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Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

August 2020

Performance Management Approaches for Effective Service

Delivery in Federal University Libraries in South East, Nigeria.
Wisdom Okereke Anyim
Rhema University, Aba, Nigeria, [email protected]

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Anyim, Wisdom Okereke, "Performance Management Approaches for Effective Service Delivery in Federal
University Libraries in South East, Nigeria." (2020). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 4169.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4169
Performance Management Approaches for Effective Service Delivery in Federal University
Libraries in South East, Nigeria.

By

Wisdom O. Anyim, Ph.D

Library Department, Rhema University Nigeria
[email protected]

Abstract

This study investigated performance management approaches for effective service delivery in
university libraries. The main purpose of this study was to assess the performance management
approaches used in federal university libraries in South East, Nigeria. The research design
adopted was descriptive survey. The population of the study was 103 librarians in federal
university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. No sampling was used as the number was considered
manageable. The instrument used in gathering data for the study was 38-item questionnaire
which was validated by three experts. Data collected from the questionnaire on the research
questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed the patterns of
performance management employed in federal university libraries which include performance
appraisal, duties rotation, controlled activities and regulation of staff attendance. Result also
showed that the performance management approaches for effective service delivery in federal
universities are periodic appraisal of librarians' job performance, periodic rotation of librarians
from one section of the library to another, through clear and well-defined rules passed down to
all employees in the library and reward for outstanding performance. Result showed that
performance management contributes to effective job performance by enabling librarians to
understand their job expectations and encourages positive work attitude. Based on these findings,
the researcher recommended that federal governments should encourage performance
management in university libraries by providing enough funds capable of maintaining constant
training and development of librarians and providing incentives to motivate librarians to work
with full commitment.

