SUPERVISORS’ RATING OF PEOPLE SKILLS POSSESSED BY OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (OTM) GRADUATE WORKERS FOR EFFECTIVE WORK PERFORMANCE IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The need to ensure that Office Technology and Management (OTM) students in Nigerian institutions are adequately equipped with requisite skills for effective work performance necessitated this study. The study ascertained supervisors’ rating of people skills possessed by graduates of the programme working in organizations in Anambra State. One research question guided the study and three null hypotheses were tested. The study employed descriptive survey research design. Population of 304 supervisors from public and private organizations in Anambra State was studied. Census survey sampling technique was used. A structured 5-point rating scale questionnaire containing nine items which was validated by experts was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach’s alpha method of internal consistency and it yielded reliability coefficient value of 0.75 indicating that the instrument is valid. The arithmetic mean was used to answer the research question while t-test and ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that OTM graduate workers in public and private organizations in Anambra State fairly possessed people skills. Type of Organization, gender and work experience had significant influence in the supervisors’ ratings. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the OTM graduates were not adequately equipped with requisite skills for effective work performance upon in the course of their training. It was, therefore, recommended among others thatOTM graduate workers in Anambra State should engage in self-development programmes to improve their people skills for effective work performance.

Keywords. Supervisor, people skills, OTM graduates, work performance.