Some scholars (Antwi and Analoui,2008; Sharma and Sharma 2013; Agi and Nnokam,
2013) have suggested human resources capacity challenges are manifest in three varying dimensions; challenges relating to policy development and other interrelated matters, task orientation and the skill levels of the workforce in the organisation, as well as issues relating to performance motivation. Addressing these challenges has broad implications for policy development as well as for the development of best practices in human resources development.
A number of theoretical explanations exist as to what determines HRD policy and practices. According to Sthapit (2010) HRD policy and practices essentially involves the analysis of a myriad of internal and external environmental factors contingent to the organization. A potential internal influence on HRD policies and practices includes the
structure and size adopted by the organisation. Tiwari and Saxena (2012) acknowledged
that robust human resource management practices and a sustained investment in human resource development have the potential of bringing about organisational and national prosperity. Even though it appears that most forward looking organisations in Nigeria seem to accept the positive correlation between investment in HRD and organisational and national prosperity, it is important to point out that certain practices that appear to generate resistance to change such as history, politics, ethnicity, nepotism and corruption
(Okoli and Onah,2002; Ikechukwu and Chukwuemeka, 2013) still exist in most
organisations.
In Nigeria, as well as in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, human resource development policies and practices are undermined by the paucity of reliable information. As a consequence, it is often approached in an ad hoc manner without any carefully streamlined strategic framework in place, internal practices are improperly
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evaluated and important external benchmarking not possible. With this kind of situation on hand, it appears almost impossible to measure and monitor organisational effectiveness as a result of the lack of capacity to acquire sufficient information that will inform effective decision making in the organisation. In this regard, the value and skills of top management staff are considered critical variables affecting effective HRD policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
According to Pearce et al., (2008) top management skills are important for defining discretion, control, decision, and empowering employees in organisation. They assert that the skill set and support of top management helps in enhancing the coordination of work and helps reduce conflicts emanating from favouritism, discrimination and the disparate handling of common functions.
Also, the influence of power and politics as a factor in the non-implementation of HRD policy and procedures has been well documented in the extant literature ( Makinde, 2005, Buse et al., 2009; Awuor and Omollo, 2015) Specifically, Genc (2014) maintained that HRD policies and practices are determined on the basis of power, motives and knowledge of the actors involved in the decision- making process. Regrettably, in Nigeria, it has been noted (Onwunli & Agho, 2004; Akpan, 2012; Osakwe, 2014; Ekpiken and Ifere, 2015) that academic staff who more often than not should be among those involved in policy decisions because of the repertoire of knowledge of alternative HRD policies that they possess, are rarely consulted because of the influence of power and politics on the policy-making process. This view is reinforced by Onwunli & Agho (2004) who in their study titled “Faculty opinion on shared authority: A Nigerian survey” took the view that academic staff are not often consulted on personnel issues and the authors strongly
suggested the need for improvement in the consultation process, with more involvement
of academic staff in other governance issues. Similarly, Maicibi (2006), in a study on the
organisational decision-making experiences of Nigerian Polytechnics, found out that
Heads of Departments and Deans and other academic staff are not involved in the decision-making processes in polytechnics in Northern Nigeria. He attributed this to the prevailing autocratic pattern of decision-making prevalent in the Polytechnics where the study was carried out. As a consequence of this lack of participation of academic staff in policy decision-making, Maicibi (2006) noted that maladministration occurs with
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improper and inadequate human resource planning and development policies and practices. The only way out (Akpan 2012:20) noted is to ensure that “academic staff are involved in decision making particularly in areas concerning teaching, research and their welfare because when people are consulted on matters concerning them, they feel a sense of belonging and they would be committed to the implementation of the decision taken”.
Potential external influences on HRD policies and practices could be seen in the areas of international and national economic changes with the concomitant worldwide economic recession which has impacted on HRD development in Nigeria. With the global economic downturn, the sustenance of training cost it has been argued (Udoka, 2010) is becoming unsustainable in the face of continuing competitive pressures and reduced earnings from the sale of crude oil which is the major source of revenue in Nigeria. Famade et al., (2015) observed that with the changes in the global economic clime, the Federal Government of Nigeria is increasingly finding it difficult to fund tertiary education, and asserts that if tertiary institutions in the country are to survive, there is an urgent need to seek out means of improving their funding and more specifically funding for academic staff development through a thoroughly thought out HRD strategy.