ABSTRACT  

In recent times, the performance record of the employees of Nigerian public social welfare agencies has been a catalogue of disappointment and failure. This situation has, therefore, called for a drastic intervention through public perception to draw the attention of the employees to their responsibilities of providing services to the people in the most satisfactory manner and move the country forward in the attainment of the millennium development goals. This is the major premise of this study. In other words, the study sought to ascertain the dominant public perception or view of employees’ performance in  social  welfare  agencies  in  Enugu  State;  South  Eastern  Nigeria. Questionnaire and in-depth interview were used to collect information from respondents. The data so collected were analysed using percentages and chi-square  (x2)  statistical  analysis  to  explain  variables  and  test  the  hypotheses raised in the study. The study findings showed that employees performance in  public  social  welfare  agencies  in  Enugu  State  is  far  from  meeting  their traditional roles and lofty expectations demanded by the general public. To this  end,  members  of  the  public  see  the  employees  attached  to  our  social agencies as epitome of corruption, laziness and inexperience. This situation they  attribute  to  poor  remuneration  and  other  incentives  of  work,  lack  of proper education and training, improper or lack of adequate monitoring and supervision, amongst others. The  cumulative  effect  resulted  to some social upheavals such as poor quality counseling, lack of appropriate care  for the aged  and  orphans,  poor  services  for  the  handicapped  and  the  sick,  armed robbery,  drug  addiction,  broken  homes  amongst  others.  However, considering  the  findings  of  the  study  and  its  implications  to  the  Nigeria social policy, the search for a far reaching solutions should   span the realm of  giving  attractive  and  competitive  remunerations,  introducing  employees to development and training programme, adequate monitoring or supervision and  strict  adherence  to  merit  during  recruitment  exercise.  All  these  will enable  the  public  social  welfare  agencies  in  the  state  to  play  their  leading role in socio-economic transformation and human development. 

     vi TABLE OF CONTENTS  Title Page  …  ….  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  i Certification …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  ii Dedication …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  iii Acknowledgment  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  iv Abstract …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  v Table of Contents  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  vi List of Tables …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  viii  CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION  …  …  …  …  1 1.1   Background Of The Study…  …  …  …  …  …  1 1.2     Statement Of The Problem…  …  …  …  …  …  3 1.3      Research Questions …  …  …  …  …  …  …  6 1.4   Objectives of the Study …  …  …  …  …  …  7 1.5   Significance of the Study …  …  …  …  …  …  8   1.6   Definition Of Concepts   …  …  …  …  …  …  8  CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW  …  …  …  11 2.1  The Concept of Social Welfare  …  …  …  …  …  11 2.2     Development Of Modern Social Welfare In Nigeria…  …  13 2.3  Perception and the Reality of Employees’ Performance.  …  17 2.4  Dominant Public Perception of Employees’ Performance  in Social Welfare Agencies…  …  …  …  …  …  18 2.5.  The Perceived Problems of Employees of Public  Social Welfare Agencies….  …  …  …  …  …  22 2.6  Review of Empirical Literature  …  …  …  …  …  26 2.7  Review of Relevant Theories …  …  …  …  …  30 2.8   Theoretical Framework … …  …  …  …  …  …  39 2.9  Study Hypotheses    …  …  …  …  …  …  41 

     vii CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY …  …  …  …  42 3.1  Research Design  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  42 3.2  Study Area  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  42 3.3  Scope of the Study   …  …  …  …  …  …  43 3.4  Study Population   …  …  …  …  …  …  …  44 3.5  Sample Size …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  44 3.6  Sampling Technique   …  …  …  …  …  …  45 3.6  Instruments for data Collection  …  …  …  …  …  46 3.8  Methods of Data Analysis   …  …  …  …  …  47  CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION     OF RESULTS  …  …  …  …  …  48 4.1  Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents…  …  48 4.2  Major Issues of the Research  …  …  …  …  …  55 4.3  Test of Hypotheses   …  …  …  …  …  …  68  CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF  FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY….  …  72 5.1  Discussion of Findings  …  …  …  …  …  …  72 5.2  Conclusion…  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  75 5.3  Limitations of the study…  …  …  …  …  …  76 5.4  Implications of the study to social policy…  …  …  …  77 5.5  Recommendations …  …  …  …  …  …  …  78 5.6  Suggested areas for further research… …  …  …  …  80  REFERENCES  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  81 Appendix I  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  88 Appendix II …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  89 Appendix III  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  95  

     viii LIST OF TABLES  i.  Distribution of Respondents by Sex   …  …  …  …  48 ii.  Distribution of Respondents by Age  …  …  …  …  49 iii.  Distribution of Respondents by Age  …  …  …  …  50 iv.  Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status …  …  …  50 v.  Distribution of Respondents by level of Education  …  …  51 vi.  Distribution of Respondents by level of Education  …  …  52 vii.  Distribution of Respondents by Number of years residence  in Enugu State.  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  52 viii.  Distribution of Respondents by  Religious Affiliation …  …  53 ix.  Distribution of Respondents by Income   …  …  …  54 x.  Distribution of Respondents by Awareness of the  existence of social welfare agencies in the state.  …  …  55 xi.  Distribution of Respondents by Reception of social  welfare services or otherwise.  …  …  …  …  …  56 xii.  Distribution of Respondents by Nature of services received   57 xiii.  Distribution of Respondents by their dominant perception  of social welfare agency employees.  …  …  …  …  58 xiv.  Distribution of Respondents by perception of  problems militating against employees’ performance….  …  60 xv.  Distribution of Respondents by opinion on the  consequences of poor employees’ performance.  …  …  61 xvi.  Cross tabulation of the Respondents view on the  influence of education on public perception of  employees’ performance. …  …  …  …  …  …  63 xvii.  Cross tabulation of the Respondents’ view on the influence  of income on perception of employees performance  …  64 xviii.  Respondents view on the influence of experience on  perception of employees’ performance  …  …  …  65  

     ix xix.  Respondents view on ways to improve employees’  performance in public social welfare agencies.  …  …  66 xx.  Respondents opinion on the future prospects of  employees performance.  …  …  …  …  …  …  67 xxi.  Relating respondents’ Educational levels with their  perception of employees performance.   …  …  …  69 xxii.  Relating respondents’ reception of services with their  perception of employees performance.  …  …  …  …  70 xxiii:  Relating Respondents Age with their Perception of  Employees’ Performance   …  …  …  …  …  71