Workload and career advancement of librarians in academic libraries in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between workload and career advancement of librarians in academic libraries in Delta State, Nigeria. Correlational research design was adopted with a population of 187 librarians across tertiary institutions in the state. Due to the manageable size of the population, the entire population was used as sample. Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire, which consisted of two scales: Workload Scale (WLS) and Career Advancement Scale (CAS). The WLS was adapted from the Organisational Pressure Rating Scale developed by Peretomode (2012), while the CAS was adapted from the Career Growth Scale developed by Weng and Xi (2011). Out of 187 copies of questionnaire distributed, 132 were retrieved, resulting in a response rate of 71%. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation was employed to analyse the data using SPSS Version 26. The results indicated a very weak positive correlation (r = 0.122, p > 0.05) between workload and career advancement, suggesting that the relationship is negligible; that there was no significant relationship between workload and career advancement among the librarians in academic libraries in Delta State, Nigeria investigated. The study concluded that workload have slight relationship with career advancement of the librarians and that other factors, such as personal ambition, professional skills, and support systems, may play a more critical role in career advancement than workload. It was recommended that regular review and adjustment of workloads, provision of professional development opportunities, and merit-based promotion criteria should be ensured by management of the libraries and tertiary institutions.