Professional Assessment of Cooperative Human Resource Management Practices in South East Nigeria

Effective human resource management in cooperative societies determines the quality of member service delivery, operational efficiency, and organisational sustainability, yet cooperative HR practices in South East Nigeria have received little professional scrutiny. This study professionally assessed human resource management practices in cooperative societies across the South East geopolitical zone, focusing on Anambra, Imo, and Abia States. A professional assessment methodology combining a structured HR management audit questionnaire, document review, and key informant interviews was employed. The audit was conducted across thirty registered cooperative societies, covering HR dimensions of staff recruitment, job design, performance appraisal, staff development, and remuneration. Key informant interviews with cooperative managers and state cooperative officers supplemented the audit findings. Results showed that formal job descriptions existed in only 36.7 percent of cooperatives. Staff performance appraisal was conducted in 30.0 percent. Only 23.3 percent had provided any formal staff training in the preceding two years. Remuneration was benchmarked against market rates in fewer than 20 percent of cooperatives, contributing to high staff turnover in 56.7 percent of societies. Cooperatives with professional managers showed significantly better performance across all HR dimensions. The study concludes that HR management deficiency contributes to poor service delivery in South East Nigerian cooperatives and recommends a regional cooperative HR standards guide developed through the Southeast Cooperative Federation, with implementation supported by the National Cooperative College.

Keywords: human resource management, cooperative societies, South East Nigeria, HR practices, organisational capacity