Keywords: Performance management, service delivery, university libraries, South East, Nigeria.
Introduction
Performance management in the university is a very crucial measure for improving performance
of librarians. It is an essential measure to set the skill and potential of librarians on high scale
performance in their respective job descriptions. Performance management is an organized,
careful and logical procedure to ensure progressive delivery of services. However, organizations
record high performance when rightful measures implemented. University libraries are entrusted
with abundant academic responsibilities to provide support for teaching, learning and scholarly
research. As libraries strive to render effective services, librarians ought to be capable and
service worthy in order to bring those objectives into reality. Realization of library goals and
objectives is determined by the performance of librarians in their various duty posts. Asogwa
(2014) affirms that for any organization to realize its goals for effective service delivery and
development, capable workforce is required.
Performance management facilitates high job performance using control mechanisms
that compel compliance with organizational plan, policies, procedures and objectives
(Ugochukwu, 2012). Effective service delivery is an essential goal of the performance
management matrix that compares plan with actual status, indicating deviations (if any), re-
planning or corrective actions might result. It is a systematic effort by management to compare
performance with plans. Performance management is of prime importance in the
accomplishment of objective. The actual result is measured against plans, and if result is
measured against plans, and if significant differences are not, remedial actions are taken
(Hornby, 2006).
Effective service delivery can be maintained for a relatively long period if organizations
take necessary procedures to avoid performance setback. However, Hornby (2006) opines that
the performance of staff in a corporate world is somewhat "cynical" over a long period of time.
The government officials, academics and economists have all stressed the importance of
productivity because of its relationship with general economic health of a nation. Performance
management continues to spread wider in early 1980’s when total quality management programs
received utmost importance for achievement of quality standards and performance (Asogwa,
2014).
In a similar sense, the health of the university library has much to do with the
productivity of librarians that work in the library. In a bid to develop and maintain effective
service delivery, Olowu and Adamolekun (2005), state that it is more essential to secure and
manage competent human resource as the most valuable resource of any organization, because of
the need for effective and efficient delivery of goods and services by organizations, whether in
public or private sector. Duru (2010) emphasizes the importance of managing employee
performance in any given organization, whether profit or nonprofit oriented, government or
private, big or small. According to Duru, many organizations agree that the principle of
performance management is important for success in any organization and maintains that those
who operate in government institutions where performance management is the norm and where
organization systems are in place to support this norm are in a better position to make data-
driven decisions than their counterparts operating without such systems and support.
Nevertheless, while it is important to encourage formal, organization systems of performance
management, it is also important to neither forget nor fail to encourage these more isolated and
more individual efforts to use performance data to achieve high organizational performance.
Performance management could be seen as a control measures adopted by the management of an
organization to make the best of the constituting workforce of the organization toward achieving
successful performance.
Performance management is the practice of optimizing production and services of an
organization which incorporates the configuration and measurement of distinct output areas for
its stakeholders (Ugochukwu, 2012). Furthermore, performance management significantly drives
organizational performance, individual performance, career planning, succession planning,
training, and transfer and business strategy. Adei (2006) posits that performance of personnel
vary over a period of time in an institution. The foregoing holds credence to service optimization
as a result of control (measures) system of management applied to translate personnel potentials
into desired outputs.
Performance management has total effect on the whole areas of the organization.
According to Armstrong and Baron (1998), performance management comprises result-oriented
approaches in organizations by improving the performance and developing the capabilities of the
organizational workforce. In agreement, McNamara (2007) opines that performance
management entails goal setting, monitoring and evaluation of employees' achievement, sharing
of feedback with the employee, rewarding of performance or firing of the employees. In a similar
vein, Lunger (2006), maintains that performance management must originate from development
strategies, goals and values system, coordination of functions and the satisfaction of internal and
external customers. Lunger also add that performance management focuses on group and team
performance, the emphasis of cross-sector and cross-function appraisal, the performance
monitoring and development and the evolution of performance measurement with time and
sustained growth.
Performance is the function of output resulting from a given resource input at a given
time which shows how progressive an organization is towards meeting its goals and objectives.
According to Ewurum (2006), Performance management is concerned with calculated efforts to
capture and coordinate all the issue that will make for the delivery of effective performance by
organization members. Performance management also focuses on managers’ support and
manager-employee relationship. However, Adams (2006) asserts that performance management
is not only about implementing performance management processes but also facilitates
manager’s interest in supporting high performance, and the relationship between manager and
their people which shapes what happens between them every day. To this end, Onah (2004)
asserts that achieving maximum productivity and efficiency of any organization should be the
responsibility of executive manager or supervisor of the organization.
The forgoing stipulated that managers or supervisors are duty-bound to ensure the
development of employees who have requisite knowledge and expertise. According to
Armstrong (2006), performance management drives and equips managers and supervisors with
the performance strategies which can be managed to drive high performance behaviors and
improve decision making. It was revealed by Armstrong that performance management should
focuses on the design and integration of a management framework which ensures alignment of
people, process, and the use of information, to the organization’s strategic objectives. As stated
by Ugochukwu (2012), effective performance management benefits for the individuals,
organization and the economy through increased efficiency, effectiveness and productive
aggregates in terms of quality goods and services. Performance has to be managed in order to
attain these goals.
Some organizations, such as university libraries seem to have an effortless practice of
