaps identified
above, it was considered pertinent by the researchers to determine whether human resource
management have any relationship to teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in
Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria.

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Statement of the problem

The problem of this study is traceable to the fact that most secondary school teachers
in Akamkpa Local Government Area, tend to be ineffective in their job performance as
displayed in their poor attitude to work, poor record keeping habit, poor punctuality habits,
irregular attendance in classes, unethical marking of the attendance register and several other
unacceptable behaviours which undermine the quality of the teaching profession, and which
deter the schools from achieving set goals and objectives. This has been an issue of concern
with the government and all relevant stakeholders making efforts to cushion this problem.
The Government, in an effort to address this situation, has intensified supervision of
secondary schools, increased teachers' salary and improved teachers' retraining opportunities
in recent times in Cross River State. Despite all these measures applied by the government,
secondary school teachers, especially those within the scope of Akamkpa Local Government
Area, are still underperforming below expectations in their instructional roles. Students are still
performing poorly in the classroom and standard examination and everything seems stagnated.
However, the researcher believes that teachers may perform their jobs effectively in the
school system if appropriate measures are put in place to improve their performance and direct
their actions. It is on this note that the researcher wonders whether human resource
management has any relationship to teachers' job performance in secondary schools in
Akamkpa Local Government Area; and whether an improvement in human resource
management will improve teachers’ job performance. Based on this, it became necessary to
raise the question: “how does human resource management relate to teachers’ job performance
in secondary school in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State?

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine human resource management and
teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross
River State. This study sought to specifically examine the relationship between:
i. Principal interpersonal relationship and teachers’ job performance
ii. Teachers’ participation in decision-making and their job performance
iii. Principal delegation of responsibilities and teachers’ job performance.

Statement of Hypothesis
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.
i. There is no significant relationship between the principal interpersonal relationship and
teachers’ job performance in secondary schools.
ii. There is no significant relationship between the teachers’ participation in decision-
making and their job performance in secondary schools.
iii. There is no significant relationship between the principal delegation of responsibilities
and teachers job performance.

Materials and Methods

This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. This design was considered
appropriate because this study was directed towards determining the nature of the situation, as
it exists at the time of the investigation. Survey research is therefore very useful for opinion
and attitudes studies. The population of this study comprised 432 teachers distributed across
19 public secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area. Census technique was
adopted by researchers in selecting the entire population of 432 teachers in the area.
The questionnaire was considered as the most appropriate instrument for collecting data
for this study by the researchers. A 20-item questionnaire was designed by the researcher on a
four-point Likert scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree
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(SD) and used for data collection for the study. The instrument was divided into two sections
– Section A and B. Section A was designed to capture information on demographic data such
as sex, age, marital and educational status of respondents. While section B was designed to
elicit information on respondents based on the variables under investigation. Principal
interpersonal relationship was measured using items 1 – 5; teachers’ participation in decision
making was measured with items 6 – 10; principal delegation of responsibilities was measured
using 11 – 15; while teachers’ job performance was measured using items 16 – 20. The
reliability of the instrument was established through Split-half technique and a coefficient of
.87 was obtained which indicates that the instrument was internally consistent in measuring
what it was designed to measure.

Data used for this study were obtained from both primary sources. The primary data
was obtained directly from respondents through the use of a questionnaire designed for data
collection. The researcher embarked on a visit to various secondary schools selected for this
study to administer the questionnaire. This task was accomplished in three days. All the schools
were visited respectively. In obtaining quality and reliable data, teachers were used to assessing
their principals' human resource management techniques, while 432 students from senior
secondary classes were selected to assess their mathematics teachers job performance.
Descriptive statistic (means frequencies and standard deviation) were used in summing up the
questionnaire items. The hypotheses were tested all tested using Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis at .05 level of significance and 430 degrees of freedom. The result of the
analysis is presented in the following section.

Results and Discussion

The data analyzed were presented on a hypothesis-by-hypothesis basis as shown below.

Hypothesis one
There is no significant relationship between the principals' interpersonal relationship and
teachers' job performance in secondary schools. The result of the analysis of data using Pearson
Product Moment correlation statistics is presented in Table 1.

TABLE 1
Summary of Correlation analysis of the relationship between the principal interpersonal
relationship and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools (N = 432)

Variables ∑X ∑X2 ∑XY r-cal

∑Y ∑Y2
Principal interpersonal relationship 1713 22031
18429 0.364*
Teachers’ job performance 1600 19442
* p <.05; d f= 430; critical – r = 0.098

The results presented in Table 1, revealed that the calculated r-value of 0.364 is greater
than the critical r-value of 0.098 at .05 level of significance and 158 degrees of freedom. With
this result, the null hypothesis is rejected implying that; there is a significant relationship
between principals’ interpersonal relationship and teachers’ job performance in secondary
schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. However, there was a weak
positive relationship (r=0.364) between the two variables which were statistically significant
in explaining teachers' job performance.

