Staff Control: A Management Tool for Productivity of Senior Administrative Staff in Nigerian University System

Abstract

Authorities strongly complain that colossal waste abounds on the part of senior administrative staff of the University of Nigeria. Most of them are employed through the environmental influence methods. This makes the managerial function of staff control a productivity-necessity for organization. It refines and refocuses the crude background of these environmental staff and employees into attempting to contribute appreciably to the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. These environmental factors include organization membership through the Federal Character principle of representation ‘whom you know’, family ties and other tribal or social bonds. These factors have gained pre-eminence over merit or technical qualification. These factors entitle them to positions they are not qualified for. As mediocre they perform below expectation and short-change the policies and procedures of the organization. All these directly or indirectly affect and lower the tempo of organization activities. The paper attempts to make penetrating diagnosis of the causes of low level of productivity, an evaluation of the shortchanging tactics and practices with a view of proffering corrective solutions that will maintain or improve the wealthproducing capacity of the resources entrusted to them. They are insistence on the application of merit or technical qualification through the enforcement of the selection criteria in the recruitment of staff, promotion of staff on the basis of effective and efficient performance and adequate motivation to deserving staff to ensure satisfaction on the job and in the organization.