COVID-19 PROTOCOLS AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NIGERIAN ORGANIZATIONS

This study examined the effect of Covid-19 Protocols on two key Human Resource Management Practices using the responses of some Nigerian professional managers as a unit of study. In the study, two dimensions of human resource management practices, employee training/development and performance appraisal, were used as measurements of lockdown of cities and restrictions of movement as an indicator of Covid-19. The exploratory research design was adopted for this study, and a well-crafted E-copy questionnaire based on a 5-point
Likert measurement scale was used to collect data. Two hundred and one respondents (201) completed the Google form survey representing 90% of the total sample size. Inferential statistical tools such as correlation and regression analysis were used in testing the stated research hypotheses at a significant level of 0.5. The findings of this study revealed the effect of COVID-19 Protocols on the selected dimensions of human resource management practices, especially the restriction of movement to the workplace, as it affects employee performance measurement, training, and development during the Covid-19 pandemic era. Findings from the study revealed that restriction of movement does have a significant effect on employees' performance measurement appraisal but does not significantly influence employees' training. This could be due to the provision of platforms for effective virtual training by the management of the selected organizations in Nigeria. The study further suggests that future research should be conducted in specific organizations in Nigeria using other dimensions of HRM Practices to acquiesce to the authors' stance in this study