ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN MEDIUM AND SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

It is impossible to overstate how important employees are to a small business' survival and how well they are managed. This is especially true because, smaller businesses depend more on the individual contributions of the employees to the overall success of the business. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are significantly more prevalent than large corporations worldwide and employ a greater proportion of the labor force. In many economic sectors, SMEs are credited with fostering competition and innovation. While SMEs in Nigeria produce more jobs than large companies do, they also face difficulties that call for the assistance of experts from a variety of fields, including human resources managers. Therefore, this study uses a basic literature review and desk research approach to investigate the potential role of human resource management in SMEs in Nigeria. The main issues with SMEs' prior to the COVID-19 pandemic are identified as being insufficient skills and training, as well as depression and high labor turnover during the pandemic in Nigeria. In order to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in Nigeria, efforts are made to encourage SMEs to implement human resource management philosophies. As a result of the fact that no organization, no matter how big or small, can function without people, the study comes to the conclusion that human resource management is crucial. The study therefore recommends, among other things, that in order for Nigeria to experience sustainable post-COVID-19 business growth, SMEs must immediately implement human resource management strategies.