SCHOOL PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION
BY
DR (MRS.) R. O. ODUWAIYE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, NIGERIA
SCHOOL PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION
BY
DR. (MRS.) R.O. ODUWAIYE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT,
UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN.
Preamble
Personnel management otherwise known as Human Resources
Management is the life wire of any organization. This is more so in an
educational setting like a school, as a school is made up of human beings
such as staff, which comprises of both teaching and non-teaching. The
school ‘factory’ and even the ‘raw materials’ are human beings. This is the
reason why personnel management in a school need to be taken with all
seriousness. Personnel management or Human Resources management
is the effective mobilization of people in the organization to achieve the
desired goals. The personnel policy relates to various aspects of both staff
and students. Staff personnel process includes recruitment, selection and
orientation, development, maintenance, stimulation or motivation and
evaluation. Students’ personnel policies will include the process of
admission, orientation, guidance and counselling, evaluation, discipline
and welfare services such as medical services, accommodation, etc.
Motivation is common to both staff and students. Motivation is a set of
forces that cause people to behave in certain ways. The objective of
motivating people is to bring about the best in an individual towards the
achievement of the organization goal and must be given great attention in
order to attain success or high level of productivity.
School Personnel Management
School personnel management has two sides. Staff personnel
management and students personnel services.
a.
Staff Personnel Management
To be able to attain educational objectives though the personnel within
the school system, the following are some of the personnel management
practices:
-
Human resources planning
-
Recruitment
-
Training and development
-
Staff appraisal
-
Compensation, staff welfare and motivation.
Each of the above sub-titles will be discussed briefly while special
attention would be directed to the roles of the school administrators.
(i) Human Resources Planning
Human resources planning according to Stoner, Freeman and
Gilbert (2000) is to ensure that certain number of persons with the correct
skills will be available at some specified time in future. While Oyedeji
(1998) states that the manpower planning is an attempt to forecast how
many and what kind of employee will be required in future and to what
extent these requirement are likely to be met.
In a school system, the manager should be able to recommend for a
strategy of internal growth of a school and the employees to be employed
to meet this growth needs. Human resources planning is essential for
recruitment. It reduces excessive recruitment, thereby saving cost. People
who need training in order to upgrade their skills could be identified.
(ii)
Recruitment
It is not an overstatement to say that the success of any educational
programme depends on the selection of qualified teachers, recruitment can
be described as all those activities or operations which the school
administration undertakes with the intention of attracting and securing
personnel of the desired quality and quantity to satisfy the needs of the
school (Ogunsaju, 1990; Alabi, 2000; Oduwaiye, 2000). Recruitment
policies include, advertising all vacant positions both internally and
externally. Internal sources of recruitment would be filling a job opening
from within an organization which would be in form of transfer or
promotion, while external sources would include advertising through both
print and electronic media, use of employment agencies, college
placement, embassies and referrals and walk-ins. After all applications
have been processed, the management browses through the applications
and come out with qualified candidates through adequate selection.
Structured interviews as against the traditional unstructured interviews
which are often subjective are encouraged. After the successful candidate
have emerged, a letter of appointment stating details of condition of
service, salary and date of appointment is sent to successful candidates.
Placement is when the selected teachers are placed in their respective
schools while the second leg of placement is when the school
administrator places the newly recruited staff to his department.
The school administrator, may not have much influence in the
recruitment exercise of his staff but his role may be advisory or influence
the Teaching Service Commission as to attracting teachers to his school.
The principal may also ask the new teacher to help in the teaching of other
subject(s) for which he has no staff. He may also delegate responsibilities
to his staff both old and new. Such responsibilities are games master,
house master, health master, etc.
Orientation/Induction/Socialization is an important area that the
school head need to focus on. The purpose of induction or orientation is to
familiarize and facilitate the adjustment of new staff to their new working
environment. They need to know the policies, procedures and history of
the school system in which they operate. The school principal can get the
people with long-standing experience like the Vice-Principal to organize an
induction programme for new staff. The programme should be short,
meaningful and effective. The inductees should be given information about
the community that the school is located, how to get things done, rules and
regulations, fellow teachers, etc. After a week, the principal should find out
how the new member(s) is getting on.
