Bestuursdinamika /Management
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Kontemporere Navorsing / Contemporary Research
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Bestuursdinamika /Management Dynamics
Kontemporere Navorsing / Contemporary Research
Volume 15, No. 4, 2006
Contents
Page
The relationship between transformational leadership,
meaning and organizational citizenship behaviour
Anton F. Schlechter and Amos S. Engelbrecht……………………………………………
2
Contact centre performance. In pursuit of First call Resolution
Mike Hart, Bastien Fichtner, Espen Fjalestad and Steven Langley...............…………..
17
Workers Empowerment in Nigeria..............................................................................................
Akindele Richard lyiola
29
Correlates of expatriates' cross- cultural adjustment
M.van der Bank and S. Rothman...............................................................................................
38
Influence of Trade Union on Industrial Management in Nigeria University
Jackson Olujide, Richard I Akindele and Gabriel K. Olorunleke..................................................
49
The evolution of alliance formation in biotech firms:
An organization life cycle framework
Yong- Sik Hwang and Seung Ho Park.......................................................................................
57
Management Dynamics: Editorial policy....................................................................................
Guidelines for the submission of manuscripts
71
Bestunrsdinamika: Redakisonele beleid...................................................................................
Riglyne Vir die voorlegging van manuskripte
74
The Southern African Institute for Management Scientists (SAIMS)............................................
77
Die Suider- Afrikaase Instituut vir Bestuurswetenskaplikes (SAIBW).........................................
77
49
Management Dynamics Volume IS No.4, 2006
INFLUENCE OF TRADE UNION ON INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIAN
UNIVERSITIES.
Jackson Olujide
University of Ilorin, Nigeria
Richard I. Akindele
Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria
Gabriel K. Olorunleke
Seven Up Plc Akure, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
It's core subject-mater has
This work examined influences of Trade Unions on
Industrial Management in Nigeria. The purpose of
the study is to determine whether application of
industrial democracy will bring about optimal
productivity in Nigerian Universities, to determine
the relevance of participation of unions in decision
making and policy formulation in establishment and
also to examine whether dialogue with union leaders
could lead to Conflict resolution or prevention in
Nigerian Universities. The study also ascertained
how conflicts are causes.
always been collective bargaining between trade
unions or analogous organisations on the other hand.
The term "employee relation" found increasingly in
management writing, was once a synonym for
industrial relations; it now usually denotes part of
the field in which management- trade union
relationship either pays a smaller role or is argued to
be inappropriate.
Data were collected using both primary and
secondary, via administration of questionnaires, oral
interview and related literature books.
The findings revealed that non-participation of
Union and employees in decision making and policy
formulation in the establishment can lead to labour
dispute, also dialogue with union leaders can go a
long way to forestall and resolve conflicts and that
effective application of industrial democracy will
enhance Optimal productivity bringing out the best
in employees in establishment.
INTRODUCTION
There will always be conflicts and disagreements
between employers and employees, either on wages
or on the general condition of service of the workers.
In a bid to cheek this conflicts workers come
together and from unions (Trade Union). Trade
comes together, realizing the amount of influence
they can wield as a group for effective industrial
relations. In the words of Marshall (1996), Industrial
relations, (also known as labour relations) is the
interdisciplinary and somewhat diffuse study of the
institutions and rule-fixing processes of the labour
This research is to bring to public notice the type of
relationship that exists between the employees and
employers in the Nigeria Universities, taking
Obafemi Awolowo University as a case study. To
also show irregularities that exist between
management and workers, and also that it is the
divergent view that leads to conflicts of interest,
which if well addressed will not only check
conflicts, buy will also increase productivity and
workers commitment to their work.
The bone of contention in this study is to study
issues like wages and wage-related matters like
wage rate, allowances and bonus, benefits and so on;
conditions of service like hours of work, promotion
and job status; industrial relations like antiunionism, violation of agreement etc. in some cases
government policies on general matters also bring
about dispute between government and the working
population, for example, in June 27, 1986 President
Babangida (the then military President) announced a
Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). This
programme set government on one side and the
working population on the other. Another case was
that of 1996 when the Academic Staff Union of
Universities embarked on a six months strike during
the regime of the late despot Sanni Abacha (the late
military President of Nigeria) more than one conflict
arises between union and government.
