Strategic Online Search Skills and Job Performance of Academics in Federal Universities, South-South Nigeria

The study examined the differences in job performance between male and female academics based on their strategic online search skills in federal universities in South South Nigeria. Seven specific objectives were outlined, one research question was raised, and one null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. The population comprised 7,107 academics (4,830 male and 2,177 female) from seven federal universities across the six South-South states during the 2022/2023 academic session. The Krejcie and Morgan Sample Size Determination Table and a multi-stage sampling procedure were used to select 1,393 respondents. Two researcher-developed instruments, titled Strategic Online Search Skills Questionnaire (SOSSA) and Job Performance of Academics Questionnaire (JPAQ), were used for data collection. Face validation was conducted by three research experts, and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients of 0.86 and 0.80 were obtained for the SOSSA and JPAQ, respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to test the null hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed significant differences in job performance between male and female academics in federal universities in South-South Nigeria based on their strategic online search skills. The study recommended, among other things, that efforts should be made by the federal government to minimise the challenges faced by female academics in federal universities in South-South Nigeria. Furthermore, universities should provide gender sensitive training on strategic online search skills to ensure equitable benefits for all academics.