CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The problem of management in effectiveness and bad attitude

to work among Nigerians is widespread in government owned

companies. There has been growing concern among

Nigerians on the poor organisational performance and

managerial ineffectiveness recorded in these organisations.

This concern perhaps is a result of the size of economic and

social influence of these government institutions on Nigerian

development. (Akpala 1990:193).

Inspite of the huge capital investments in these companies

the results have been extremely poor. As a result of

government as trustees for the ultimate owners of public

enterprises have appointed tribunals commissions and panels

to find ways and means to improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of the enterprises (CMD 1985:5).

At the managerial and operative performance levels the

problem is also a general one. In an attempt to explain and

subsequentlyliniment government owned companies two

schools of thought emerge. One is of the opinion that the

problem is from ill implication of the known theories and

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principles of management in government owned companies.

The other holds that the problem stems from not applying

management philosophy that is based on Nigerian culture.

This takes us to the meaning of management. Management

can be defined as the art or science of working in an

organisation through being directed by and by directing and

co-ordinating the activities of people to achieve one’s personal

goals in the context of the goals of one’s organisation

(Ejiofor1985:3).

Management involves the performance of all the management

functions which include planning organizing staffing

directing controlling and co-ordinating of activities to attain

optimum result with organisation resources. Management is

concerned with the achievement of objectives performances

result success efficiency and effectiveness.

The survival of any company in realizing its objectives depend

among other things in proper management of its human and

material resources.

No company or organisation can have its activities moving on

without a manager. Managers and company goes hand in

hand. The need for managers arises because companies

exist. One cannot exist without the other.

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Managers have to perform many roles in an organisation and

how they handle various situations will depend on their style of

management. A management style is an overall method of

leadership used by a manager.

There are two sharply contrasting styles that will be broken

down into smaller subsets later.

(i) Autocratic

(ii) Permissive

Each style has its own characteristics

Autocratic:leaders make all decisions unilaterally.

Permissive: leader permits subordinate to take part in decision

making and also gives them a considerable degree of autonomy

in completing routine work activities combining those categories

with democratic (subordinates are allowed to participate in

decision making) and directive (subordinates are told exactly how

to do their jobs) styles gives us four distinctive ways to manage

(IEBM 1998:201).

Directive democrat: makes decisions participatively i.e. closely

supervises subordinates.

Directive autocratic: makes decisions unilaterally; closely

supervises subordinates.

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Permissive democrat: makes decisions participatively gives

subordinates latitude in carrying out their work.

Permissive autocrat: makes decisions unilaterally gives

subordinates latitude in carrying out their work.

Managers must also adjust their styles according to the situation that

they are presented with. Below are four quadrats of situational

leadership that depend on the amount of support and guidance

needed.

Telling: work best when employees are neither willing nor able to do

the job (high need of support and high need of guidance).

Delegating: works best when the employers are willing to do the job

and know how to get about it (low need of guidance and low need of

support).

Participating: works best when employers have the ability to do the

job but need high amount of support (low need of guidance but high

need of support).

Selling: works best when employees are willing to do the job but

don’t know how to do it (low need of support but high need of

guidance).

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The different styles depend on the situation and the relationship

behaviour (amount of support required and task behaviour

(amount of guidance required).

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The effect of management style on the efficiency of government

owned companies cannot be discussed without looking into the

problems militating against these management styles. These

upsetting difficulties and problems are:

a) Poor attitude to work/poor performance

b) No proper accountability

c) Inefficiency

d) Wrong management style

e) Poor quality service (Norber M. Ile)

These problems have attracted incessant criticisms from people.

Some managers lack good management capabilities.

It is all these that made the researcher to endeavour to determine

the impact of the management style on the efficiency of government

owned companies.

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1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is as follows:

1. To find out the impact of the management style on the

efficiency of some government owned companies.

2. To find out the management style adopted by these

companies.

3. To find out why there is poor attitude to work in these

companies.

4. To find out why there is poor performance and improper

accountability in these companies.

5. To ascertain the causes of manager’s inefficiency and

instability.

6. To make recommendations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the impact of management style on the efficiency of

government owned companies?

2. What management style is adopted in Enugu State Water

Corporation and Enugu State Star Printing and Publishing

Company Limited?

3. Why is there poor attitude to work in these companies?

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4. Why is there poor performance and improper accountability

in these companies?

5. What are the causes of manager’s inefficiency?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The important roles of government owned companies in our

environment cannot be overlooked. This is because of the part

they play in solving our social political and economic

problems. The study will be of immense help to managers to

understand the impact of the management style in their

companies and the type to adopt for companyefficiency and

growth.

The study will be beneficial to the student who may find

themselves as managers in government owned companies

after graduation. This researcher will definitely benefit from the

study as the project is a condition for graduation. The study

will also be beneficial to the university in the sense that it will

increase their data base.

Finally the study will be beneficial to any person who will

further on this research work.

1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

In a research project like this it is always difficult to complete

the work without going through a number of factors which

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constitute impediments. Some respondents to the questions

were not on seat in most cases to give the required

information. Some of the respondents were reluctant to air

their views.

The unwillingness by some managers to release some vital

information regarding the management and operations of the

companies is one of the factors that did not allow the

researcher gain access to vital and sufficient information. The

time to move from one library to the other from one cybercafé

to the other and the time to type and distribute the

questionnaires was another impediment. Finance was another

constraint. A lot of money was needed for transport typing etc.

The researcher was a nursing mother during this period.

Despite all these the researcher did her best.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

To extend the impact of management style on the efficiency of

all the government owned companies in Enugu State will be

too much for the requirement of the work. The researcher will

limit the scope to some selected government owned

companies in Enugu State. It involves a survey of selected

managers with the companies.

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REFERENCES

Ackoff Russel (1963). Managers Guide to Operations Research

Chicago; Rank McNally Publishers.

Akpala A. (1990). Economic and Social Influence of Government

Institutions in Nigeria Development. Lagos: Guardian

Publishers.

C.M.D (1985). Mean of Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of

Nigeria Enterprise. Lagos: Heinemann Publishers.

Ejiofor P. (1985). The Integrity Factor in The Management of

National Development. Onitsha: African FEP Publishers.

I.E.B.M. (1998). Management Thinking. New York: John Wiley and

Sons Inc.

Koontz et al (1980). Management International Student Edition.

Tokyo: McGraw-Hill Inc

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