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.