INFLUENCE OF STAFF DISCIPLINE ON PRODUCTIVITY IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE LIBRARY)
ABSTRACT
This research work influence of staff Discipline on productivity in academic libraries: A case study of Federal Polytechnic Nekede library X-rays the impart of discipline on the performance of academic libraries, in Imo state. It is also meant to provide a bridge for undivided and non-segregated knowledge of management of staff discipline in organization employee is employed with different characters and attitudes for the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Staff Discipline has to be introduced to channel all the various behaviours towards achieving the organizational objectives using a simple random sampling a sample size of 52 was drawn from a population or 60 staff research questions and hypothesis were formularized which guide the study. It was concluded that discipline does not influence employees performance, discipline affect employee behaviour. Conclusively disciplinary procedures should be clearly defined, communicated and applied progressively. Managers of academic libraries in Imo state should prefer staff of tolerable educational qualifications, hence, ignorance contributes to certain level of disciplinary actions and behaviours
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The concept staff discipline is a systematic instruction intended to train a person, application of mind, moulding character, attitude, behaviour. We are going to look into how staff discipline has helped in productivity in academic libraries. Staff Discipline isn’t with power in libraries. It is setting up the perfect environment to achieve the goals and objectives Pugh (2010). Peterson (2010), The human element of the organization is one very critical productive asset that needs special management. A rationally organized Social Structure involves clearly defined patterns of activity and discipline, which must be functionally related to the purpose of the academic libraries. The social sciences are more fluid and human behaviour more difficult to explain and analyzed. Individuals are unpredictable, unique with distinct characters, attitudes, aspirations, objectives, perceptions, beliefs etc. Accurate and precise prediction of the mind or behaviour of an individual even to the nearest second is difficult. Ejiofor (2010) Organizational leaders are familiar with the complexities that are innate in handling the social structure. Issues that likely arose from the inability to organize the social elements embrace conflicts, disorder and failure in goals achievements. Major disconnect that lack of order poses for organization can be imagined in a struggle between two opposing ideas. With this existence, conflicts between a manager and an employee are most likely a continuous encounter in the workplace. Ensuring a sound staff discipline between the management and employees depends upon how it is regulated by management. One of the conditions for maintaining such discipline is that employees should uphold a particular performance and behavioral standards Jegadeesan (2008). Should the employees do not comply with these standards, it is assumed that disciplinary measures are enforced to improve their performance and maintain the healthy relationship. However, if the employees do not agree with the manner of implementing disciplinary actions, it can have an adverse effect on the rapport between management and the employees. Psychologists generally agree that people have different reasons for doing the things they do, or for behaving the way they do.
This means in other words, that all human behaviour is designed to achieve certain goals and objectives. It is therefore, a deficiency of something within the individuals, which sparks chains of events leading the individual to engage in one kind of behaviour – good or bad, lawful or unlawful. Clearly, if a rule is unenforceable, it is not worth having. Standards of conduct must be maintained but they must be realistic so as to contribute to the proper functioning of the workplace. Rules governing in subordination, theft, vandalism, gambling on company premises, drinking on the job and taking drugs at work, are all related to productivity and the general wellbeing of an organization, (Eni 2011). It is believed that the most. The origin of staff discipline can be traced back to heaven when God disciplined Satan and other fallen angels for their pride and disobedience etc. Obedience is as a result of discipline which means that without control for obedience there would not be discipline. Staff Discipline means to cause the mind to obey, discipline came into view because employees in the organization consist of people with diverse characters, and thus there are “good staff and bad staff”. The good one are identified on their conforming to the led down rules and regulations and commitment to the organization while the bad ones are noted for diverse negative attitude and tendencies which they exhibit at work such as laziness, stealing, truancy, insubordination, gossiping and lateness. Moreover, these diverse negative attitude pose a threat to the achievement of organizational goals, and therefore require greater discipline and control are also necessary to ensure that they maintain their behaviour and reassure them of the organizations commitment to good conduct and improved performances discipline impact having on productivity. Also in the context of human resources, management, discipline is better appreciated as a means of causing discomforts or suffering to somebody for wrong doing with the aim of preventing future occurrence of that particular behaviour. According to Agu (2010:73) it is not usual for the personal manager to think of indiscipline or the part of an employer when the employee fails to obey reasonable instructions from a well constituted authority. An employee will then be subject to disciplinary action when he will fully commits a serious offence or crime against his employee. A discipline employee is the one who exhibits a high moral standard, seeks to become an important member of the organization, obeys reasonable instructions from his superior, committed to his task and protects the assets of his employer. There are general stages that must be followed in implementing a staff disciplinary procedure in any academic library. They are listed below. Collection of facts on the subject matter of the infringement is preliminary investigations. Exoneration/ penalty Defense by the employee Interview of the employee Oral warning or written query Trial of offending employee Freed employee Guilty employee Any academic library wishing to achieve meaningful productivity must design a just and equitable staff discipline management system.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE CASE STUDY
The federal polytechnic Nekede, library, then college library was established in 1978 when equally the college of technology Owerri (COLTECH) started at the premises of Government trade centre (GTC) Owerri. For three years between 1978 -1980, the library operated in a classroom block at the government trade centre (GTC) along Mbaise road, Owerri. It started with a few hundred of books selected and ordered for by the chief librarian and donation from university of Nigeria, NSUKKA (UNN). This volume formed the nucleus of what could be seen as the collections of the federal polytechnic Nekede library today. However the library was relocated to another temporary accommodation which was located at the school of Engineering building which was one of the most uncomfortable place for library service. The library collection increased with decrease in manpower to serve the readers. The library had 6,000 titles in its holding.
