ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to determine employability skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations in Rivers State. The researcher adopted a descriptive survey design for the study. Area of the study was Rivers State. The population for the study was all the 36,427 senior civil servants from various ministries in Rivers State. The sample size of the study constituted 380 senior civil servants selected from various ministries. Six research questions and six null hypotheses were used to address the specific objectives. The instrument for data collection was a 100-item structured questionnaire title “Skills Required of Business Education Students Questionnaire” (SRBESQ). The instrument was validated by three experts, two in Business Education and one in Measurement and Evaluation. Reliability of the research instrument was obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The overall reliability index for the instrument was .89. Three hundred and sixty four copies of questionnaire were retrieved and analysed using mean with standard deviation for the research questions and t-test for the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The results obtained indicated that the senior civil servants in business organisations in Rivers State were of the opinion that accounting, secretarial, electronic office, office communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills were very highly required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education. Thus, it was recommended that the Government, Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations should provide training manual, modern technology, update of curriculum, self-discovering and problem-solving for creativity, adequate facilities and to enhance the preparation of Business Education students in order to make them relevant in the world of work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgments v
Table
of Contents vi
List
of Tables ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER
1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2
Statement of the Problem 8
1.3
Purpose of the Study 9
1.4
Research Questions 10
1.5
Hypotheses 11
1.6
Significance of the Study 12
1.7
Scope of the Study 13
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 14
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 14
2.1.1
Concept of
employability skills 14
2.1.2
Concept of
business education 16
2.1.3
Requisite
accounting skills for Nigeria certificate in education (NCE)
business education students 20
2.1.4
Requisite
secretarial skills for Nigeria certificate in education (NCE)
business education students 24
2.1.5
Requisite
electronic office skills for Nigeria certificate in education
(NCE) business education students 29
2.1.6
Requisite
office communication skills for Nigeria certificate in education (NCE) business education students 33
2.1.7
Requisite
interpersonal skills for Nigeria certificate in education (NCE)
business education students 35
2.1.8
Requisite
problem-solving skills for Nigeria certificate in education (NCE)
business education students 38
2.1.9
Gender job
performance in organizations 41
2.2. Theoretical Framework 43
2.2.1
Triple Helix I – etatistic theory 43
2.2.2
Triple
Helix II – laissez-faire theory 44
2.2.3
Triple Helix III theory 45
2.2.4
Triple Helix III and its applicability to
this study 47
2.3 Empirical
Studies 49
2.4 Summary
of Review of Related Literature 56
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 58
3.1 Design of the Study 58
3.2 Area of the Study 58
3.3 Population for the Study 59
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 59
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 60
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 61
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 61
3.8 Method of Data Collection 62
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 62
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION 63
4.1 Presentation of Results 63
Research question 1 63
Null hypothesis 1 65
Research question 2 65
Null hypothesis 2 67
Research question 3 67
Null hypothesis 3 69
Research question 4 69
Null hypothesis 4 71
Research question 5 71
Null hypothesis 5 73
Research question 6 73
Null hypothesis 6 75
4.2 Summary of the findings 75
4.3 Discussion of the Findings 77
4.3.1 Accounting skills required of business
education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in
organisations 77
4.3.2 Responses of male and female senior civil
servants on accounting skills. 78
4.3.3 Secretarial skills required of business
education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations 78
4.3.4 Responses of male and female senior civil
servants on secretarial skills. 78
4.3.5 Electronics office skills required of
business education students in Colleges
of Education for job performance in organisations 79
4.3.6 Responses of male and female senior civil
servants on electronics skills. 79
4.3.7 Office communication skills required of
business education students in
Colleges of Education for job performance in
organisations 79
4.3.8 Responses of male and female senior civil
servants on office communication 80
4.3.9 Interpersonal skills required of business
education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in
organisations 80
4.3.10 Responses of male and female senior civil
servants on interpersonal skills 81
4.3.11 Problem solving skills required of business
education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in
organisations 81
4.3.12 Responses of male and female senior civil servants
on problem-solving skills 81
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 82
4.3 Summary of the Study 82
5.2 Conclusion 83
5.3 Educational Implications of the Study 83
5.4 Limitation of the Study 84
5.5 Recommendations 85
5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies 86
References
87
Appendices 96
LIST
OF TABLES Pages
4.1
Responses of senior civil servants on
accounting skills required of students
in colleges of education for job performance in organizations 64
4.2
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on accounting
skills required of business education students in colleges of education for job
performance in organisations. 65
4.3
Responses of senior civil servants on secretarial skills required of
students in colleges of education for job performance in organizations 66
4.4
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on secretarial
