Consolidation Of Tertiary Institutions Across The Globe: Implication For Human Resource Management Education
Christian ChibuzoOhagwa, Ph.D Department Of Human Resource Management, Institute Of Arts Management And Professional Studies (IAMPS), Owerri, Nigeria. Email: Chinel105@yahoo.com
Volume 3, Issue 1, August 2023
There has been a consolidation exercise of Tertiary Institutions across the globe. This article is focused on the attendant implications for human resource management education. The approach was to practically examine nations that consolidated their tertiary institutions and even nations that are yet to undertake the consolidation moves. The results are for reaching fir nations that pursued the policy of consolidation, there was a “skills gap” at the middle-level manpower requirements with regard to nations that maintained the status quo, they gave prominence to technological know-how in the understanding that technology, as well as intellectual manpower, are of equal relevance for development. However, there is an acute shortage of middle-level graduates with technical skills for human resource management education, while having too many thinkers and intellectual graduates. The recommendations include the need to consider consolidation policy with due caution and not adopt the policy across institutions. It should be looked at from cost-effectiveness and revenue indicators, based on national development aspirations. But overall, the polytechnics and universities should be allowed to co-exist. It was also recommended that polytechnics with requisite human and material resources can be upgraded to a degree-awarding status as autonomous institutions, not by merger. The article concludes that the consolidation of tertiary institutions as a solution to the “Binary Divide” is unfounded in light of its backlashing effect on nations that adopted the consolidation policy.