AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING MANAGEMENT/STAFF RELATIONSHIP IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

ABSTRACT

Many people believe that the standard of education in Nigeria has fallen sharply. Various approaches have been tried to correct this, with limited success. Scholars have blamed poor teaching methods, weak reading habits, poverty and poorly equipped laboratories and libraries. This study examines how the quality of teaching and learning in tertiary institutions can be improved through a healthy relationship between management and staff, since a cooperative working environment supports a sustainable tertiary education system that produces better results.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Universities, polytechnics and colleges depend on people who work together: managers, lecturers and non-academic staff. Few institutions have clear policies for monitoring and strengthening the relationship between management and staff, even though it affects how well the institution runs. Academic leaders and managers therefore need to understand which conditions bring management and staff together and which keep them apart.

In Nigerian universities, the relationship between management and staff has often been strained. Researchers note that Nigerian universities have for decades experienced conflict between academic staff and administrators, between non-academic staff and administrators, and between students and staff. These conflicts have produced distrust and hostility among professionals and academics, which makes smooth and effective administration difficult (Ndum & Okey, 2013). Studies of union–management conflict in Lagos universities found that academic staff tended to blame external factors, while non-academic staff pointed to internal ones. They concluded that sharing information, creating a friendly work environment and holding frequent dialogue could reduce this conflict (Nwadinigwe & Onyene, 2009).

The way management treats staff also shapes how motivated and productive staff are. A study of lecturers in Nigerian higher education institutions found that job satisfaction, recognition, working conditions, supervision and involvement in decision-making were the main factors that motivated them (Fasasi et al., 2016). A good relationship between management and staff therefore matters for staff morale, teaching quality and student learning.

Staff motivation also depends partly on how institutions design their policies and reward systems. It cannot be assumed that good relationships will arise by themselves. They have to be planned, built into institutional policy and supported by day-to-day practice. Mass higher education has made this harder, because large classes, heavy workloads and limited time leave less room for the close working relationships that were once easier to maintain. There is much that institutional leaders, departments and national bodies can do to improve them.

Statement of the Problem

Many institutions say they value staff welfare and cooperation, but in practice their policies often fail to support these goals. Promotion, appointment and performance review procedures rarely recognise good working relationships or staff involvement. Reward systems also tend to recognise individual outputs separately, and do little to encourage staff cooperation or the link between teaching and learning.

In Nigeria the consequences are visible in recurring disputes and industrial action involving management and staff. These disputes have disrupted academic activities and added to the decline in educational standards (Ndum & Okey, 2013; Nwadinigwe & Onyene, 2009). Yet relatively little is known about the practical strategies that can improve the relationship between management and staff in tertiary institutions. This study investigates those strategies.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose is to identify strategies for improving the relationship between management and staff in tertiary institutions and, through this, the standard of education. The specific objectives are to:

1. Determine the strategies for improving the standard of education in tertiary institutions through better management–staff relationships.
2. Determine how the reward system can help staff bind teaching and learning together in tertiary institutions.
3. Investigate the behaviour of staff towards students and of management towards staff.
4. Examine the performance of academic staff and how it can improve the teaching and learning of students.
5. Identify the strategies that should be adopted to maintain good relationships between management and staff in tertiary institutions.

Research Questions

1. Can the relationship between management and staff improve the standard of education in tertiary institutions?
2. To what extent can the reward system help staff bring teaching and learning together?
3. Can the behaviour of staff in tertiary institutions improve the relationship between management and students?
4. How can the performance of academic staff improve students' learning habits?
5. Which strategies should be adopted to maintain good relationships between management and staff?
6. What barriers stand in the way of improving the relationship between management and staff?

REFERENCES

Fasasi, Y. A., Etejere, P. A. O., & Oyeniran, S. (2016). Factors influencing lecturers' motivation toward maximum job performance in Nigerian higher education institutions. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 4(1), 32–43. https://doi.org/10.22452/mojem.vol4no1.3

Ndum, V. E., & Okey, S.-M. (2013). Conflict management in the Nigerian university system. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 3(8), 17. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n8p17

Nwadinigwe, I. P., & Onyene, V. (2009). Conflict and organizational efficiency: A study of the Nigeria university system. Drumspeak: International Journal of Research in the Humanities, 2(3), 129–149.