managing performance to enhance quality service delivery of librarians. While those libraries
with effective performance management have developed a clear idea about what they
realistically can and want to achieve. This clarity has allowed them to focus on a few numbers of
things like librarian training and development which turned out to strengthen the library to thrive
in quality service delivery (Peterside, 2006). When librarians are provided with certain incentives
their job performance becomes more effective. Several factors seem to be responsible for
accelerated job performance of employees.
According to Asogwa (2014) and Nwachukwu (2011), three basic issues that inform
employees' performance include motivation, method, ability, and job content. They further
stressed that developing the ability of employees to do their jobs better can always be improved
on. This necessitates in the first instance, finding and allocating the most suitable people to do
the work. Improving the skills of those already employed are the purpose of its staff development
and training by updating the content of the job, the recruitment methods employed in doing the
job and the environment of the job.
It is no doubt, the job performance of librarians seemed to be enhanced when they
receive adequate incentives, good working condition, adequate remuneration, on-the-job
training, motivation in cash or kind, allowances, rewards and development programs. In a bid to
develop and maintain effective and efficient job performance, the federal government of Nigeria
introduced different kinds of allowances to serve as motivation to employees’ performance
which the university library is a beneficiary to some extent. For instance, Federal Republic of
Nigeria Public Service Rules (2009) Chapter 13 on Allowances made provision for the following
allowances payable to employees in the federal public service: kilometres allowance;
disengagement allowance; hotel accommodation allowance; duty tour allowance; transport and
local running allowance; estacode allowance; estacode supplementation allowance; warm
clothing allowance; local course allowance; book allowance; projects allowance; overtime
allowance etc.
On the other hand, the Nigerian Public Service Rules (2009) chapter 15 provides for
reward for outstanding job performance. No. 150102of the rule states that: The recipient of an
award must have been considered as best on the basis of outstanding performance of duties and
exemplary conduct during the year. No. 150103 states that each ministry or extra-ministerial
office may make such award to deserving officers annually. No. 150104 states that the award
may be in the form of medals, gifts of cash or kind. All these were designed by the government
to encourage employees to deliver effective and efficient job performance.
 For the fact that librarians are human beings and not objects that can be used today and
scrapped tomorrow, Obi (2006), opines that librarians should be properly managed and
developed in order to maximize their performance. It is expected that the management of any
organization especial university libraries should provide adequate and comprehensive employee
service/welfare programs such as health service programme (health Insurance policy), on-the-job
health measures, safety and accident prevention programs, work hours/leave programs which
includes annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave (for women) etc.
University Libraries strive to adopt several performance management approaches that
lead to effective service delivery. Performance Management in university libraries has been seen
as all encompassing, involving the interplay of various approaches to ensure that the library
attains high level of effectiveness and efficiency in fulfilling the objectives and mission for
which it is established. Central among other approaches for this study include performance
appraisal approach, motivation approach, benchmarking approach, supervision approach, staff
training and development approach and communication approach. Howell (2017) who stresses
that no matter the type of library, some level of performance management must be applied
including performance evaluation; duties rotation; benchmarking; duties segregation; internal
audit; staff evaluation; controlled activities; supervisory control; internal control; organizational
structure; internal check; performance management and penal system/sanction for breach of
official rules and regulations and regulation of attendance register.
Performance appraisal remains an important approach for achieving effective job
performance. It is a measure for assessment or review of staff performance on their designated
duties usually over a period of time following the laid down principles. Performance appraisal is
an approach by which a formal review of an employee’s work performance is conducted.
However, the essence of conducting performance appraisal is to achieve the objectives of the
organization. Perhaps, Kuvaas (2006) defines performance appraisal as a performance
management strategy of knowing if employees’ behavior is consistent with the overall strategic
objective of an organization. Ifidon and Ifidon (2007) opine that performance appraisal is an
integral part of performance management in university libraries and most utilized approach in
encouraging performance effectiveness.
In other hand, performance appraisal is a method of aligning the objectives of the
individual employees with the organizational objective. Onah (2008) affirms that performance
appraisal is an official assessment that shows how well employees are performing their duties.
Furthermore, Onah stresses that appraisal is a well designed procedure that involves setting
performance standard, assessing the employee’s key performance indications, and providing
feedback to the employees with the aim of motivating them to eliminate performance
deficiencies or to continue to perform above par.
Motivation Approach is a performance management approach that is used to encourage
staff to work with full commitment towards achieving set goals and objectives of the
organization. Daft (2000) defines motivation as a condition or forces that arouses or energies
behavior towards a course of action. Motivation is also an internal or external force that arouses
enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action. A cursory look on the meaning
of motivation can suggest it to be calculated attempt of using incentives to direct individual’s
behavior toward a particular end. Individuals have different behaviors and these behaviors need
to be directed to enable the individuals achieve a certain goal or objective. Bagraim (2003)
define motivation as a driving innate force that propels definite behavior towards achieving a
desired aim.
In other words, motivation is a kind of inner force which arouses a person's passion to do
something in order to achieve a desired goal or objective. Motivation is that energizing instinct
that induces or compels and stimulates the workers to contribute their best in a manner consisted
with organizational goals and objectives. More so, motivation involves all the methods a
manager can use to influence the direction of individual towards attaining goals. However, of all
the several theories of motivation, on the job motivation strategy have remained one of the most
complex issues, perhaps management consistently implements effective motivation tools for its
personnel with a view to achieve staff commitment (Ozokoye, 2011).
Motivation has monetary and non – monetary undertone. However , Nwoye (2012) states