50
Statement of Problem and objectives of the study.
Authorities do not always pay attention to unions
when they raise issues, which concern the union
members and the society at large. This kind or
attitude can only result from a divergent view and
conflicting ideas and purposes. Conflicts may come
in form of strike, lockout, absenteeism etc. other
methods employed in the expression of grievance
includes sit-in, work-in, overtime ban, work-to-rule
etc. All these characterised the day-to-day
relationship between the employees and the
employers in the Nigerian work place especially
within the educational sector. They are also an
expression of an irregularity between the
management and workers, it is this divergent view
that leads to conflicting interest, which will not only
check conflicts, but will also increase productivity
and workers commitment to their work.
The general objectives of the study are to look into
the ways in which trade union influence industrial
relations in Nigerian Universities and ways in which
conflicts could be resolved. The specific objectives
of the study are:
1.
To determine whether application of
industrial democracy will bring about Optimal
productivity in Nigerian Universities
2.
To determine the relevance of participation
of unions in decision-making and policy formulation
in the Universities.
University of Nigeria Nsukka, after him was Dr.
Dipo Fashina of the Philosophy Department of the
Obafemi Awolowo University who handed over in
April 2004 to the Present President, Dr. Sule Kano
of the Usman Danfodio University Sokoto. ASUU's
constitution allows for just 2 years of leadership for
elected officials, it also allows for a second term of 2
years but no third term.
In spite of fighting for the interest and welfare of is
members, ASUU is also interested in intervening in
issues of national and international importance, apart
from fighting for the survival of the Nigerian
University System in particular and in general. It has
identified itself with the cause of the national
development, the cause of the Nigerian working
class and other issues that will put Nigeria on an
equal par with other countries within the country of
Nations. ASUU has also been campaign for good
governance, rule of law, democracy, freedom of
press and association, financial discipline, true
federalism among other issues of national
importance.
The Obafemi Awolowo University Chapter like
other chapters derives its functions and powers from
the national secretariat of ASUU. Virtually all
lecturers are members unless personally stated
otherwise by individuals. It is financed through
check-off, done by the university on behalf of the
union; the check-off is deducted on a percentage
basis of the earnings of lecturers.
Profile of Case Study
Given serious economic recession and crises,
dwindling resources to Education in general and the
university system in particular, misgovernance
occasioning a serious drift of the National ship and
other general crises in the country. Nigerian
University academics decided to form an association
or a Union that could not only aggregate their
interest but also to contribute their efforts towards
rescuing the Nigerian states from the crises that had
engulfed it.
After the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) was born, as a national body of Nigerian
University Academics, its first National president
was Professor Biodun Jeifo, who incidentally was a
lecturer of the English department of the Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, after him the late Dr.
Mahmud Tukur who was an History lecturer at the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria took over, then Dr.
Festus lyayi of the University of Benin, and author
of international repute who taught Business
Administration succeeded him. After Dr. Festus
lyayi was Professor Attahiru M. Jega a political
scientist at the Bayero University, Kano then Dr.
Asisi Asobie also a political scientist at the
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
What is Industrial Relations?
Industrial relations is the process and institution
through which employment is managed, such as
Trade Union and employers association's collective
negotiations and agreements, labour legislation and
organized conflicts (Kuper and Kuper 1996).
Cordova (1980) defines industrial relations as "the
process of interest accommodation by which
conditions of work are fixed; relations are regulated
and power is shared in the field of labour". Yesufu
(1984), on his part sees industrial relations as "the
whole web of human interactions at work which is
predicted upon and arises out of the employment
contract". Both definitions recognized that industrial
relations is concerned with the systems, rules and
procedures used by union and employers to
determine the reward for effort and other conditions
of employment, to protect the interest of the
employed and their employers and to regulate the
ways in which employers treat their employees. C.E.
Mgbe (1993) emphasized that the term industrial
relations is relevant in and applies to the context
51
within which modern society organises its various
economic and production services.