(iii)
Training and Development
After an employee has been recruited, selected and inducted, the
next thing is for he or she to be trained and developed. Training and
development programmes are professional activities engaged by school
personnel to enhance their knowledge, skills and attitudes. These can be
done
through
well-organised
in-service
programmes.
In-service
programme should include activities that:
-
are likely to develop teacher’s skills in teaching and in the use of
modern visual aids;
-
can encourage teachers to adopt various modern methods of
evaluating students’ performance;
-
are aimed at increasing teachers’ skills or knowledge in their
teaching subjects;
-
enable teachers to work as a team in solving problems which are of
common concern to all staff;
-
develop an understanding in teachers of the function of education in
society and its relationship to social, economic and governmental
structures.
Adesina (1988) identifies four types of the development programmes
in the educational system. They are:
1.
Programmes that aim at correcting deficiencies of staff at
the time of appointment.
2.
Programmes
which
enable
challenges
arising
from
teaching
innovation
staff
in
to
the
face
the
school
curriculum.
3.
Programmes
which
enable
non
professionals
to
professionalise e.g. PGDE.
4.
Programmes that enable acquisition of higher qualification.
The benefits many and they should be encouraged.
iv)
Staff Appraisal
There is always a need to evaluate individuals in terms of their job
performance (Opadokun, 2004). It is a process of assessing personnel
through its immediate superior. It is a process of assessing personnel
through its immediate superior. It is one of the methods by which the
management of an organisation can ascertain that workers are properly
ulitised by school managers. Appraisal is an evaluation of the performance
of workers in their respective responsibilities. This is usually done on a
yearly basis. Staff Appraisal is done to let employees know formally, how
their current performance is being rated, to identify employees who
deserve merit, to locate employees who need additional training and to
identify candidates for promotion and above all, to improve their
effectiveness on the job. The school principal is expected to rate his
teachers by completing the Annual Performance and Evaluation Report
(APER) forms for each the use in the Teaching Service Commission.
The principle must have skills in the evaluative judgement. He must be
very objective and must rid himself of biases of any type. He must also
have the teachers’ cooperation. A number of items which should generally
feature on the evaluation forms are apart from biodata, preparation of
lesson plans, organisation of lessons, maintenance of discipline, mastery
of subject matter, teachers appearance, punctuality to school, health,
students’ performance at the end of the year, interest in co-curricular
activities, etc. It is important that teacher is presented with the criteria upon
which his evaluation is going to be based. This would enable him to do a
self-appraisal and possibly ‘score’ himself.
v)
Compensation and Staff Welfare
Employee compensation programmes are designed to attract capable
employees to the organisation, motivate them towards performance and to
retain them. Compensation connotes the totality of rewards for duties
performed (Oduwaiye 2000, Alabi 2000). This could be in form of financial
or non-financial rewards. There is a general belief that unhappy employees
are likely to be unproductive work force (Fagbamiye 2000). Salaries are
payment usually monthly, made to personnel with steady permanent, full
time or contract appointment.
Other benefits are car loans, car allowances, housing loans and
allowances, free or partially free medical services. Non-economic or
financial
are
positions
and
authority,
prestige,
status,
privileges,
comfortable physical facilities e.g. air conditioned offices, telephone,
secretary, etc.
In the school system, principals have very little to do with the
development of a compensation plan. The salary scales as well as
conditions of service are those approved by the Ministry of Education or
State Government but the principal has a lot of roles to play in the welfare
of the staff. He should associate with his staff in their problems,
commiserate with any member of staff when need arises and equally
rejoice with them in marriage, naming ceremonies, organize end of year
party, etc. All these are to make the staff have a sense of belonging and
make them to be happy on the job.
b. Student Personnel Management
The school head is the key person in the total operation of the
school. He is the generator and the power source from which the activities
flow. Personnel management is one of his important functions among
many. We have discussed at length on the staff personnel management.
