Personnel Management Practices and Employee Productivity in Nigerian Manufacturing Industries: An Industrial Sociology Perspective

Personnel management is the heart of industrial sociology. No industry can function without effective management of its human resources. This study examines the relationship between personnel management practices and employee productivity in manufacturing industries in South-East Nigeria. Industrial sociology views the factory not just as a place of production, but as a social system where human relations, welfare, motivation, and conflict determine output. Using a mixed-methods design, data was collected from 200 factory workers and managers in Owerri, Onitsha, and Aba. The study found that poor recruitment, lack of training, inadequate welfare, and autocratic leadership are the major factors responsible for low productivity, high turnover, and industrial strikes. Conversely, industries that practice participatory management, regular training, fair promotion, and good welfare have higher productivity. The paper is anchored on Elton Mayo's Human Relations Theory and Frederick Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory. It concludes that personnel management is not an administrative function alone, but a sociological function that determines the success or failure of industries in Nigeria.

Industrial Sociology, Personnel Management, Productivity, Employee Productivity, Human Relations, Manufacturing

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