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Hypotheses two
There is no significant relationship between teachers' participation in decision-making
and job performance in secondary schools. The result of the analysis of data using Pearson
Product Moment correlation statistics is presented in Table 2.

TABLE 2
Summary of Correlation analysis of the relationship between teachers’ participation in
decision-making and their job performance in secondary schools (N = 432).

Variables ∑X ∑X2 ∑XY r-cal

∑Y ∑Y2
Teachers’ participation in decision-making 1755 23117
19827 0.624*
Teachers’ job performance 1600 19442
* p <.05; d f= 430; critical – r = 0.098

The results presented in Table 2, revealed that r calculated value of 0.624 is greater than
the critical r-value of 0.098 at .05 level of significance and 158 degrees of freedom. As a result,
the null hypothesis was rejected implying that; there is a significant relationship between
teachers' participation in decision-making and their job performance in secondary schools in
Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. In addition, there was a moderate
positive relationship (r=0.624) between teachers’ participation in decision-making and their
job performance in secondary schools.

Hypotheses three
There is no significant relationship between principals' delegation of responsibilities
and teachers job performance. The result of the analysis of data using Pearson Product Moment
correlation statistics is presented in Table 3.

TABLE 3
Summary of Correlation analysis of the relationship principal delegation of responsibilities and
teachers job performance (N = 432).

Variables ∑X ∑X2 ∑XY r-cal

∑Y ∑Y2
principal delegation of responsibilities 1802 24118
19970 0.538*
Teachers’ job performance 1600 19442
* p <.05; d f= 430; critical – r = 0.098

The results presented in Table 3, shows clearly that calculated r-value of 0.538 is greater
than the critical value of 0.098 at .05 level of significance and 158 degrees of freedom. Thus,
the null hypothesis was rejected implying while the alternate hypothesis was upheld. This result
implies that; there is a significant relationship between principals’ delegation of responsibilities
and teachers job performance in secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area of
Cross River State. There was also a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.538) between the two
variables (principals’ delegation of responsibilities and teachers’ job performance).

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Discussion of findings
The findings of the study established that; there is a significant relationship between the
principals' interpersonal relationship and teachers' job performance in secondary schools. The
practical implication of the results indicates that an improvement in principals’ interpersonal
relationship will lead to a significant improvement in teachers’ job performance in secondary
schools. This study supports the finding of Vasiliki (2015), which discovered that good
interpersonal relations contribute to the school's effectiveness by creating a healthy and friendly
school climate and a learning environment that allows the all-around development of the
students' personality. The findings of Vasiliki supports the finding of the present study in that
when teachers' job performance is high, the school system tends to be generally high.
This study also established that; there is a significant relationship between teachers'
participation in decision-making and their job performance in secondary schools. This finding
corroborates the finding of Newman (2012) which established that insignificant teacher
participation in critical school issues result in low staff morale and this culminates in stressful
school governance. The study recommends teacher empowerment in decision- making.
Through its findings, this study was able to also establish that; a significant relationship
between principals’ delegation of responsibilities and teachers job performance in secondary
schools exist. The findings of this study support Jackson (2015), whose study established that
principals’ delegation of duties influenced teachers’ contribution to decision making, their
capacity to develop self-managed teams, team spirit, their opportunities for advancement and
learning, initiative and creativity. This study did not uncover areas where teachers were ill-
treated, this study proves that, when teachers are delegated with responsibilities, their
effectiveness will be high as most of them will be seen carrying out duties. Conversely, where
teachers are not assigned duties, they may become idle and unused, thus, the manager who
refused to assign such responsibility will eventually perform the task alone.

Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that; human resource management
in terms of interpersonal relationship, involving of teachers in decision making and delegation
of duties, relates with teachers’ job performance. Teachers in schools where the principal
relates well with them will do better than those in schools where their managers are self-
centered. The rate at which principals involve teachers in decision-making will also determine
the degree at which teachers will be effective in carrying out their primary duties. In promoting
teachers' effectiveness, principals who delegate duties to staff will witness an improvement
than does who do not. Teachers who are idle cannot be effective until they are assigned tasks,
supervised, and actively involved in the entire planning and implementation phases of school
policies.

Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that:
i. Secondary school principals should ensure that they create a conducive school climate
by building a sound interpersonal relationship with teachers in order to improve their
job performance.
ii. Teachers should actively be involved in making critical decisions for the school
especially those within their jurisdiction and areas of competence, in order to foster
unity and cooperation in the implementation of such decisions.
iii. Duties and responsibilities should be distributed evenly to all teachers without any form
of bias so as to ensure that there is a division of labor which in turn, will foster
cooperation in task performance.

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