Employee Relations Practice in the Aviation Industries in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The broad objective of this research work is to evaluate how employee relations practice in the Aviation industry can improve the marketing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria especially in Enugu State. Therefore, the objectives of the research are:-
To determine the effectiveness of public relations practice in the Aviation industry.
To evaluate the level of satisfaction derived by the customers of the industry as a result of the practice.
To determine the impact of patronage on the industry as a result of the practice.
To find out the marketing impact of public relations in the Aviation industry.
And to investigate the performance of the industry as a result of the practice employed in the industry.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Industrial relations have been defined broadly as dealing with everything that affects the relationship between workers and employers, Imafidon (1996). It involves anything which affects the employee from the time he joins the organisation until he leaves his job The whole idea of industrial relations emerged as a result of the inability of employers and employees to have a proper dialogue concerning the terms and conditions of services. Kochen (1986).and Fashoyin (1988) opined that industrial relations involves actors and institutions such as government and its agencies, trade unions with its workers and employers and its’ associations and the relationships between them. Issues like strikes, collective bargaining, joint consultation and how they relate to various government agencies are all within the purview of industrial relations. The main focus of labour relations in industry is seen as the one which emphasizes the development of peaceful relations, mutual respect for each other in an industrial organisation. Specifically, it focuses on how collective agreements are implemented and interpreted. One of the actors in industrial relations is the trade union which has played a prominent role in the promotion of industrial relations in West Africa State. Flanders (1965) in his conceptualization of industrial relations defines it as the study of the institutions of job regulation. His argument is based on the position that the only aspect of business enterprise that, directing concerns industrial relations is the employment, the relations between the enterprise and its employees and among the employees themselves (Ubeku 1983:5). According to this approach, in order to fully understand or identify these relationships among these afore mentioned elements in industrial relations, they must be placed in their legal setting. To Flanders (1965, cf: Ubeku 1985.5). “They are all either expressed in or arise out of controls of employment (or service) which represents in common speech-jobs. The study of industrial relations may therefore be described as the study, of the institutions of job regulations”. Another major statement of the oxford school of Allan is one which states as represented by Ubeku (1983) that “the rules of any industrial relations system are either procedural or substantive”. That is, the rules, which govern industries relations system, are determined by and large, by means of the rule-making process of collective bargaining. This has been described as a political institution involving a power relationship between employers and employees” (Ibid). The Oxford school also made a distinction between what it calls internal and external job regulations, and finally, the question of whether these rules can be changed automatically by labour (employees) and their organizations without the consent of an outside authority, i.e government or its agencies.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to appraise employee relation practice in aviation industries in Nigeria.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study employee relation practice in the aviation industries. 200 staff of FAAN was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain employee relations practice in the aviation industries in Nigeria.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of employee relations practice in aviation sector.
Summary
This study has attempted to present its own appreciation of the history and development of employee relations in Nigeria. It posits that the nature or structure of industrial relations in Nigeria today owe largely to its colonial history, having been ruled by Britain. The basis of industrial relation in Nigeria, as identified by this paper lies in the Anglo-Saxon Model, although it also drew inspirations from other systems of industrial relations, especially the Germanic (i.e co-determination system), Soviet, Australian and the American systems, all of which have created a hybrid of the Nigerian system of industrial relations. The study also highlighted the radical reforms of the military authorities and what now appears to be the permanent nature of interventionist policies of the Nigerian government in relation to industrial relations practice. Finally, the study examines the extant practice of industrial relations in Nigeria today and shows why it has failed as a result of governmental interference through highhanded policies and unpopular anti-labour law
Conclusion
This study has considered the issue of performance of the aviation workers with regards to their employee relations and contribution to the National GDP; compare the performance of aviation industry workers with those of the general labour force; ascertain the aviation industry’s contribution to the national GDP and did a forecast of the future throughput or demand in the aviation industry. Based on the aforementioned the following summary and finding could be made:
- The industry’s contribution to the GDP is very small.
- An average aviation worker contributes per head to the revenue of the industry than an average member of the labour force does to the national revenue or GDP.
- The number of employees engaged in the aviation industry is reducing but the industry is witnessing a boost in productivity of its workers.
- It was also discovered that (though not in the scope of this study) road transport industry contributes more than all the other modes of transport to the GDP.
The present results agreed with the study of Stephens (2009) that the industry will keep experiencing growth of throughput and increased contribution to GDP. Before now it has been a general belief that air transport contributes significantly to the GDP, however, this has been shown to be less than expected and even smaller than the contribution of the road transport industry.
Recommendations
It is recommended that Airports and airlines should share business strategies as the partnership is the key to the growth of both the airport and airline. The role government as the principal facilitator of infrastructure is to regulate the provision of air transport infrastructure with a view to ensuring the efficient operation of the aviation industry at the lowest social cost. Oni (2014) aptly noted that government as enabler and facilitator must creates the right environment and incentives for stakeholders to contribute to development and ensures that resources needed for construction and maintenance of transport infrastructures are available at the lowest possible cost or price through a more pluralistic and inclusive approach to transportation planning, in which all stakeholders functions as partner Aeronautical revenue can be maximized by marketing on behalf of or in conjunction with an airline to grow passenger numbers through the airport. Joint marketing plans and co-operative marketing can add value to the partnership with the airline by helping them sell seats and provide airlines with the confidence of working more closely with the airport. Giving the airport a more strategic role in the airline’s development for the airport and leading to more effective future passenger forecasting. Innovative strategies in communication and marketing approaches will help share the future recognition of airports as market leaders of creative thinking. Embracing change yet solidifying approaches to marketing that will be effective for the target market. Airports can learn from other industries and be prepared with aggressive strategies for the longer term growth, post the short term instability of the economic environment
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