UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS PERCEPTION ON THE PROBLEMS INHIBITING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE IN THE UNIVERSITIES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated problems inhibiting human resource management in administration of
Universities in Rivers State, Nigeria. One research question and a corresponding hypothesis guided
the study. The population consisted of two universities, eleven principal officers and 201
administrative officers (six principal officers and 145 administrative officers from the University of
Port Harcourt (Uniport) and five principal officers and 56 administrative officers from Rivers State
University of Science and Technology (RSUST) totalling 212 participants). A sample of 200
participants (II principal officers and 189 administrative officers) were selected through stratified
random sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire
containing nine items validated and with reliability index of 0.85. The data collected from 190
respondents (10 principal officers and 180 administrative officers) were decoded into statistical
package for social science (SPSS) version, 2.0. The research question was answered with
percentages while the t-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 significance level. The
findings revealed among others that inadequate staff and lack of facilities to work with are the main
problems inhibiting management of human resource in the universities in Rivers State. It was
concluded that inadequacies in the universities’ needs are the commonest problems inhibiting
effective management of human resource in the administration of Universities in Rivers State. Based
on the findings and conclusion of this study, it was recommended that Government should live up
to its expectations in provision of staff and facilities to end the present problems in the management
of human resource in the Universities in Rivers State.