skills required of business education students in colleges of education for job
performance in organisations. 67
4.5
Responses of senior civil servants on electronic office skills required
of students in colleges of education for job performance in organizations 68
4.6
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on electronic
office skills required of business education students in colleges of education
for job performance in organisations. 69
4.7
Responses of senior civil servants on office communication skills required
of students in colleges of education for job performance in organizations 70
4.8
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on office
communication skills required of business education students in colleges of
education for job performance in organisations. 71
4.9
Responses of senior civil servants on interpersonal skills required of
students in colleges of education for
job performance in organizations 72
4.10
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on interpersonal
skills required of business education students in colleges of education for job
performance in organisations. 73
4.11
Responses of senior civil servants on problem-solving
skills required of students in colleges of education for job performance in
organizations 74
4.12
The t-test result of the mean responses of
male and female senior civil servants on problem-solving
skills required of business education students in colleges of education for job
performance in organisations. 75
LIST OF FIGURES
2.2.1 Triple Helix I 43
2.2.2 A laissez-faire 45
2.2.3 Triple
Helix theory 46
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
The highlight of education over the nation is to
train and equip personalities with the vital skills and experiences with which
to progress their lives and to meet the aspirations and goals of the society,
and the people at large, leading to growth and development. However, one of the
national educational goals according to Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013)
derived from the National Policy on Education provides the attainment of suitable
skills and the improvement of intellectual, bodily and community skills and abilities
as apparatus on behalf of the persons to contribute and live to develop the society. Education is a course
which help individuals to advance his entire
life, emotionally, politically, socially and industrially to allow him/her job
in any situation in which he may find himself (Obayi & Madukwe, 1998).
The development of any nation
is to a large extent dependent on their ability to manage their natural,
capital and human resources which will crown into the constant rise of its
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This can only arise if its comparative advantage
is properly connected and channelled towards the production of those goods and
services which will compete favourably in local and international markets.. In
order to realise this major development of the public and the nation at large,
the government set out the country’s educational goals with clear mandate to desires
of individual and those of the society, in consonance with the realisms of our surroundings
and the present world. The idea of education was conceived to enable
individuals have functional literacy. This includes in addition to general
education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition
of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to
occupations in various sectors of economic and social life (FRN, 2013). This will
culminate into securing employment or becoming self-employed thereby
alleviating poverty in the long run.
Business Education is a
skill acquisition programme which provides training for individuals to perform
in the realm of labour. Historically, Business Education was first introduced
at Joseph Etukokwu’s School at Onitsha in 1930s to 1962 when Eastern Secondary
School of Commerce in Port Harcourt was also established indicating the predominance
of private proprietors ((Osuala, in Obayi & Okafor, 2015). Business
Education exists at the vocational and prevocational schools at the
universities, college of teacher education, the polytechnics, the technical
college and post primary levels. Business Education is offered under two
options; Accounting Education and Office/Secretarial Education in colleges of
education (Obayi & Okafor, 2015).
Business education is a comprehensive
part of acquaintance which deals with the entire enterprise system – preparing
people for roles in business as employees, entrepreneurs, employers or simply
as self-employed. Though, in the Nigerian context, it is provided that a
Business Education graduate is resourceful and can work in any field of venture
as a teacher, administrator and even manager. Therefore, as a business
education graduate, employment opportunities should overflow.
The notion of employability
has in contemporary era remained the centre of job seekers, educators,
employers, and government. Brown and Hesketh (2014) cited employability as the comparative
ventures of receiving and upholding diverse classes of occupation. Whereas best
society sight employability in outright positions, focusing on the necessity used
for persons to get credentials, information and group prestige; the notion of
employability can likewise stay realized by way of slanted besides subject to
on background features. Employability not only depends on whether one is able
to achieve the requirements of specific jobs, but also on how one stands
relative to others within a hierarchy of job seekers (Brown & Hesketh,
2004). Fugate,
Knincki, and Ashforth (2004) defined
employability as a form of an active adjustment of individuals towards certain
occupations until they could identify and recognize existing career
opportunities in the work place. It takes a skill for a job seeker to be able
to identify opportunities where others could not identify. According to McQuaid
and Lindsay (2005), employability is the comparative ability of an individual
to attain expressive service given the interface of individual surroundings and
the labour market. According to Imeokparia and Ediagbonya (2013), employability is one’s ability meant for achievement
as well as upholding services For individuals, employability depends on the
knowledge, skills and abilities they possess, the way they present those
resources to employers and the context within which they seek work (Hind & Moss,
2011).
