INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG PRINCIPALS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IMO STATE

Abstract

This research was carried out to determine principals’ information management
and human resource management practices in secondary schools in Imo State. It sought to
determine if there is a relationship between principals’ information management and their
orientation of new teachers, staff development, motivation and discipline of teachers. The study
drew heavily from the resource dependency theory, organizational information processing
theory and organizational information theory. It employed a correlational research design. Four
research questions guided the study. The four hypotheses developed for the study were tested
at a 0.05 level of significance. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used
to select 113 schools, which is 40 percent of the 279 schools in Imo State. Again, 40 per cent
of teachers in the 113 schools were selected using a stratified sampling technique. Data was
collected by means of a 68-item questionnaire consisting of two sections, one on information
management and the other on human resource management. The section on human resource
management was organized into four categories, namely staff orientation, staff development,
staff motivation, and staff discipline, in order to highlight essential human resource
management practices undertaken by secondary school principals. Only teachers were used as
respondents. The instrument's reliability was assessed using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient,
which yielded a reliability index, while the Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient was
employed for data analysis. The study observed a highly positive relationship between
principals’ information management and all four categories of human resource management
studied. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that schools should, among
other things, upgrade their information resources and facilities like libraries, databases and
internet connectivity.