Exploring the role of human capital management on organizational success : evidence from public universities

The demand for higher education in Nigeria has been considered as not only an investment in human capital, but also a pre-requisite for economic development. Consequent upon the expansion of higher education in Nigeria, quite a number of institutions have suffered decay due to poor work environments, inadequate educational facilities and poor funding which have resulted into unabated brain drain, strike and turnover. However, the need to develop talents is no longer hidden, what remains controversial is knowing the best method for managing human capacity especially in Nigerian State owned universities. Thus, this study examined the relationship between human capital management and organizational success using three State owned universities in Southwest, Nigeria. These universities (Ekiti State University (EKSU), Lagos State University (LASU), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED)) were chosen for their uniqueness. Survey research design was adopted with 398 respondents (staff). Self-administered questionnaire was adopted and analyzed with the adoption of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). However, the results indicated that adequate leadership practices; learning capacity; workforce optimization; knowledge accessibility; workplace culture and; mentorship are significant predictors of organizational success in higher education.