ABSTRACT   

 Human  resources  management  remains  indispensable  in  engendering

competitive  advantage  of  any  firm  in  this  era  of  tense  global  business

competition.  If  the  Nigerian  public  service  must  keep  pace  with  competition, which a globalized world has made more complex, they must properly manage their  key  area  of  comparative  resource  strength,  which  is  human  resource.

Globalization has made the business world highly competitive. Productivity and

competitiveness of firms is dependent on their ability for knowledge generation

and information processing. Moreover, if the Nigerian public service must keep

pace with competition in the globalized world, they must properly manage their

key  area  of  comparative  resource  strength,  which  is  human  resource.    This thesis examined the Impact of Globalization on Human Resources Management in the Nigerian Public Sector (2000-2012) with particular reference to Anambra State Civil Service. Survey research was used in implementing this research and data was sourced from both primary (questionnaire) and secondary sources of data  collection.  From  the  analysis  and  interpretation  of  data,  the  researcher made  the  following  findings:  Highly  skilled  staff  have  left  Nigerian  public service  in  search  of  greener  pastures,  the  public  sector  has  witnessed retrenchment of workers  and the Nigerian public service have reviewed their income  and  compensation  structure  upward  to  retain their  skilled  staff  and increase their competitive strength. The thesis recommends a reform in human resources management in the Nigerian public sector to strengthen its capacity to manage change and complexity of globalization.

                CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

    In  the  last  few  decades,  the  world,  has  witnessed  an  unprecedented interdependence among the various economics of the world in a phenomenon called globalization. This trend in global change is being driven and facilitated by radical changes in information and communication technology.  This trend has  resulted  in  increased  flow  of  resources  across the  various  regions  of  the world. 

 Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. Put in simple  terms,  globalization  refers  to  processes  that  promote  worldwide exchanges  of  national  and  cultural  resources.  Advances  in  transportation  and telecommunication  infrastructure,  including  the  rise  of  the  internet  are  major factors  in  globalization,  generating  further  interdependence  of  economic  and cultural activities (Wikipedia, 2012).

  A consensus has emerged among scholars and practitioners alike that the business environment has become more competitive than in the past because of globalization (Zenter, 2002; Amiuwu, 2004: 18). In order to survive in this new era, businesses have to focus even harder on their competitive strengths so as to develop appropriate long term strategies.

   Despite the application of technology in modern business management, human resources are still relevant and most adaptive resources of any organisation. The strategic  value  of  human  resources  stem  from  the  fact  that  apart  from  other resources employed in the course of production (land, capital, technology etc) which  are  passive,  human  resources  are  endowed  with  discretionary  decision making power and thus have competitive advantage over the  other  resources.

 Besides, human resources combine other resources in the right mix to formulate appropriate  strategies  for  the  accomplishment  of  desired  objectives  of  the enterprise (Anyim, et al 2012:1).

   In Nigeria, it has become imperative for the Human resource profession to respond to increased competition for globally mobile talents, changes in both workforce  attitudes  and  composition,  shifts  in  the  employer/employee relationship  and  rapid  advances  in  HR  technology.   New  kinds  of  technical knowledge, skills and abilities would require HR practitioners who are flexible and  willing  to  deal  with  the  ever  accelerating  pace  and  often  unpredictable changes  in  the  global  workplace  (Mayrhofer  and  Brewster  in  Anyim  et  al, 201:2)

    This era of globalization will require a new kind of organisation, based on a  different  paradigm  that  can  bring  together  the  contribution  of  autonomous individuals  in  a  socially  sustainable  way.    It  is  thus  clear  that  a  new  way  to manage  human  resources  as  a  paradigm  is  emerging,  as  well  as,  how  new managers should manage themselves (Limerick et al; 2002). The new task for human  resource  managers  of  this  century  is  the  urgency  to  manage  change speedily and efficiently with appropriate competencies and knowledge.

   Armstrong  (2004)  outlines  three  most  important  factors  in  achieving

competitive  advantage:  innovation,  quality  and  cost  leadership.  But  all  these depend on the quality of an organisation’s human resources.  What this entails is that the starting point should be with the human resource.

   Scholars  have  argued  that  human  resource  satisfies  four  conditions necessary  to  achieve  sustainable  competitive  advantages:  human  resource  are valuable, rare and imperfectly imitable and has no substitutes. Competitors can easily  duplicate  competitive  advantage  obtained  via  better  technology  and products, but it is hard to duplicate competitive advantage gained through better management of people.

    However, the Nigerian public sector “which is a product of colonialism, established  as  an  instrument  of  the  British  colonialist,  from  the  late  19th century” (Inyang, 2008a: 52), consist of all government ministries, departments, agencies, parastatals, public corporations, businesses, commissions, regulatory agencies, military and paramilitary agencies and all other institutions owned and run by the government.

  There  is  a  general  opinion  that  most  of  the  public  enterprises  have  failed  to deliver  on  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  established.  Management ineffectiveness  and  inefficiency  have  been  advanced  by  practitioners  and researchers  of  public  enterprises  as  the  bane  of  the  Nigerian  public  sector (Tokunboh, 1990). The former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo (2003)

observes  that:  “Nigerians  have  too  long  been  feeling  short-changed  by  the quality of public service. Our public offices have too long been showcases for combined  evils  of  inefficiency  and  corruption,  whilst  being  impediments  for effective implementation of government policies. Nigerians deserve better. And will ensure they get what is better”. 

