Influence of Management Practices and Research Infrastructure on Job Performance of Academic Staff in Some Universities in North East Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores the influence of management practices and research infrastructure on the job performance of academic staff in selected public universities in North East Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, sampling 706 academic staff across 16 universities using a validated questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, where mean scores ranged from 3.05 to 3.57 across items measuring management practices, research infrastructure, and their combined effect, indicating general agreement among respondents on their positive impact. Standard deviations ranged between 0.85 and 1.15, reflecting moderate consensus. Chi-square tests were conducted to assess the significance of relationships, yielding p-values of 0.032, 0.015, and 0.008 for management practices, research infrastructure, and their combined influence, respectively. These values are all below the 0.05 significance level, leading to the rejection of the null hypotheses and confirming significant positive relationships. The results demonstrate that transformational and participative management styles, together with access to modern research facilities and resources, significantly enhance academic staff performance in teaching, research, and overall job satisfaction. The combined effect of management and infrastructure showed the strongest influence, emphasizing the need for integrated institutional strategies. The study recommends leadership development, infrastructure upgrades, staff involvement in decision-making, and increased research funding as critical steps to improve academic outcomes. These findings provide important guidance for policymakers and university administrators committed to strengthening higher education quality in resource-limited contexts such as North East Nigeria.