It subscribed to some 100 learned and professionals. Journals also had a number of local newspaper and magazines. The classification scheme in use was the library of congress classification scheme and equally, the library that paraded five(5) professional staff suddenly was twenty (20) supporting staff suddenly was left with one(1) professional staff and nine(9) other supporting staff due to acute shortage of staff at all levels. Meanwhile, the library operated with no committee because there was no provision made for committee in the edict establishing the college. The library move into yet another temporary accommodation which was located at the classroom complex, it consists of four classrooms and six small offices. This accommodation was inadequate in terms of size, fittings, furniture, facilities, book stock, periodical holdings and locations. In 1985, the library had 5,000 volumes. The National board for technical education (NBTE) projected 36,000 volumes by 2003 AD However, the library was being supported with donation from individual and cooperate bodies there was generous procurement of selected local newspaper and few magazines. Presently, FPNO, library is now an ultra-modern three (3) story building capable of sitting 500 readers. The libraries have the following sections: (a) the administration which exercises general control overall library staff, founds, equipment etc. these all accompanies the office of the chief librarian and his deputy. (b) Technical service. Division comprising (i) Acquisition section, ordinary and accessing all library and non-book materials. (ii) Cataloging section which is responsible cataloging and classifying materials acquired by the library. (iii) Circulation section which is responsible for the display. Use the actual circulation of library of library materials. And up to data information materials, workers in academic institutions stand a high risk not only of deriving inferences from obsolete data but also of unnecessarily replicating studies that have long been concluded.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It is obvious that an academic libraries workforce is made up of people of diverse backgrounds so disobedience and mistakes are inevitable employees are disciplined when they go against organizational rules and regulations. There is high rate of absenteeism, negligence of duty which has resulted in low productivity.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study are as follows: To determine the influence of staff discipline on productivity. To identify types of staff discipline. To identify the problems of staff discipline on productivity.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To determine the influence of staff discipline on productivity? To identify types of staff discipline? To identify the problems of staff discipline on productivity?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The benefit of staff discipline on productivity efficiency aims at alerting the employees whose performance is considered low to improve his performance, reminding the staff of the expected standards of behaviours and increasing the moral, motivation and performance. Academic libraries and others will benefit from the study in the following ways. It will help organizations to maintain peace, unity, among the staff so as to have improved productivity. Students of Library and information science, human capital management will find this useful as it will serve as a reference work for further researcher. It will also help the society at large to embrace staff discipline as a tool used to inculcate obedience and control in the life of citizens.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
It will not be possible for the researcher to visit all of them and produce effective study. Consequently the study will be narrowed down to Federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo state Library.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The researcher is faced with some limitation/constraints some of these factors are finance, time, transportation, lack of corporation from some members of staff who attempt to keep back relevant information as a result of bad attitude of some staff of public bureaucrats.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
PRODUCTIVITY: An economic measure of output per unit of input- inputs includes labour and capital.
DISCIPLINE: It is a training that moulds or perfects the mental or moral character. It is also a set of rules that government and the conduct of people in any organization.
STAFF: Is an individual who work part time or full time under a contract of employment. Whether oral or written, expressed or implied and has recognized right and duties.
MANAGEMENT: It is the organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives and effective goals.
ACADEMIC LIBRARY: These are the libraries in institution of higher learning such as universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, college of technology ( Emmanuel A. Oduagwu, 2002).
LIBRARY: Is a store house of document knowledge where professionally selected and acquired knowledge, print and non print materials are processed and orderly arranges to make for easy location, retrieval and use. (Isaac Nnamdimele, 2008).
INFLUENCE OF STAFF DISCIPLINE ON PRODUCTIVITY IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE LIBRARY)