Industrial Relations System in Nigeria
Fashoyin (1980) seeds industrial elations as the
formulation of control strategy over relations.
Control in this sense refers to manager's decision in
policy making or strategy design, affecting areas
such as wages, condition of services, fringe benefits
and other issues. Mbge, C.E. (1993) submits that in
Nigeria, developments in industrial relations ate
directly traced to colonial rule and introduction of
wage labour. However, it is not, that effective work
organizations merged from the First World War
period. The Nigerian state, which was still under
colonial rule at that time, had little interest in
welfare schemes and social legislation. The state
continually applied pressure to secure conformity of
organized interest groups, and workers and their
organization had no choice but to fight for access to
social amenities and the establishment of industrial
right. In the words or Otobo (1987), "the
relationship between the state and trade unions
during this period was characterised by intense
hostility, intermittent and violent use of strikes and
the free use of police and troops on striking
workers". The state of industrial relations during this
period was such that despite fierce resistance by
workers, employers, unilaterally imposed the terms
and conditions of work. In fact, as late as 1930,
those who were engaged by the colonial
administration were almost the only group of
workers that had anything close to 'terms of
employment'.
Management
and
private
establishments did not tolerate joint consultation or
collective bargaining, and they particularly treated
trade unionism as subversion. To earn a promotion
or get regular wage, workers in the private sector
depended on the 'whims and caprices' of their
employers.
Between 1939 and 1960, industrial relations in
Nigeria became better entrenched. This was due to
changes, which occurred not only within the
country, but also in the world at large. It was a
period in which the worldwide economic depression
came to an end, the Second World War started and
ended. Union-Government relation were affected by
more effective workers protest, the social and
economics conditions induced by the war, the
dynamism of the independence movements pressure
from the colonial office and the postwar ideological
polarization of Europe.
The post-independence period witnessed more
favourable developments in the area of recongnising
union. But then, about 50 percent of disputes, years
after independence, centered on terms of
employment and anti-unionism (Sonubi, 1973). The
Morgan commission of 1964 noted that it was not
uncommon in management "to participate actively
in the affaires of trade union..." employing all sorts
of dubious means for example, fostering the
formation of splinter groups and also of paying
loyalty bonuses (Report 1964, 4, part 13). Otobo
(1987) has however pointed out that since the 1976
re-organisation exercise of unions, the former tactic
has become more difficult to use. Efforts are now
directed at splitting the branch union at the
individual plant level, diverting the national union's
attention and energies to domestic squabbles.
A very important development in the practice of
industrial relations in the country is the recent
deregulation
of
collective
bargaining.
Representatives or various tiers of government and
agencies are now required to negotiate directly with
their appropriate industrial unions at the level of
Federal, State and Local Governments. In the
Nigerian Universities this system is currently being
introduced through the autonomy bill. The parties to
such negotiations are assumed or rather expected to
take into consideration policy. Thus, in all public
agencies in Nigeria, general circulars with universal
applicability in relation to wages, fringe benefits and
conditions of employment are no longer issued.
According to Ubeku (1983), Nigeria like many other
developing countries has developed an industrial
relations system in which the state plays an active
role. Considering this for goals of an organization to
be achieved there must be effective industrial
relation between management and trade union in
such an organization.
Trade Unions
Webb (1920) defines a Trade Union as an
organization or workers that have been formed
specifically for the purpose of the maintenance and
improvement of the condition of their members
working life. The Trade Union decree of 1976 sees
Trade Union as any combination of workers or
employers either temporary or permanent the
purpose of which is to regulate the terms and
conditions of employment of workers. A trade union
according to Clegg H. (1976) is a combination of
employees for the purpose of regulating the
relationship between employees and employer so
that the pay and conditions of the employees may
improve. Such regulation can be brought about in
three main ways: Unilateral regulation by the trade
union; bargaining with the employer by the
employees collectively; and statutory regulation.
The major activity of trade unions in most countries
became collective bargaining over pay and
conditions, with trade union officers also acting to
resolve any grievances of
52
Individual members, or of small groups, within the
work place. Collective bargaining defines by
Flanders, A.D. (1970) as a social process that
"continually turns disagreements into agreements in
an orderly fashion".
