EFFECTS OF MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE WORKPLACE LEARNING IN DEVELOPING HUMAN CAPITAL IN SMALL MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

The study is effects of management on employee workplace learning in developing human capital in South East Nigeria. The research design was survey method, while the sampling procedure used for the study was a combination of systematic, cluster, judgmental and quota sampling. Using the Taro Yameni formula the sample of 375 was obtained from an accessible population of 6,000 from 20 small manufacturing enterprises, with 10-49 owner – employee status and an asset base between 5 – 50million naira excluding land and building within the five states in South East Nigeria. The data used for study were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. A questionnaire, which comprised parts I and II and containing 43 questions, was developed, corroborated and strengthened by 20 managers. Using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), a range of statistical methods including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, simple and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyze the data and variables. Six hypotheses were formulated and tested. The employees appeared to lack access to information about their work group’s performances necessary for learning, which acted as a limitation to workplace learning. The results relating to sources and methods of learning suggested that employees’ perceived workmates to be more a useful source of work-related learning than the managers, and process of acquiring work related knowledge and skills appeared to be mainly informal and self directed. The results relating to the work environment characteristics indicated that managers might have been failing to create some important facilitating conditions in the work environments. In conclusion, the results of the employee’s survey suggested that in general the employees were only moderately satisfied with their formal workplace learning experiences. Finally specific managerial actions and behaviors such as feedback mechanism that had the potential to increase employee satisfaction with workplace learning were recommended.