Without students, there is no school. Since they are also part of personnel,
they should also be well managed.
i.
Students Admission
At the on-set of every session, new students are admitted into the
school. In secondary school, students who have successfully finished their
primary education take either the National Common Entrance Examination
or State Examination but with the introduction of Universal Basic Education
(UBE) students are expected to proceed automatically to JS 1 or Basic 7.
This system allows for 100% transition rate for the students and also to
complete their basic education. Whatever be the case, principals of junior
secondary school have new students at the beginning of session. Now that
they may be in the same environment with their primary school, they still
need orientation. The school head to organize orientation programmes for
the students in junior secondary school. This may include the counselor
collecting their biodata, letting them to adjust to their new phase of
education and the plan for future step in career development.
ii. School Communication
The school head needs to communicate with his students. He needs
to have feedbacks from his students. The principal will communicate with
the students through assembly of staff and students where he makes
announcement of rules and regulations. He passes notices to students
also through the notice boards. Feedbacks from students can student can
reach the principal through the class captains and prefects known as
students’ representative council. Decision concerning students can be
taken with this students’ representative council. Regular meetings need to
be held so as to eliminate any form of communication breakdown between
the school management and students.
iii. Student Discipline and Control
Student discipline means that students are provided with an
opportunity to exercise self-control. Discipline used in this context
connotes orderliness. Orderliness is essential for good learning in schools.
A disciplined person is orderly, responsible, diligent, co-operative, honest,
and always tries to do what is right and good. The school head and the
teachers should set the example of self-control. School rules and
regulations have to be made to guide students’ conduct. Rules should not
be taken as negative control otherwise strikes or riot will manifest if rules
take over their freedom. Good behaviour can be reinforced by social
reward or approval. Individuals who refuse to conform to the schools
expectations are punished. To minimize disciplinary problems in schools,
the following should be done:
-
Teachers should prepare and attend lessons
-
Teachers should provide opportunities for students success
-
Classroom control.
-
Recognise and show appreciation for honest efforts of students.
-
Criticise constructively.
-
Make students feel important and responsible people.
-
Do not practice favouritism.
-
Pay sufficient attention to students welfare.
-
Punishment should be educative in nature.
-
And should be in keeping with the offence.
iv.
Guidance and Counselling services
In the process of growing up, many young people are faced with
problems. The problems may be mental, physical or emotional. Some of
these problems may be complex and difficult to comprehend while others
may be straightforward. They may affect students’ studies. The school
should be aware of these problems that may produce negative effect on
students’ studies. Teachers are in the best position to understand each
student and any of them having these problems needs to be counselled.
Guidance is the art of helping students plan their actions wisely such as
guidance provided in choosing their subjects of study towards a particular
career. The duties of career guidance and counselling when problems
arise should be done by a specialist under the leadership of a school head.
The guidance and counselling services in a school system head. The
guidance and counselling services in a school system should include
coordinating of orientation programme for new students, should keep
records, biodata and relevant information of students, should identify
students with special problems and give adequate guidance in job
opportunities, (career talks). Young people in schools have problems,
which are usually problems of adjustment. They are physical, mental and
emotional problems and they need to be solved if students are going to
learn effectively.
v. Others
Other personnel services available are welfare services to students
such as accommodation, medical, social and recreation centres, etc.
These go a long way to stabilise students and make them to enjoy their
learning.
Motivation
Motivation is the set of forces that cause people to behave in certain
ways. The objective of motivation is to motivate people to behave in ways
that are in the organisation’s best interest. To achieve high performance,
an employee must want to do the job i.e. motivated, be able to do the job
(ability) and have the materials and equipment needed to do the job
(environment) performance is therefore the interaction of those factors. In
summary, motivation according to Durosaro (2000) refers to the drive or
intrinsic force within the human organism that makes him want to
contribute action towards the achievement of organizational goals.