Trade Union in Nigeria
Trade unions have been a part of Nigerian industry
since 1912, when government employees formed of
civil service union. In 1914 this organization became
the Nigerian union of civil servant after the merger
of the protectorates of Northern and Southern
Nigeria. In 1931 two other major union were
founded the Nigerian Railway Workers Union and
the Nigerian Union of Teachers (which include
private school teachers). Legislation of union in
1938 was followed by rapid labour organizations
during World War II as a result of passage by the
British government of the Colonial development and
Welfare Act of 1940, which encourage the
establishment of unions in the colonies. The defuse
regulation of October 1942 made strikes and
lockouts illegal for the duration of the war, and costof-living allowance was denied African workers.
Although cost-of-living rose 74 percent from
September 1939 to October 1943, Colonial masters
increased wages only modestly. In June and July of
1945, 43,00 workers, most of whom were
performing services indispensable to the country's
economic and administrative life, went on a strike
that lasted more than forty days. In large part as a
result of the strike's success, the labour movement
grew steadily and by 1950 there were 144 unions
with more than 144,000 members. Although the
labour movement was federated in 1941, numerous
splits, regrouping and further fragmentation
characterized the period from the end of Word War
II to 1964. Factionalism was rampant, disputes over
whether to affiliate with the East European socialist
oriented world federation or trade unions based in
Prague or the more capitalist-oriented International
Confederation of Free Trade Union, headquartered
in Brussels, and were the most visible manifestation
of labour problems. In 1963 union members
numbered 3000,000, or 1.6 percent of the labour
force. Despite this low level or organization, labour
discontentment worsened due to the gap between
wages of white-collar workers and those of bluecollar workers. An April 1963 pay raise for
ministers and members or parliament further fueled
labour resentment because rank-and-file civil had
been doing without raises since 1960. This later led
to a general strike, which rises since 1960. This later
led to a general strike, which had 800,000
supporters, most of them non-unionists.
Labour unions posed a potential organized threat to
the government when political parties and
communal associations were banned during the
military rule of the late 1960s. Despite the military
government's decree in 1969 forbidding strikes, it
was defied in the subsequent years, most notably in
1973, when the regime gave in to demands by
striking, postal and telecommunications workers,
about on-fifth of the federal civil service. Labour
activities and internal strife among four central
labour organizations continued up to 1979, when the
military government attempted, unsuccessfully at
first, to merge the four bodies into one unit the
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). The government
dissolved the four central unions, prohibited union
affiliations with international labour organizations,
and in 1977 banned eleven labour leaders from
further union activity. Under terms of a 1978 labour
decree amendment, the more than 1,000 previously
existing unions were reorganized into 70 registered
industrial unions under the Nigerian Labour
Congress (NLC), now the sole central labour
organization.
Industrial Conflicts
Unions and management tend to have opposite
views because of the divergence between the
expectations of management and labour in
organizations, which often leads to conflicts.
Industrial conflict is defined by Smyth (1977) as
"the inability of two conflicting bodies to reach
agreement on any issue connected with object of
industrial interaction, whether or not, this conflict
results into a strike, lock-out or other forms or
protestation". The conflict could be overt or covert.
The covert is usually regarded as a cold war, which
is dangerous because it harbours feeling of
individuals. Hence management should divert all
energy and resources to deal and resolve conflict as
it is acknowledged in the organization. According to
Kornhauser, Dubin and Ross (1954), 13), conflicts
are "the total range of behaviour and attitudes that
express opposition and divergent orientations
between individuals' owners and manager on the one
hand, and working people and their organization on
the other". R. Dahrandorf (1959) said that "conflict
of interest is inevitable between employer and
employer and employee because an authority
relationship in the aim of the two parties will at least
lead to conflicts something". Dahrandorf holds the
view that there will always be conflicts between
those in authority and those without authority, that is
the governing and the governed, because of
divergent views on the basic employment
relationship, which seems to make some degree of
conflict inevitable at the work place. He observed
that while the government wants to impose the
governed want to have a say in the imposition upon
them it is the absence of having a say that usually
brew conflicts. T.M. Yesufu (1984) said, "Conflict is
a normal and inevitable part of everyday life. As
53
it is destructive, so also, it is beneficial depending
on the situation, circumstance and the issue stake.