 Agagu  (2008:  243)  asserts  that  “the  public  service which  was  seen  as  the custodian of rules and regulations and the engine of the development had lost its

 prestige and confidence.”

    The aftermath of this is the invention of series of reforms which, have led to privatization, downsizing and right-sizing of the public service and even minimizing the role of the public sector in the national life.”  All these reforms were aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the sector to meet the challenges of globalisation. Hence, the government has taken measures to improve  the  Human  resources  at  its  service  through training  and  conferences scheduled  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  remain  competitive  in  the  global economy.  

  However, the global era or alternatively the information age is knowledge and  information  driven.  This  has  significant  implication  for  human  resource management  in  the  Nigerian  public  sector.  It  portends  that  competitive advantage cannot be achieved in vacuum in this ever increasing era of change and unpredictability. There is need to prioritize the acquisition and use of these knowledge  and  information.  Hence,  adopting  and  adapting  the  best  human resource strategies and practices in the public sector will ensure a competitive position in the global economy.

    Thus,  it  is  pertinent  to  note  that  the  potential  to  find  and  maintain  a qualified workforce is an important consideration for any organisation moving

into  a  foreign  market.  The  country’s  human  capital resources  which  is  the capabilities  of  individuals  in  terms  of  knowledge, skills  and  experience  that have economic value is very germane to Human resource management in this global era.  Countries with low human capital attract facilities that require low skills and low wage level while countries with high human capital are attractive sites for Foreign Direct investment (FDI) that creates high skill jobs  (Anyim, et al 2012:5). It is in order to promote quality human capital resource in Nigeria that most state governments have adopted free education.  At the national level, the federal government has been investing heavily on the education sector. The sector had enjoyed rapid expansion with the proliferation of tertiary institution   

  The  corollary  of  the  above  assertion  is  that  it  is  important  to  take  an empirical assessment of the various impact of globalization on human resource management.  This will increase chances of selecting  relevant policies that will either  maximize  the  opportunities  it  presents  or  minimize  the  challenges  and threats that flow from it.

   It  is  against  this  background  that  this  study,  which  is  aimed  at investigating the impact of globalization on human resource management in the public sector in Nigeria finds its relevance. It is believed that its funding will facilitate policy options that will help the nation to be competitive.

  1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

   There  is  a  consensus  among  scholars  and  practitioners  that        human resources  are  the  key  and  source  of  competitive  strength  and  advantage (Appelbaum  and  Batt,  1994,  Bae  and  Rowley,  2002:  402,  and  Locke  and Kochan, 1995:359, in Onodugo, 2012: 121).

 Hence,  development  is  achieved  through people.  An  analysis  of  most  nations that moved up fast in the ladder of development shows that they were able to do that on the basis of human resource strategy. One good case is that of Japan. 

With  less  than  10%  endowment  of  natural  resources, it  is  the  philosophy  of “people  are  castle”  that  provided  the  needed  economic  miracle  (Sano,  1998: 404).  The same goes for Singapore. Soludo (2007:15) citing the leader that laid the foundation of the modern Singapore on the key factor of success said:   

A  united  and  determined  group  of  leaders  backed  by a practical and hardworking people who trusted them madeit  possible…  Singaporeans  will  have  to  be  nimble  in adopting and adapting these new discoveries to play a role in  disseminating.  The  future  is  full  of  promise  as it  is fraught  with  uncertainty.  The  industrial  society  is  giving way to the one based on knowledge.  The new divide in the world  will  be  between  those  with  knowledge  and  those without.

The  above  assertion  paints  a  picture  of  what  human resources  is  capable  of

achieving with the right HR polices and strategies. 

    Significantly, in the present global environment, business is conducted on international  scale  and  this  involves  the  transfer of  goods  and  services, technology,  managerial  knowledge  and  capital  to  other  countries  or  across national boundaries. Besides, we are now in a world where quality, efficiency, knowledge and competitiveness count most.

  However, the progress and survival of any business enterprise of this century can be measured in this sequence: information, knowledge and their application through  science,  engineering  and  knowledge.  In  other  words,  knowledge sharing  impacts  on  global  enterprises  as  they  export  their  management philosophies and techniques, as well as, their technology, products and services around the world (Kuruvilla et al, 2003 in Anyim et al, 2011)  

    Consequently,  if  the  Nigerian  public  sector  must keep  pace  with competition  which  globalized  world  has  made  more  complex,  they  must properly  managed  their  key  area  of  comparative  resource  strength  which  is human resources.

  For  human  resource  management  to  thrive  in  this  new,  global,  complex  and often  chaotic  world  of  global  economy,  a  new  strategic  focus  and  new capabilities  from  human  resource  is  required.  New  roles  and  agenda  for  the profession  should  not  focus  on  traditional  HR  activities  such  as  staffing  and compensation but on these outcomes. 

  The geographic  dispersion,  multiculturalism,  different legal  and social system and cross border movement of capital,  goods, services and people, workforce diversity,  information technology, corporate culture/ethics, talent management, outsourcing, competitive and attractive benefit, corporate social responsibility, etc, that organisation face add a need for competency and sensitivity. Therefore, 

managers of this century  must strive to balance the demand  to think globally and act locally.

    However, since the world is now more competitive and information and knowledge  driven,  an  organisation  can  only  exploit the  opportunities  the 

global  economy  present  if  it  possess  these  knowledge.  So,  any  country  or 

organisation  that  lacks  this  will  only  see  the  threats  and  risk  globalization present. Hence, it will lag behind or wither off.