that financial rewards and incentives are common in most organizations today even although
most experts opined that money is not the best motivator because the motivational effect of most
financial rewards does not last. Because people use money as a benchmark to measure
achievement, money becomes an indicator to the person of how important he or she is perceived
to be. The absence of salary increases and other financial rewards to outstanding employees
discourages their performance as they perceive not valued within the organization which leads to
job dissatisfaction (Nwoye, 2012). Due to the fact university libraries are seen as non –profit
organization does not mean that they don’t partake in financial benefit of motivation.
Non-financial motivation is a performance management approach mostly used in non-
profit organizations including university libraries. It goes beyond the financial compensation to
appealing the employees’ drive to work intelligently and be recognized. Employees seem to have
been more motivated when they are directly empowerment and enabled to perform well. The
following forms of non financial motivation are resources to drive employees’ performance
which include: goal setting, communication, autonomy, responsibility and flexibility.
Benchmarking is essential performance management tools relevance for enhancing job
performance of workers and bringing innovation in product and services. Benchmarking is a
performance management mechanism with the potential to improve service delivery. It is used
for comparative measurement of organizational performance as to determine how well or bad an
organization has done over a period of time. (Aimiuwu, 2007).
University libraries most times engage in comparative studies of individual libraries to
determine which among them rank higher in quality in terms of resources and service delivery.
Through benchmarking, library services and user satisfaction can be compared among others.
Ugbaja (2008) opines that benchmarking introduces organizations to a world of new ideas,
methods and techniques to manage their performance for a purpose of achieving organizational
goals effectively and efficiently. Ugbaja adds that benchmarking helps to maintain flexibility in
implementing other methods of solving problems than the one currently employed by the
company. Through benchmarking, the university library produces and renders high quality
services that meet user’s information needs.
Benchmarking is a vital tool for policy makers. Ugochukwu (2012) posits that
benchmarking is a management performance tool used by organizations to generate data for
policy making and performance improvement and must be used properly. When data is generated
and policy made, identified performance lapses become easily resolved. Fonta (2008) defines
benchmarking as a systematic procedure used by institutions to identify strengths and
weaknesses within its organization to compare its job performance with best practice and
implements changes in order to bridge any identified lapses in performance. The central focus of
benchmarking is both comparison between an organization with other similar organizations and
measurement of performance in order to determine the areas the organization is lagging behind
and to find a way of mitigating the identified gap. In agreement with the foregoing, Nwatu
(2005) who posits that benchmarking is the art of identifying which area in an organization needs
to be improved on; what quality can make a positive or negative effect on the operation system;
and what strategies can be used to achieve organizations’ target.
Through benchmarking, the university library management initiates and implements
measures that conform to global best practices and excellent job performance. Medrano (2007)
encourages the university libraries to initiate and implement measures that will ensure that their
performance conforms to the best practices consistent with the contemporary trend of the
profession. With the use benchmarking, organizations can measure themselves against their
institutional practices and other competitors. Oladunmi (2005) opines that a well implemented
benchmarking promotes superior performance and provides an organised structure for
organizations to learn what and how successful they have fared so far, understand how other
organizations’ methods differ from its own and then apply measures that will mitigate the gaps
and therefore, improve its operational process. Although university libraries might have similar
functions and objectives, their method of operations might differ from each other which may be
as a result of the library environment, management system or core values of the library.
The use of benchmarking as performance management approach cut across different
organizations. Ugochukwu (2012) affirms that through benchmarking, organizations like
university libraries can maintain high performance over a long period of time, initiating and
implementing measures that will ensure that its performance conforms to the acceptable best
practices according to the laid down rules and regulation of the library system. This becomes
attainable when there is effective performance management to enhance job performance.
Benchmarking can be defined as a yardstick which measures those variables that ensure efficient
and effective job performance in the organization. Variables that determine high job performance
for which benchmarking is established must include skills, level of education, the availability of
required facilities, leadership style, performance management system, internal control, staff
training and so on.
Communication is a performance management approach to effective service delivery in
the university libraries. Hartzell (2006) defines effective communication as the medium through
managerial understanding is created. Furthermore, a good manager must have immense capacity
to listen to others and know how to “be” or “enter” into field of others. Communication is an
inestimable treasure that creates mutual awareness, understanding and gravitates interpersonal
competence. Akor and Udensi (2013) posit that communication is as old as human existence, an
age long process through which man exchanges information with his fellow man in the society or
in the organization. In other words, communication can be seen as a medium of information
exchange between two people or among group of people. Ifeagwazi (2007) defines
communication as the process by which meaning is exchanged between individuals through
common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
Communication is a process through which information, knowledge, idea, and messages
are transferred from one source to another or the exchange of meaning between individuals
through a common system of symbol. Communication is a process of sharing message between
people through signs symbols, emotions, thoughts and knowledge with others or the process
whereby one conveys ideas, opinions, attitudes, feelings, sentiments, beliefs and impressions on
others. Through communication, information is sent and received. in order for communication to
serve its purpose, it must be effectively transmitted in a way that conveys meaning to others
(Ifidon and Ugwuanyi, 2013; Kemoni, 2004; Ojomo, 2004; Rothwell, 2004.
From the foregoing, it is clearly understood that communication is an indispensable
process through which information is exchanged and feedback received. An effective
communication should not be divorced from performance management which instigates high rate
of employees’ job performance. Human beings being emotional-driven, management of any