Clark Kerr (1964) also said in his work that
aggressive industrial conflict is not usually evil; I
the sense that it is disagreeing to agree, in the face
of discontentment
and
disagreement
a
compromise is reached and a solution is found.
To him, it sometimes leads to delayed or
sometimes aborted in the face of hostility and also
leave a stain on the parties involved.
Usually conflict result in wasteful use of human
and material resources leading to low
productivity, retrenchment, dismissal, and
alienation. Conflict can manifest itself in the form
of unrest, work stoppage (Strikes), sabotage,
absenteeism, work to rule, lock out e.t.c. The
most common of the manifestation of conflict is
strike.
Collection of Data
It should be noted that there are two main types of
data, namely Primary Data and Secondary Data.
And both are use in this study. Questionnaires
were administered in order to gather primary data
in addition, the primary data also took the form of
personal interview, and the researcher took pains
to interview some of the employees personally.
This became imperative in order to obtain some
data of which mere administration of the
questionnaire might not have been able to
achieve. Again, the personal interview was
conducted in order for the researcher to tackle
some of the questions that might likely arise from
the answers on the questionnaire and this was
actually take care of by personal contact. Source
of secondary data were textbooks, journals,
newspapers, handout and useful publication that
dealt with industrial relations and trade unions.
METHODOLOGY
Research Instrument and method of analysis.
The population consists of trade unions in
Nigeria, while due to size of trade unions in
Nigeria; it has been narrowed down to the
Academic Staff Union of Universities using
Obafemi Awolowo University Chapter as the
population sample.
In making inquires through survey a total of 150
questionnaires were administered, based on the
size of ASUU in Obafemi Awolowo University,
which is between 1,000 and 1,050 Lecturers.
Questionnaire method and oral interview were
used to elicit information from the respondents.
Questions relating to industrial democracy,
industrial relations, contributions to decisionmaking and policy formulation in the
establishment were posted.
The personal interview was used and other
techniques such as observation in order to satisfy
all the demand of the study. The researcher also
observed how things were operated at the ASSUU
secretariat and relevant documents were collected
in preparation for further research study. This
therefore offered first hand information, which
had enabled the researcher to deal with this
research study without and bias.
In this research work, we made use of
questionnaire for the collection of data. The use
of questionnaire was chosen for this study
because it is the most appropriate method for a
study of this nature, which is a survey. It helps to
secure all the needed information in the least
amount of time. The answers given by the
respondents were filled in the questionnaires and
these serve as recorded that can be referred to any
time.
The method adopted for this research is a
descriptive research study using an historical
study approach. A method of descriptive
statistics, i.e., and bar chart is used to indicate
years of experience of respondents. Nonparametric statistics chi-square was employed,
ANOVA and regression was also sued to test for
relationships between variable tested.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The purpose of this study is to determine whether
application of industrial democracy will bring
about optimal productivity in an establishment, to
determine relevance of participation of unions in
decision making in an establishment, and to know
whether dialogue with union leaders could lead to
conflict resolution or prevention in an
establishment.
54
Interpretation of Data
Table 1 CROSS TABULATION OF NONPARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING BY
EXPERIENCE OF LABOUR DISPUTE
experienced
yes
no
Total
making yes
15
15
30
Count
50.0% 50.0% 100.0%
%
12.5% 50.0% 20.0%
within making
10.0% 10.0% 20.0%
within experienced 105
15
120
%
87.5% 12.5% 100.0%
of Total
87.5% 50.0% 80.0%
70.0% 10.0% 80.0%
no
Count
% within making
% Within
experienced
% of Total
Total
Count
120
80.0%
100.0%
100.0%
% within making 80.0%
100.0%
30
150
20.0%
100.0
100.0%
%
within
experienced
%
20.0%
% of Total
Source: Field work, 2004
The above table 1 clearly revealed that out of the total
80% respondents who claimed that they were not
allowed to participate in decision and policy making in
their establishment while only 10% have not witnessed
labour dispute. This implied that the higher the level of
non-involvement of union employees in decision
making the higher will be the labour dispute in as
establishment.