Motivation can then be seen as the perceptions, methods, activities used
by management for the purpose of providing a climate that is conducive to
the satisfaction of the needs of the employees.
Motivation appears to be of major importance in the management of
organisation. Its importance has made researchers and scientists to study
the nature of motivation.
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
Maslow’s Need Theory
Maslow (1954) categorized human needs into five different levels.
He believed that human beings always have some need they would always
want to satisfy. He also observed that once a need is satisfied such need
no longer motivate them. Such a person would turn to another level of
need. Maslow presented the needs in a hierarchy. The hierarchy of needs
according to Maslow is presented in a diagram.
Examples
Achievement
Status
Friendship
Stability
Sustenance
Self
Actualization
Needs
Esteem Needs
Acceptance Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
Challenging job
Job titles
Friends in work
group
Pension plan
Basic salary
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
The individuals differ in the sequence of needs based on each
workers’ learning experience, cultural and economic background. The
educational manager must ensure the needs of the workers are satisfied
from the basic level to the higher level of needs. Several strategies may be
employed to motivate employees’ bevaiour to enhance productivity.
The three sets of needs at the bottom of the hierarchy are called
deficiency needs. This is because they must be satisfied for the individual
to be fundamentally comfortable. The top two sets of needs are termed
growth needs because they focus on personal growth and development.
Physiological Needs: This is the most basic needs in the hierarchy. They
include the needs for food, sex, air, etc.
Security Needs: These are things that after safety and security, such as
adequate housing and clothing and freedom from worry and anxiety.
Belongingness/Acceptance Needs: These are primary social needs.
They include love and affection and the need to be accepted by peers.
Esteem Needs: This involves two slightly different needs. The need for a
positive self-image and self-respect and the need to be respected by
others.
Self Actualization Needs: This involves realizing our full potential and
becoming all that we can be.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Fredrick Herzberg developed the two-factor theory in the late 1950s.
Herzberg’s two-factor theory identifies Motivation factors which after
satisfaction and are intrinsic to the work itself and include factors such as
achievement and recognition. He also identified hygiene factor as the
second factor. The hygiene factors determine dissatisfaction and are
extrinsic to the work itself and include factor like play, job-security,
supervisors and working conditions. If these are seen to be inadequate, it
could lead to a feeling of dissatisfaction. When these factors are
considered acceptable, the employee still is not satisfied, but at the same
time not dissatisfied.
The motivational factors i.e. achievement and recognition are often
cited as primary cause of satisfaction and motivation. When present in a
job, the factors could cause satisfaction and motivation. When they are
absent, the result is a feeling of no satisfaction. At the same time the
employee is not dissatisfied.
To use the two-factor theory in a school, the manager should try and
eliminate situations that cause dissatisfaction (hygiene factors). Once a
state of no dissatisfaction exists, at that point, manager can employ the
motivation
factors,
by
increasing
opportunities
for
achievement,
recognition, responsibility, advancement and growth, the employee will feel
satisfied and motivated.
Other theories of motivation may not be discussed here for time and
space but suffice to know that there are other motivational theories like
Equity theory, Expectancy theory, Macgregor’s theory X and Y, etc.
Our concern here is what is the importance of motivation and how
can a school manager motivate his staff? It is evident that the primary goal
and importance of motivation is to channel staff behaviors high
performance, high productivity and low absenteeism. For school managers
to be able to achieve this he must observe the following guidelines.
-
Determine the primary outcome each employee wants
-
Decide the level of performance needed in the school
-
Make sure the desired level is possible
-
Make sure the rewards are large enough
-
Make sure the overall system is equitable for everyone
-
Provide little things that are needed to make your staff comfortable,
e.g. tables, chairs, conductive staff rooms
-
Associate with your staff either in joyful ceremonies and otherwise.
-
Above all, your staff feel important.
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