EFFECT OF SKILL MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEES’ EFFICIENCY AT NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY [NDLEA]

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Skills management is the practice of understanding developing and deploying people and their skills Cascio (1992). A well implemented skills management should identify the skills that job roles require, the skills of individual employees and, any gap between the two contents. The skills involved can be described by the organization concerned or institution. They are usually defined in terms of a skills framework, a competency framework or skills matrix. This consists of a list of skills and a grading system with a definition of what it means to be at particular given skill. To be most useful, skills management needs to be conducted a san ongoing process, with individuals assessing and updating their record skill sets regularly Smilansky (2005). These updates should occur at least as frequently as employee regular lines manager reviews and certainly when their skill sets have charged. Skills management systems record the result of this process in analysis of the data.

In order to perform the functions of management and to assume multiple roles, managers must be skilled. Katz (1997) identified three managerial skills essential to successful management; technical human and conceptual. Technical skill involves process or technique knowledge and proficiency. Managers use the processes, techniques and tools of a specific area. Human skill involves the ability to interact effectively with people managers interact and cooperate with employees. Conceptual skill involves the function of idea. Managers understand abstract relationships develop ideas and solve problems creatively. Thus, technical skill deals with things, human skill concern people, and conceptual skill has to do with ideas.

Kartz further states that organization determined the relative importance of possessing technical, human and conceptual skills. Top level managers need conceptual skills in order to view the organization as a whole. Conceptual skills are used in planning and dealing with ideas and abstractions supervisors need technical skills to manage their area of specialty. All levels of management need human skills in order to interact and communicate with other people successfully.

As the pace of change accelerates and diverse technologies coverage new global industries are being created (for example; telecommunication). Technological change alters the fundamental structure of firms and cells for new organizational approaches and management of skills. According to Technological change alters the fundamental structure of firms and cells for new organizational approaches and management of skills. According to Purcell et al (2003) skills management provides a structured approach to developing individual and collective skills and gives a common vocabulary for discussing skills as well as the general benefits derived by employees. Three groups of employees receive specific benefit from skills management.

As a result of skills management, employee should be aware of the skills their job requires and -any skills gaps that they have. Depending on their employer; it may also result in a personal development plan (PDP) of training to bridge some or all of those skills gaps over a given period.

Skills management enables managers to know the skills strengths and weakness of employees reporting to them. It can also enable them to search for employees with particular skills sets ( e.g. to fill a role on a particular project). A rolled up view of skills and skills gaps across an organization can enable its executives to see areas of skill strength and weakness. This enables them to plan for the future against the current and future abilities o staff as well as to priorities areas for skills development.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

The drive for corporate goal attainment is central to every management. A major determinant in this drive is the level of efficiency and effectiveness of the organizations human capital. As often realized, then significance and usefulness of the structures, positions and tasks created in the organization can only be actualized with the activities and effort of. the human capital. The ability of organization to achieve its goals depends majorly on the skills and competencies of the human resources. Therefore, for purpose of organizational goal attainment, survival and relevance, every organization must show concern for the quality of the workforce as it relates to skills. It is the duty of management to develop necessary apparatus that will monitor, coordinate, organize and develop the skills of the personal for the good of the organization. Management should endeavour to develop definite and coincides programmes that will increase the skills of their personnel. The failure of many organizations today can be traced to poor skill enhancement and monitoring.

Skill management rests upon a foundation of basic knowledge and considerable practice and feedback of results on employees' skills (Fajana 2000) opines that the entire world is caught upon a process of growth and modernization. This process, to many means involvement in a process of industrialization, skill building and capacity building which leads to optimal utilization of human resources. Therefore, the study seeks to examine the monitoring and deploying people and their skills on their qualitative contributions to the organization.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In recent years, the role of the human element in the organization has increased significantly, as human resource in new being valued and recognized as a crucial asset to the organization. Most organizations are now adopting the learning strategy where focus is on employee's skills. It is against this background that efforts will be made in the study to identify the importance of managing employee's skills on the employee's tasks performance quality as well as his contribution to the organization.

However, the specific objectives of the study are:

i.     To examine the importance of employee's skill monitoring coordination on employees job tasks performance.

ii.    To identify the impact of skill coordination and monitoring on employee's retention.

iii.   To examine the effect of skill monitoring and coordination on cooperate goal attainment.

iv.   To examine the influence of management knowledge and skill on the success of skills management.

v.    To examine the effect of skill monitoring and coordination on corporate goal attainment.