55
Table
2.
CROSS
TABULATION
OF
APPLICATION OF DIALOGUE BY CONFLICT
RESOULUTION
dialogue
yes
no
Total
experienced yes
Count
% within 114
6
123
experienced
% within
92.7% 7.3%
100.0%
Dialogue
90.5% 37.5% 82.0%
% of Total
96.0% 6.0%
82.0%
no
Count
% within
experienced
12
15
27
% within
44.4% 55.6% 100.0%
Dialogue
9.5%
62.5% 18.0%
% of Total
8.0%
10.0% 18.0%
Total Count
% within
123
27
150
experienced
% within
84.0% 16.0% 100.0%
Dialogue
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
% of Total
84.0% 16.0% 100.0%
Source: Field work, 2004
In the table it is clearly revealed that out of the total
82% respondents who witnessed conflict resolution
76% of them said that the conflict was resolved by
dialogue while only 6% argue that the conflict was
resolved through other means apart from dialogue.
Chi -Square Tests
Person ChiSquare
Continuity
Correction a
Likelihood
Ratio
Linear-by Linear
Association
N of Valid
Cases
Value
dF
Alsip.
Sig.
(2-sded)
12.77b
1
.000
9.440
1
.002
10.137
1
.001
12.522
1
.000
of unions in decision making non- application of
dialogue in prevention and resolution of conflicts in
Nigerian Universities were highlighted and the effects
on achievement of management goals and objectives It
was concluded S that a default in any part will
invariably produce a negative effective on the system
and could hinder the main objective of the Academic
Sector.
The Academic Sector as a social institution so to say, is
being represented from a pluralistic point of view. It is
therefore assumed that the Institution is made up of
variety of ideas, orientations and beliefs all of which
the management/authorities will do well to
acknowledge, so as to allow for proper functioning of
the organization as a system.
Different method of conflict resolution was discussed.
Also the grievance procedure and machinery for
disputes prevention and resolution were discussed
while the importance and effectiveness of dialogue
were highlighted. The Aims and Objectives of Trade
unions were also discussed, how industrial relations
functions too were also dealt with, why an effective
relations system is significant in an establishment, for
optimal productivity were also discussed.
From findings, it was observed that a great proportion
of the respondents (70%) believe that participation of
unions in decision -making especially matters that
concerns their work and welfare will go a long way in
reducing or preventing industrial conflicts in an
establishment. Also about 76% of the respondents
support dialogue with union leaders as the approach to
conflict management and resolutions. It was also
discovered that a positive association exists between
industrial democracy and optimal productivity i.e. the
more the level of industrial democracy in an
organization the more the productivity of employees.
With reference to industrial relations and industrial
conflicts a system should be adopted, where issues that
result and lead to conflicts are detected and managed
before it actually leads to conflict. Such system would
bring
to
the
awareness
of
employers/management/authorities what the employees
want and feel at a particular point in time. These would
enhance organizational peace and stability, which
would enhance productivity.
50
Source: Fieldwork, 2004
a. Computed only for a 2x2 table 1 cells (25.0%) have
expected count less than 5. The minimum expected is
1.44
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENATION
The causes of Industrial Conflict such as nonapplication of industrial democracy, non-participation
Also, authorities should be encouraged to allow the
unions to participate in matters that concerns them such
as decision makings that guide their work relations,
will enhance the productivity because it gives them a
sense of involvement and belonging. The organization
as a pluralistic system is endemic with conflicts, and
efforts should be made to harmonize the divergent
attributes of different individuals and groups, so as to
be function to the organizational goals. The inability of
the State and Federal government's to
56
compromise with recommendation given by unions and
also the length of time it sometime takes to mediate in
disputes should be adjusted. The Ministry of Labour
and Productivity should also ensure that it mediates
more promptly in industrial conflict occurring in the
University (Academic) sector, because as long as the
crisis lingers, the more it affects Union-management
relations and productivity, which will slow down o
Organizational goals.
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