organization including university libraries should not neglect that to get librarians deliver
effective service, effective communication is needed. Through effective communication
mechanism the objectives and core values of the organization are understood and also the ideas
and opinions that will enhance the operational performance are generated or transmitted.
The importance of communication in the library cannot be overemphasized. However,
Joyce, Ejirogbene and Michael (2009) indentified various use of communication process in
university library. They opined that communication takes place while performing all the
management functions including planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Those functions
involve significant act of communication. Communication is also used to enhance librarians’ job
performance. Managers devote a major portion of their time to communication. Interpersonal
relations among individual staff in the library and the management are maintained and developed
only through the system of communication. Communication is also used to keep employees
informed of company’s progress, make each employees interested in his or her respective job
and in the work of the company as a whole thereby, resulting to effective performance;
communication is used to reduce or prevent labor turnover and to instill each library staff with
personal pride of being member of the library.
Training and development is one of the approaches in management approach that is well
utilized in university libraries across the world. It is an indispensable element that has
tremendous effect on services in the library. Hartzell (2010), training is an aspect of performance
management concerned with making the best use of human resources in an organization by
providing the best use of the human resources in an organization through provision of requisite
skills for job effective job performance. On the other hand, Ugbokwe (1998) defines
development as a continuous improvement of staff within organization. The two similar
approaches are most times used interchangeable but the border line is that they target at
enhancing the competence of the staff for effective job performance.
Jia-Fang (2010) affirms that continuous commitment to training and developing of
human resources in any organization affects the performance capacity of the staff. To this effect,
managers around the world are adopting this method to create a competitive edge and enhancing
their performance through extensive training with the aim of achieving defined goals of the
organization. While this contributes meaningfully to the organization, it also yields promotion to
the employees and projects a positive image of the organization to the outside world.
Robert (2006) stated that in most organizations such as university libraries, librarians
need to develop themselves on the use of information technologies to enhance their job
performance. Further stated, Robert opines that training and development are resourceful in
enhancing performance. Training has become more obvious given the growing complexity of the
work environment, the rapid change in organization and technological advancement which
further necessitates the need of training and development of personnel to meet the challenges.
Many organizations have come to recognise that training offers a way of developing skills,
enhancing productivity and quality of work and building workers confidence in the organization
(Okechukwu, 2012).
Finally, through the training, the librarians become flexible to adapt to any occasional or
long term variation. Jones, George and Hill, (2000) opine that the essence of training and
development is to teach organizational members how to perform their current jobs and helping
them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be effective performers.
Supervision in university library is a managerial function of regulating and controlling
the activities of the librarians by the supervisor. Supervision aims at meeting the library’s goals
and objectives through effective guiding of the activities of the librarians. It is a performance
management instrument used by the company's executives for the purpose of observing the
attitude of the subordinates under various conditions in order to measure their job performance or
potential (Hartzell, 2010). From the foregoing, supervision can be defined as a process of
evaluating staff performance by controlling and observing staff approach and behavior in a given
situation over assigned duties. Traditionally, when people talk about supervision, they are
usually referring to the managerial or leadership function of overseeing the performance outcome
and progress of employees typically, the employees who report directly to the supervisor
(Omisore, 2014). The above definition of supervision in the case of university libraries involve
the system of departmentalization within the library and designate the heads of the department
with the responsibilities of overseeing the productivity and progress of their subordinates and
report to the highest authority of the library management.
Supervision is a process which aims at supporting, assuring and developing the
knowledge, skills and values of the supervisee, team or project group. It provides a medium for
both the supervisor and supervisee in exploring potentials. It also enhances and provides
evidence for annual performance review or appraisal alongside organization’s performance
management process with special focus on developing people in a way that leads to achieving
better outcomes for people who use services and their careers (Scottish Social Service Council,
2017). Also, Supervision is a developmental process designed to support and enhance an
individual’s level of motivation, independence, self-awareness, and skills necessary to
successfully execute the job at hand. Supervision can be very rewarding when rightly applied
and detrimental when it is wrongly applied or when applied for the wrong reasons (Omisore,
2014).
When proper supervision is carried out in university libraries by the library managers and
supervisors through proper instruction, guidance and regular training, the risk of unnecessary
errors and irregularities are mitigated and the staff achieves high level of performance.
Inadequate supervision affects a very important part of the employee support process, clearing
the chances for reference, safety and learning. After the initial training has been achieved,
supervision remains necessary for maintaining skill and knowledge development among
employees. It is for this reason that many organizations today interchange supervisors with
coaches (Omisore, 2014)
The benefits of supervision in the university libraries cannot be over emphasized. The
Social Care Institute for Excellence states how effective supervision serves as a key component
of staff leadership and management which leads to the following improvements: greater
individual motivation; an understanding of how work links into overall objectives of the library;
more effective time management; the ability to plan workload; more effective coordination of
work; better two-way communication; a reduction in conflict/misunderstanding; learning on the
job and are reduction in stress levels. Despite the available performance management
approaches, it is empirically unknown the extent university libraries in South East, Nigeria has
utilized the approaches to improve the services of the library. Hence the study sought to
investigate the performance management approaches for effective service delivery in university
libraries.

