Human Resource Practices and Job Satisfaction as Predictors of Employee Productivity in Higher Education Institutions in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Human resource management practices are vital in higher education organizations in enhancing employees' job satisfaction and productivity. However, there is scant literature on the predictive value of HRM practices in relation to job satisfaction and employees' productivity in the higher education industry in the Southwestern part of Nigeria. The study investigated human resource practices and job satisfaction as predictors of employee productivity in higher education institutions in Southwestern Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted due to the nature of relationship among variables to be studied without any intervention. The target population consisted of 324 heads of departments and directors who were selected from 97 institutions of higher learning which include accredited universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Southwestern Nigeria. In order to obtain the data required, a multi-stage sampling procedure (stratified, purposive and proportional simple random sampling) was employed whereby 179 respondents were selected. HRPJSEPQ (r=0.89) was used for data collection. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that human resource practices significantly predicted employee productivity (β = 0.716, R² = 0.513, p < 0.05) and employees' job satisfaction (β = 0.748, R² = 0.560, p < 0.05) and that job satisfaction also significantly predicted employee productivity (β = 0.684, R² = 0.468, p < 0.05). Human resource practice and job satisfaction contributed significantly together to the employee productivity (R = 0.792, R² = 0.627 and p < 0.05). The study suggests enhancement of strategic HR in order to increase the satisfaction and productivity of employees. The findings offer evidence that can inform policy makers, institutional administrators and human resource managers for effective HR policies to sustain development in Nigerian higher education institutions.