An employability skill are set of skills,
knowledge and attributes that likely make individual to gain, maintain and
excel in employment; obtain new employment; move between roles within the same
organization and to get promotion (Hewitt, 2005; and Rasul et al., 2010). There
are three categories of employability skills stated in the literature across
the globe, namely Core Skills, Generic Skills and Personal Attributes
(Australian learning and Teaching Council, 2011; and Zaharim, Yusoff, Omar;
Mohammed, & Muhammad 2009). Core skills are technical competencies that
comprise specific knowledge and capabilities to perform related specialized
tasks with the use of equipment and tools efficiently (Zaharim et al., 2009). Generic
Skills are non-technical competencies involving little or no interactions with
machines, equipment and tools within and across different occupations that help
individual to obtain positive social relationships and contributes to the work
environment (Australian learning and Teaching Council, 2011). Personal
attributes are good attitudes and traits of an individual that are used to get,
maintain and succeed in employment (Zaharim et al., 2009). Employability skills
are the skills needed by individuals to function effectively and efficiently in
the world of work either as an employee or an employer of labour. The labour
market is an arrangement that brings the employers and job seekers together.
The employability skills of a job seeker will go a long way in determining the
relative standing of the individual in the labour market.
Employability incorporates
the dual phases of supply and demand of labour to show that advancing one’s
position in the labour market by gaining credentials is partially dependent on
structural factors outside the individual’s control. The recent financial
crisis demonstrates that global economic factors can and do have a significant
impact on the likelihood of an individual securing a job regardless of their
skills, credentials and social status. Our financial institutions and stock
exchange market are yet to recover from the crisis. The retrenchment exercises
in our banks and merger of some of the banks that have heightened the
unemployment rate is not unconnected with the crises. It is often believed that
credential, knowledge and social status alone will guarantee a good position in
the labour market. With the restructuring of the nation to a knowledge based
economy, there has been a paradigm shift with more emphasis or demand for high
calibre management skills. However, a focus on obtaining skills in order to
gain good employment or standing in the labour market has led to an over-supply
of graduates and a larger number of contenders chasing the same top jobs. The
rate at with our higher institutions produce out graduates is indeed alarming
without commensurate spaces for them to work. Brown and Hesketh (2004) stressed
that there is a clear mismatch between individual’s expectations of
employability and the realities posed by the labour market. This was what
informed the classification of job seekers by Brown and Hesketh into two and
they are: purist and players. The authors described the purists as those that
believe in merit in getting their desired jobs because they have the
requirements for the job. On the other hand, the players adopt any means
possible to secure their desired jobs either by ‘hook or crook’ (that is,
either legally or illegally). With the recent development in this part of the
world, the players tend to thrive owing to the limited job opportunities.
The skills required of employers
seem to be different from what the employers want. Some employers have tried to
outline some of these skills they want from job seekers. Modern office is more
than traditional office, hence there is needs for students of business
education with requisite skills which includes accounting, secretarial,
electronics, office communication, interpersonal, problem solving and
organisational skills to perform varieties of the needed employments.
Accounting remains one of
the important skills in business education which leaners perform basic
bookkeeping and accounting function.
They are regarded as entry level workers in accounting profession.
Entry-level accounting jobs as listed by Ubese (2008) include accounting
clerking, bookkeeping, machine operating and payroll clerking. However, basic
accounting office skills may include: writing cheques, receipts, invoices,
computing discounts and interests, posting of entries and keeping of petty cash
book.
Secretarial skills are skill
to accomplish efficiently practical clerical functions in office. Secretaries are aided in these tasks
by a diversity of office apparatus such as fax machines, photocopies, scanners,
telephone, paper shredders, etc. In
addition, Confidential Secretaries nowadays use laptops to do jobs formerly
handled by administrators to create databases, compose e-mail, manage files
bases, and generate presentations, news and documents using desk-top printing
software and digital visuals (Amoor, 2013).
Electronic office skills are the ability to use
information communication technology facilities in discharging duties in an
office. Digital powered machine have reduced the long hours of office business
to a mere pressing of buttons to attain a more effective and efficient output.
Mbaezue (2015) outlined electronic skills to include: understand basic computer
terminology, start up, log on; use a mouse and keyboard; copy, paste and print,
send and reply message, among others.