Statement of the Problem

Excellent performance management approaches in university libraries is an essential ingredient

to achieving effective service delivery. When performance of librarians is effectively managed, it
positively affects every aspect of the library operations including proper organization of
information materials for easy accessibility by users; charging and discharging of information
resources on the circulation desk; dissemination of information to the right patrons; information
literacy instruction; research and other services in the library.
If performance management were poor, the result would be low productivity thereby
defeating the purpose of establishing the university library. These culminate into inability to
easily locate information materials placed on the shelves, acquisition of relevant materials, lack
of indexes to journal articles which consequently affect research; unfriendly work attitude of
staff, late coming to work by staff, absenteeism from work without proper permission, and “I
don’t care attitude of staff towards the library patrons”.
 It was observed through personal observation that the attributes of low productivity
manifested in federal government universities in South East, Nigeria, which may be attributed to
lack of effective performance management approaches. If these issues are not properly
addressed, university libraries stand the risk of losing the patronage of their users. This may lead
to decline in the quality of teaching, learning and research. This is why this study is set out look
into the performance management approaches for effective service delivery in federal university
libraries in South East, Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study was to assess the performance management approaches for
effective service delivery in federal university libraries in South East, Nigeria. Specifically, the
study sought to:
1. determine the performance management patterns employed for effective service delivery
in the federal university libraries
2. examine the performance management application method for effective service delivery
in the federal university libraries
3. determine the extent to which performance management contribute to effective services
delivery in the federal university libraries

Research Questions
1. What are the performance management patterns employed for effective service delivery
in the federal university libraries?
2. What is the performance management application method for effective service delivery in
federal university libraries?
3. To what extent does performance management contribute to effective services delivery in
the university libraries?
Methodology

Descriptive survey design was adopted in conducting the study. The area of the study is South
East geo-political zone of Nigeria. The population of this study comprised total of 103 librarians
in federal university libraries in South East Nigeria which were all studied without sampling as
the population is small. The instruments that were used for this study were questionnaire which
was arranged in 3 clusters and 38 items. The questionnaire was face validated by three experts
and their observations and suggestions including rephrasing some questions, terms, options and
formats were used to produce the final drafts of the instruments. The reliability of the instrument
was trial- tested on librarians from another federal university library in different region who were
not part of the population of this study. Upon analysis of the responses to the questionnaire,
Cronbach Alpha method was used to determine the internal consistency of the items of the
instrument. The instrument showed an overall reliability of 0.87 which was appropriate for the
study. Copies of the questionnaire were administered to librarians in federal university libraries
in South East, Nigeria, with the aid of two trained research assistants. The questionnaire was
analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The mean was interpreted in line with the 4 point
rating scale. Consequently, decision was taken based on real limit of numbers as follows:
0.50 – 1.49 Not Employed (NE, =1) Strongly Disagree (SD, =1)
1.50 – 2.49 Less Employed (LE, =2) Disagree (D, =2)
2.50 – 3. 49 Employed (E, =3) Agree (A, =3)
3.50 – 4.0 Highly Employed (HE, =4) Strongly Agree (SA, =4)

0.50 – 1.49 Not At All (NA, =1)

1.50 – 2.49 Little Extent (LE, =2)
2.50 – 3. 49 Great Extent (GE, =3)
3.50 – 4.0 Very Great Extent (VGE, =4)
Result Analysis

Research Question One

What are the performance management patterns employed for effective service delivery in the
university libraries?

Table 1: Mean and Standard deviation of librarians on the performance management

patterns for effective service delivery in university libraries
Item Mean SD R D

1 Performance Appraisal system 3.56 .59 1st HE

2 Duties rotation system 3.40 .63 2nd E

3 Controlled activities system 3.33 .66 3rd E

4 Performance management system 3.32 .53 3rd E

5 Penal system/sanctions for breach of official 3.32 .58 3rd E

rules and regulation

6 Duties segregation system 3.32 .56 4th E

7 Regulation of staff attendance 3.29 .62 5th E

8 Organization structure system 3.27 .64 6th E

9 Internal check system 3.26 .59 7th E

10 Staff evaluation system 3.22 .64 8th E

11 Internal control system 3.22 .54 89h E

12 Benchmarking system 3.19 .70 9th E

13 Supervisory control system 3.19 .64 10th E

14 Internal auditing system 3.17 .69 11th E

Cluster mean 3.29 .55 E

Key, HE=Highly Employed, E= Employed, R=Rank, D= Decision, SD= Standard Deviation

