WORK ENVIRONMENT, STAFF DEVELOPMENT, PERSONAL VARIABLES AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

Abstract

The job performance of library personnel is essential for the achievement of library goals and objectives in public universities. However, the job performance of library personnel in Nigerian public universities, especially in the South-south, has been relatively low. Previous studies have concentrated on job motivation, ICT skills and use by library personnel with little attention paid to work environment, staff development and personal variables. This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate Work Environment (WE), Staff Development (SD) and Personal Variables (PV – Educational Qualifications, Job Positions, Work Experience and Job Tenure) as predictors of Job Performance (JP) of library personnel in public universities in the South-south, Nigeria.

Job Performance and Hawthorne Effect theories provided the framework, while the survey design of the correlational type was adopted. Thirteen public universities (6 federal and 7 state) in the six states in the South-south, Nigeria were used in this study. All the 762 library personnel were enumerated. The instruments used were Work Environment (r = 0.76), Staff Development (r = 0.75) and Job Performance (r = 0.83) scales. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance.

Majority of the participants were 61.0% from federal and 39.0% from state public universities. Their qualifications were Doctorate (4.6%), Postgraduate Diploma (1.5%), Master’ in Library Studies (14.7%), Bachelor’s in Library Studies (29.3%), Higher National Diploma (19.8%), Master (5.1%) and Bachelor (11.2%) degrees in other disciplines, Senior Secondary School Certificate (12.2%), First School Leaving Certificate (1.5%). Their work experience ranged from 10 years and below (72.5%), 11-20 years (15.2%), 21-30 years (8.5%) and 31 years (3.8%). The level of JP ( = 76.34), conduciveness of WE ( = 72.97) and SD practices ( = 46.54) were moderately high against the thresholds of 100, 80 and 48 respectively. Significant relationships existed between WE (r = 0.40), SD (r = 0.41), PV (Educational Qualifications r = 0.177; Job Positions r = -0.116; Work Experience r = 0.158 and Job Tenure r = 0.074) and JP. The WE, SD, PV and JP had significant relationships (F (6,659) = 29.262; Adj. R2 = 0.203) accounting for 20.3% of the variance in JP. The WE (β = 0.248), SD (β = 0.204) and PV (EQ - β = 0.177; WE - β = 0.155) relatively contributed to JP.

Work environment, staff development and personal variables influenced the job performance of library personnel in public universities in the South-south, Nigeria. Governments, university authorities and library management should take cognisance of these factors, especially staff development, for improved job performance of library personnel.