Communication is the transfer, transmission,
interchange or exchange of information, ideas, knowledge, beliefs or attitudes
from one person to another within a given social organisation (Nwanorue &
Nwogu, 2013). Individual intricate in communication in the workplace arena, either
customers/visitors, employee nor employer, devour different means to relay with
individuals and requisite obviously distress comprehension in the procedure in instruction
to entice exact response.
Interpersonal
skill is capability towards elucidating whatever you mean in a perfect and brief
technique finished spoken and written ways. On the road to heed and narrate to more
individuals, and to performance upon significant information /orders. In the
business circle, interpersonal skills denote to worker’s capability towards grow
sideways using others however receiving the work completed.
Problem solving is
capacity to comprehend problematic by flouting it despondent into reduced parts
and ascertaining the important problems, consequences and ascertaining way out.
The problem-solving technique monitors scholars through the serious rational
procedure and employs learner teamwork. Comparable plans comprise assimilating
project-based knowledge activities that necessitate scholars to relate their
acquaintance by building a practical invention. A concluding leader to learner
rehearsal, training noble valuations to expedite learners’ serious rational and
Meta-cognitive skills (Hou, Sung & Chang, 2007).
Jones and George in Oduma and Ile (2012) defined
organization as a body, school, an industry or business, the civil service, department
or government ministry, social club, church, or even non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). These organisations are all serene of persons. They entirely
devour specific drives to accomplish, and wholly devour particular form of organisation
that set the limits and expresses the manners of their memberships. As a body,
Jones and George further labelled an organization as a cluster of individuals destined
together in a proper connection to realise mutual goal. Organisational
skills deal with existence
organised methodical and capable to blueprint work to come across target and
deadlines. Also observing improvement of work to certify you are on pathway to
meeting a target.
Job performance in organisations are the engine that
drives productivity which other elements like motivation and skill grease the
engine. Adeyemo (2000) explains that job performance is so important that it
cannot be ignored in the industrial setting. It is the behaviour and action
that actually brings out the desired results of the organisation, which are
higher productivity and profitability. It embeds skill, willingness to perform
assigned tasks, putting extra effort to achieve results, creativity and
ingenuity. Once there is effective job performance of worker, productivity is
bound to rise, and the organisation will be better. Job performance is
therefore, very important because it leads to productivity. Low job performance
is much likely to lead to low productivity which is bad for the health of any
organization.
Gender appears to play an important part in employees’
job performance in organisations. Ramilo (2004); Shrum (2007) and Nazrul (2009)
are of the view that the gender of employees tends to significantly affect
their job motivation and job performance in the workplace. Their argument is
that men are more disposed to work harder than women. Similarly, there is the view by Aremu and
Adeyoju (2003); Vaskova (2005) and Zhao and Seibert (2006) that gender plays a
significant role in job performance among employees in some careers, especially
in developing countries. Ufuophu and Iwu (2014), argue that job performance and
gender related research is needed in a rapidly developing country like Nigeria
because the concept of performance has been found to share close association to
cost reduction, job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism and turnover. Most people
depend on work for their financial security. As a result, a large part of one’s
adult life is spent working. This means therefore that work is an important
aspect of people’s lives. This consequently necessitates an understanding of
the factors involved in job motivation as it is crucial to improving employees’
performance and productivity.
Experience remains
a vital variable in the modern office works. Udoye (2013) reported that, there
was important transformation in the nasty assessments of less experienced and experienced
employees on modern office job skills required of the Business Education students
in their establishments. Male and female
senior civil servants employed in organisations to perform their duties as business
educators are expected to display their skills which a major concern of employers
are on what constitutes employability skills. To achieve effective performance of modern office
skill works in organisations, there is need for skills to be required of Business
Education students in colleges of education for job performance in Nigeria. It
is against this background that, this work on employability skills required of
business education students in colleges of education for job performance in organisations in Rivers State was carried out.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The call for the value and relevance of skills has
been heralded by both employer organisations and relevant government in
Nigeria. Employers put high value on
such skill qualities as initiative, determination, enthusiasm work ethic
reliability, self-discipline and consideration when dealing with people (Dave,
2002). It is therefore pertinent to
develop skills that have employable qualities.
However, employability skills are not job specific, but are skills which
cut horizontally across all industries and vertically across all jobs from
entry levels; in this case the concern is about business education students.
