Administration of human resources in Ghanaian Public Universities

The Universities in Ghana were established to serve as the cornerstone for the development of the nation’s higher manpower requirements with a view to ensuring the upliftment of standards of living for Ghanaians. But recent studies indicate that their efficacy is found wanting due to multifarious administrative problems. The striking manifestations of administrative dysfunction have largely been due to financial constraints. The survey conducted by the researcher within the public universities in Ghana revealed lapses in the administration of human resources in the institutions. Many Senior Members including administrators, professionals and a cross section of the University Community as well as stakeholders of Education in the private sector have questioned the effectiveness of the human resource administration in the Ghanaian public universities. Inadequate physical structures, degradation of instructional facilities and materials, the inability to attract and retain staff low morale among faculty members and students and the inability to cope with the ever-increasing number of student’s enrolment in recent years and its effects on use of facilities, are among major problems which have beset the administration of public universities in Ghana. The research, therefore, has assessed the strength and weakness of the administration of human resource development in the Country’s public universities. The researcher used the descriptive and analytical research methods for this thesis. The major research instruments used to collect the necessary data were questionnaires, interviews and observations. The survey method was also utilized in gathering qualitative data from the University of Ghana, Legon, University of Cape Coast and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in order to come out with factors that affect the Administration of Human Resources in these public Ghanaian Universities. Valid and reliable data collected have been assembled, analyzed and discussed thoroughly. The major findings of the study include the fact that, though the administrative personnel and the executives of the Ghanaian public universities have the capacity to run the institutions effectively to develop the manpower needs of Ghana, they are constrained by inadequate funding from Government. 1. The present system of recruitment procedure for Senior Members of staff is not attractive enough to entice the best caliber of staff for academic work in public universities in Ghana. 2. The existing conditions of service being offered by the Government to University teachers in the country were unfavourable to academic work, since these conditions had drastically reduced the status of lecturers in the society. 3. There are no incentives in the conditions of service for University teachers and this has resulted in low morale among staff. 4. Poor motivation on the job. 5. Unattractive salaries resulting in poor end of service benefits. A number of useful suggestions are recommendations have been made for the maintenance, sustenance and development of human resource administration in public universities in Ghana. These include the following: 1. There should be enough funding from the Government and other stakeholders to the public universities to enable them administer the universities efficiently. 2. The existing conditions of service being offered by Government should be made attractive enough to entice the right caliber of staff. 3. More incentives and motivation such as end of service benefits (ESB) and other fringe benefits should be incorporated into the service conditions of Senior Members. 4. For Ghana to pursue her policy of positive change and to achieve the objectives of her quest for technological/industrial advancement the public universities in Ghana should be well financed and equipped to produce the needed higher manpower with relevant knowledge and competent skills in Information Technology (IT) especially at our tertiary institutions. It is hoped that this research would serve as basis for further investigation into both private and public universities in Ghana as well as to assess the effectiveness of the human resource administration for national development. The research has revealed that there is the urgent need to pursue vigorously programmes and activities to generate more funds for effective administration of public universities in Ghana.

Source: KNUST