THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ON THE EFFICIENCY OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON: CASE OF LITTORAL DELEGATION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the efficiency of Human Resource Management in the Ministry of Secondary Education in Cameroon. It specifically seeks to investigate how the use of ICT affects the following human resource management practices; Human resource planning, training and development, selection and recruitment, census, human resource evaluation and compensation. An exploratory research design was employed in the study. A random sample of 100 management and junior staffs working under the Littoral Delegation of Secondary Education responded to a structured questionnaire. Percentages were used to establish the responses of the respondents over the use of ICT tools in HRM in their Delegation and Ministry. The results show a recent significant positive relationship between the use of ICT in selection, recruitment, placement, census and compensation of workers of this delegation but not on training and development, Human resource planning, evaluation and general efficiency of human resource management. It is recommended that regular Information and Communication Technology training and development programmes be enhanced in the Ministry of Secondary Education through short courses, symposia and seminars so as to ensure proper interactions between Human Resource Management in the Ministry of Secondary Education and its different delegations which will lead to the efficiency of the Ministry in discharging its HR functions. The Ministry of Secondary Education should also impose the study of ICT in all programmes of Higher Teachers’ Training Colleges so as to equip the personnel of its Ministry with knowledge that can ensure the effective and efficient HRM functioning through the use of the ICT tools. Junior as well as Management staffs of this ministry already working should make an endeavor to study the use of ICT tools so as to equally improve on their knowledge and skills of executing HR functions.