Supervisors’ Rating of Personality Skills Possessed by OTM Graduate Workers for Effective Work Performance in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was necessitated by numerous reports from employers of labour regarding the ineffective work performance of Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduate workers in different organizations in Anambra State, Nigeria. One research question guided the study and three null hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Population of the study was 304 supervisors from public and private organizations in Anambra State were studied. There was no sampling because the population was manageable. A 5-point rating scale questionnaire containing 13 items with options of very much possessed (VMP), much possessed (MP), fairly possessed (FP), little possessed (LP) and very little possessed (VLP), which was validated by three experts was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was determined using measure of internal consistency method with Cronbach Alpha and reliability index of 0.76 was obtained. The arithmetic mean was used to answer the research question while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that the OTM graduate workers fairly possessed personality skills needed for effective work performance. Type of organization significantly influenced the supervisors’ rating of personality skills possessed by their OTM graduate workers but gender and work experience did not. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the ineffective performance of OTM graduate workers is the result of their level of acquisition of requisite skills in the course of their training. It was, therefore, recommended among others that OTM lecturers should use suitable instructional pedagogies to ensure that students acquire relevant skills for effective work performance in employment upon graduation and that the curriculum developers should emphasize skills for effective work performance and methods for adequately developing them in students.