Administrator–Lecturer Relations and Lecturer–Lecturer Relations as Predictors of Lecturer Commitment in State-Owned Colleges of Education in the North-West Geopolitical Zone, Nigeria (Published)
The quality of interpersonal relations within the academic workplace between administrators and lecturers, and among lecturers themselves shapes whether institutions function as cohesive professional communities or fragmented collections of isolated practitioners. Both dimensions are theoretically linked to lecturer commitment but have not been empirically examined in state-owned Colleges of Education in Nigeria’s North-West zone. This study examined: (i) the nature of administrator–lecturer relations; (ii) the nature of lecturer–lecturer relations; (iii) the level of lecturer commitment to work; and the relationships between each personnel relations dimension and lecturer commitment in state-owned Colleges of Education in North-West Nigeria. A correlational survey design was employed with 302 lecturers from four institutions. The Personnel Relations Lecturers Questionnaire (PRLQ, reliability = 0.85) and Lecturers Commitment Questionnaire (LCQ, reliability = 0.84) were used. Mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were applied at alpha = 0.05. Administrator–lecturer relations were at a high level (mean = 2.89) with recognised administrator competence but deficiencies in communication (mean = 2.43) and cordial interaction (mean = 2.42). Lecturer–lecturer relations were at a high level (mean = 3.59) with strong academic collaboration and collegial solidarity. Lecturer commitment was at a high level (mean = 3.38). Both hypotheses were rejected: administrator–lecturer relations significantly predicted commitment (r = 0.114, p = 0.028) and lecturer–lecturer relations significantly predicted commitment (r = 0.128, p = 0.046). Both administrator–lecturer and peer relations are significant positive predictors of lecturer commitment. Institutional strategies must invest simultaneously in improving administrative communication quality and promoting structured academic collaboration among staff to sustain lecturer commitment.
Keywords: Colleges Of Education, North-West Nigeria, administrator–lecturer relations, lecturer commitment, lecturer–lecturer relations, level of commitment, peer relations, personnel relations