Results in table 1 shows the mean ratings and standard deviation of librarians on the performance
management pattern employed for effective service delivery in the federal university library.
Using the principle of real limit of numbers, the results showed that performance appraisal
system had the highest mean rating of 3.56 followed by duties rotation system with the mean
rating of 3.50;controlled activities system, performance management system and penal
system/sanctions for breach of official rules and regulation with the mean ratings of (3.33, 3.32,
3.32). These mean ratings are within the range of 2.56 -3.17 set as a criterion for employed. The
overall mean of 3.29 with a standard deviation of .55 showed that the librarians employ these
patterns of performance management in university libraries. Finally, the respondents indicated
that performance appraisal is mostly employed in federal university libraries in South East,
Nigeria (mean 3.56).

Research Question Two

What is the performance management application method for effective service delivery in federal
university libraries?

Table 2: Mean and Standard deviation of librarians on the performance management

application method for effective service delivery in your library
Item Mean SD R D

15 Periodic appraisal of librarians' job performance 3.66 .53 1st A

16 Periodic rotation of librarians from one section of the 3.58 .53 2nd A
library to another

17 Through clear and well-defined rules passed down to all 3.43 .57 3rd A
employees in the library

18 Reward for outstanding performance 3.50 .52 3rd A

19 Through a clear description of employees' job 3.36 .50 4th A

responsibilities

20 Through a good motivational scheme 3.35 .55 5th A

21 Through effective communication system 3.33 .51 6th A

22 Signing of staff attendance register 3.34 .52 7th A

23 Through close supervision of employees' activities 3.34 .53 8th A

24 Through a periodic rotation of duties 3.32 .53 8th A

25 Sanctions for breach of official rules and regulation 3.34 .60 8th A
 26 Through organizing staff training and development 3.29 .59 9th A
programs

27 Through a defined procedure for carrying out any 3.29 .57 9th A
library function

28 Reviewing the work done by staff hence controlling 3.27 .58 10th A
performance and imposing sanctions where necessary

Cluster mean 3.39 .55 A

Key, A=Accepted, R=Rank, D= Decision, SD= Standard Deviation

The data presented in Table 2 revealed that, the mean ratings of the responses of the respondents
on the fourteen (14) identified items of performance management application methods for
effective service delivery in the university library had mean values ranging from 3.66 to 3.27.
Using the criterion mean of 2.50, the result showed the mean rating of the respondents on
agreement that periodic appraisal of librarians' job performance, periodic rotation of librarians
from one section of the library to another, clear and well-defined rules passed down to all
employees in the library, reward for outstanding performance, clear description of employees'
job responsibilities etc. were essential performance management application methods to be used
to achieve effective service delivery in the library. The cluster mean has overall score of 3.36 and
standard deviation values of .55 which implied that the respondents were not far from one
another in their responses and that their responses were not far from the mean.
Research Question Three
To what extent does performance management contribute to effective services delivery in the
university libraries?

Table 3:Mean and Standard deviation of librarians on the extent to which performance
management contributes to effective services delivery in university library
Item Mean SD R D
29 Performance management helps librarians 3.60 .53 1st VGE
understand their job expectations
30 It helps the librarians to achieve accuracy 3.54 .57 2nd GE
and reliability of records
31 Performance management helps the 3.43 .52 3rd GE
librarians realize the objectives of the
library
32 It motivates librarians to utilize their best 3.41 .58 4th GE
skills

33 Performance management enhances the 3.39 .51 5th GE

behavior of librarians.
34 It facilitates librarians competency 3.35 .55 6th GE

35 It promotes the culture of honesty and 3.34 .50 7th GE

ethical behavior
36 It helps to prevent and detect fraud 3.30 .50 8th GE

37 It encourages adherence to prescribed 3.29 .50 9th GE

managerial policies
38 Performance management improves 3.22 .52 10th GE
employees' attitude to work
Cluster mean 3.39 .53 GE

Key, VGE=Very Great Extent, GE= Great Extent, R=Rank, D= Decision, SD= Standard
Deviation