In recent years, too many young graduates
leave higher institutions of learning without the skills, attitudes and
understanding that are necessary to successfully enter the world of work. Often, jobs may be readily available but many
graduates lack what is needed to get and keep jobs. Employability skills are skills required not
only to gain employment but also progress within an enterprise so as to achieve
their potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions
(Gurvinder & Sharan, 2015). Thus, faced with stiff global competition, an
arising concern is that current graduates do not match the needs of businesses.
According to Khir
(2006), graduates now are lacking in both technical know-how and generic skills.
It is sad to note that many graduates of business education can hardly
demonstrate adequate utilization of the basic skills, competences, attitudes
and values in their places of work. These skills are seen as the bed lock of
their core activities of knowledge economy that is geared towards bridging the
gap between the services provided and meeting the needs of their employers.
This unsatisfactory state of affair has necessitated the need to ascertain
empirically the effects of employability skills required of business education
students in higher learning of education.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was
to determine the employability skills required of Business Education students
in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations in Rivers State. Specifically,
the study determined:
1.
accounting
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations;
2.
secretarial
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations;
3.
electronic
office skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education
for job performance in organisations;
4.
office
communication skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of
Education for job performance in organisations;
5.
interpersonal
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations; and
6.
problem solving
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions
were formulated to guide the study:
1.
What are the accounting skills required of
Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations?
2.
What are the
secretarial skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of
Education for job performance in organisations?
3.
What are the electronic
office skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education
for job performance in organisations?
4.
What are the office
communication skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of
Education for job performance in organisations?
5.
What are the interpersonal
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations?
6.
What are the problem-solving
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null
hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean
ratings of male and female senior civil servants on the accounting skills required
of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations.
Ho2: There
is no significant difference between the mean ratings of male and female senior
civil servants on the secretarial skills required of Business Education
students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations.
Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean
ratings of male and female senior civil servants on the electronic office
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations.
Ho4: There is no significant difference between the mean
ratings of male and female senior civil servants on the office communication skills
required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations.
Ho5: There is no significant difference between the mean
ratings of male and female senior civil servants on the interpersonal skills required
of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job performance in organisations.
Ho6: There is no significant difference
between the mean ratings of male and female senior civil servants on the problem-solving
skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of Education for job
performance in organisations.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The findings of this
research work would be of great significance to all stakeholders among which are;
students, teachers, employers, school management, curriculum planners, parents/guardians,
the general public and future researchers.
To the students who are
major stakeholders would find this work very useful as they prepare for the
world of work. It would equally serve as “eye opener” to business
students/graduates who are not informed about the skills they are supposed to
possess. It would also form vital part of the students’ course materials or
reference materials.
The findings from this
study would enable teachers to objectively assess the knowledge and skill they
impart on the students they produce with a view to ensuring that the students
can cope with the demands of the contemporary office environment. The study
would help teachers to improve their own skills, teaching methods and
demonstrations.
To employers, the findings
of this work would be of great importance to them as it would afford employers
the opportunity to know the areas of weaknesses of our graduates and how to
possibly organize training programmes to address this challenge.
To school management, the
findings of this work would enable the school management to appreciate the
scope of the changes taking place in the work place today and the need to
impart in the students required knowledge, attitudes attributes and skills that
would make them succeed in the 21st century office. The findings of this work would
better inform the management on how to plan for the students in the school and
to equally put the necessary machinery in place which are geared at
repositioning the educational system to be more responsive to the needs of the
society.
To curriculum planners, the
findings of this study would enable curriculum planners of Business Education
programme to discover what is required of the student. This would motivate the curriculum planners to embark
on a more realistic curriculum review and content to accommodate the needed
skills by the said students.
Parents and Guardians will
benefit from the findings of the study because when their children are
empowered with improved practical skills, they may be employed or establish
their own enterprises and thereby take the responsibilities of some member of
the family financially and otherwise.
The general public who intend to broaden their
horizon as regards employability would definitely find results of this study a
priceless companion. This would enable the public to be exposed to the
nitty-gritty in employability.
To future researchers, this
study would provide a framework for subsequent studies in Business Education
area and it would serve as reference work for researchers who intend to do
similar study.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The scope determined the
employability skills required of Business Education students in Colleges of
Education for job performance in organisations in Rivers State. This study
covered all the public ministries in Rivers State. Within these organisations,
the study was restricted to all senior civil servants from various ministries
in Rivers State. These employability skills were accounting, secretarial,
electronic office, office communication, interpersonal and problem-solving
skills.
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