HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (HRMPs), JOB SATISFACTION, AND ACADEMIC PRODUCTIVITY AMONG LECTURERS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE SOUTH-EAST STATES OF NIGERIA

The research explored human resource management practices (HRMPs), job satisfaction, and productivity among university lecturers in Nigeria's South-East region The study examined HRMPs, job satisfaction, and productivity among university lecturers in the South-East States of Nigeria. It included three research questions and evaluated three hypotheses with a significance level of 0.05. The target population included 9,453 academic staff from state and federal public universities in the region. A sample of 946 lecturers (539 males and 407 females) was selected using random stratified sampling techniques. Ex-post-facto research design was used and data was collected using the "Questionnaire on Human Resource Management Practices, Job Satisfaction, and Productivity" (HRMPJSPQ), developed by the researcher. The questionnaire comprised 30 items, with 10 items per variable. Validation was conducted by three education faculty experts, and the instrument's reliability was confirmed with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.81. The data generated was analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while t-test analysis were employed for further statistical evaluation. The findings revealed that job satisfaction did not significantly influence lecturers' productivity. HRMP had a greater influence on the productivity of female lecturers compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, these practices did not significantly impact job satisfaction for either gender in public universities. The study suggested that universities should foster an environment that promotes job satisfaction and optimizes the impact of HRMPs on productivity. It also suggested fostering collaboration between male and female lecturers through team-building activities, mentorship programs, and regular departmental meetings to boost job satisfaction.