Table 3 above shows the mean ratings of the respondents on the extent to which performance
management contributes to effective job performance in university libraries. Using the principle
of real limit of numbers, the results of the data analysis revealed that performance management
to a great extent contributes to effective service delivery in university libraries in the following
ways: it enables employees to understand their job expectations, it helps the employees to
achieve accuracy and reliability of records, it enables the employees realize the objectives of the
library, it inspires employees' to put in their best and enhances the behavior of employees.
Also, the overall mean showed that performance management enables employees to
understand their job expectations (mean=3.60) is ranked highest, while performance
management improves employees' attitude to work (mean=3.22) is ranked lowest as extent
performance management contributes to effective service deliver in university libraries.
The standard deviation values for the evaluated activities ranged from 0.58 to 0.50 which implied
that the respondents were not far from one another in their responses and that their responses
were not far from the mean.

Discussion, Recommendations and Conclusions

The discussion of findings was organized in line with the objectives of the study and the research
questions.

Discussion of Findings

Performance management patterns employed in government owned university libraries in

South East Nigeria

The research revealed that performance appraisal, duties rotation, controlled activities,
performance management, penal system/sanctions for breach of official rules and regulation,
duties segregation and Regulation of staff attendance are performance management patterns
employed in federal university libraries in South-East Nigeria. The finding is in line with Howell
(2017) who stated that no matter the type of library, some level of performance management
must be applied including performance evaluation; duties rotation; benchmarking; duties
segregation; internal audit; staff evaluation; controlled activities; supervisory control; internal
control; organizational structure; internal check; performance management and penal
system/sanction for breach of official rules and regulations and regulation of attendance register.
In consonant with the finding, Ifidon and Ifidon (2007) opines that performance appraisal is an
integral part of performance management in university libraries and most utilized approach in
encouraging performance effectiveness.
The performance management application methods for effective service delivery in the
university libraries

The result revealed performance management application methods for effective service
delivery in university libraries which include periodic appraisal of librarians' job performance,
periodic rotation of librarians from one section of the library to another, clear and well-defined
rules passed down to all employees in the library, reward for outstanding performance, clear
description of employees' job responsibilities, good motivational scheme etc. The finding is in
line with Maharaja (2018) who asserted that performance management is a method used to
facilitate job performance through a medium of clear and well defined rules passed down to the
librarians, periodic job appraisal, close supervision of librarians, sanctions for breach of official
rules and regulation, reward for outstanding performance, training and development
programme.

The extent to which performance management contributes to effective service delivery in the
university libraries

Result revealed the extent to which performance management contributes to effective job
performance in government owned university libraries. The findings showed that performance
management contributes to effective service delivery to a great extent by enabling employees to
understand their job expectations, helping employees achieve accuracy and reliability of records,
enabling the employees realise the objectives of the library, inspiring employees' to put in their
best and also enhances the behavior of employees. In line with the finding, Asogwa (2014)
opined that performance management connects individual employee objectives with the
organization’s mission and strategic plans and enable them achieve high performance rate.
Therefore, the employee has a clear concept on how he contributes to the achievement of the
overall business objective; focusing on setting clear performance objectives and expectations
through the use of results, actions and behaviors; defining clear development plans as part of
meeting job expectations. Also in agreement with the findings, Ben (2008) affirms that
management control system is an essential process by which all members of the organization
work as partners for achieving a better output and improved service delivery. He further states
that the primary contributions of management control system to the organization is to: enhance
performance at all levels; to establish clear links between organizational development, the
delivery of quality services and the development of employees at work; create a common bond
of ownership among all employees as well as an environment where all individuals are
developed, motivated and inspired to maintain a positive attitude to work and deliver a quality
expectation.

Recommendation

1. Federal governments should encourage performance management in university libraries

by providing enough funds capable of maintaining constant training and retraining of
librarians.
2. University Authority should see that librarians are provided with incentives to motivate
them to work with full commitment.

Conclusion
Performance management application method for effective service delivery in university
libraries, which is the focus of this study, is very essential in the attainment of university library
objectives. From the reviewed literature and result findings of this study, university libraries
engage in performance management and utilize approaches such as periodic appraisal of
librarians’ job performance, periodic rotation of librarians from one section of the library to
another, motivational scheme and reward for outstanding performance and many more
approaches. These approaches have been proved to have contributed to a great extent to effective
service delivery by helping librarians understand their job expectations, enabling them to achieve
accuracy and reliability of records, and also to realize the objectives of the library. The study of
performance management in university libraries becomes more compelling because of the
growing size in library services, complexity, expectations and new roles of librarians in this era
of information explosion. When university libraries combine a number of performance
management approaches, librarians will all be affected positively and their services will improve
significantly.
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