Evolving Human Resource Management Practices and Employee Performance of Selected Pharmaceutical Companies in Nigeria

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Introduction
It is often difficult to determine realistic parameters for measuring employee performance (EPF) as it has been a topical issue among organizations, academia, firms and individuals. Although the relevance placed on performance was formerly exclusively seen as a priority for the commercial sector, this perception has significantly changed over the past twenty years, where both the public and private participants in the economy shared identity view of performance (Tursunbayeva, 2019).
The quest to optimize performance remains a cardinal goal of every organization due to the belief that it translates into better profits and satisfied customers for the profit-making organizations which are either product or service oriented (Sharma & Dhar, 2015). To fulfill their mission, nonprofit organizations also work to improve EPF. The importance of EPM and the new strategic duty of the human resources department have changed the way people are viewed in many organizations. Due to cost and nature of human capital development, in the traditional approach, little attention was paid to it. However, this viewpoint has been altered due to scholars and practitioners realizing its significance in helping firms acquire a competitive edge (Giner, et al., 2014). In age of globalization and value chain, it has become evident that sustaining safe haven work climate to harness the gains of diversity is a critical determinant of organizational success.
Evolving Human Resource Management (EHRM) practices emphasize developing employees through skill-based training (SBT), Human Resource technology, and human resourcing to achieve organizational effectiveness. Organisational employees are the foundation of any firm, making human resources an essential asset for organizational success and performance in today's corporate world. HR represents people who offer their talents, creativity, skills, knowledge and other capabilities to organizations. It is acknowledged as the `most valuable, important, rare resource, and productive resource that gives a firm the most and longest-lasting advantages (Bacon, 2001).
Due to liberalization and globalization, which have increased the demand for excellence, companies are now confronted with intense struggle for survival and success. To be relevant in a globalized world, HR practitioners should de-emphasize the traditional HRM. Evolving Human Resource (EHRM) best practices such as E-recruitment and selection, skill-based training (SBT) and development, fair compensation (FCP) and employee security should be the hallmark to smooth operations, workforce integration and sustained harmony. To achieve HR best practices, companies must have a solid HRM team and department. The five key characteristics of a firm or company with high EPF are: compelling leadership and direction, accountability, a competent workforce, front-line execution, and a high work performance culture. A high performance culture comes only through innovative human resource management (IHRM) conceptualized as, the intentional introduction and use of any unused concept, practice, process, or system is designed to influence or adapt the conduct of employees towards achieving improved organizational performance, recognized and implemented by human resource practitioners (Kianto, Saenz &Aramburu, 2017). It is likely that performance will be improved in these three conditions; when employees possess knowledge and skills lacked by managers, when employees are motivated to apply this skill and knowledge through discretionary efforts, and when firm businesses or production strategy can only be achieved when employees contribute such discretionary effects (Eromafuru & Ewurum, 2009).
The healthcare sector in Nigeria is faced with constant changes and uncertainty exacerbated by globalization and liberalization. Organizations need to adopt best modern human resource practices like employee job security, an efficient hiring process, a work environment that promotes team building and self-management, an innovative culture that promotes fairness enterprise, and effective communication so as to create an environment that fosters a positive union between employers and their subordinates. Companies with motivated, creative, and dedicated staff may overcome any competitive hurdles just as Kianto, Saenz &Aramburu (2017) has averred that the era of cutthroat competition and unplanned management of the human resource is no longer feasible. Companies that excel in implementing EHRM practices have found ways to engage employees' outstanding performances for a long time through employee shared plans, developing and communicating effective career paths, and establishing a reputation for long term employee retention (Fayad & Easa, 2020).
In the views of Samma, Madeeha, Amna, Mabbasher and Talat (2019) Modern IHRM practices have provided many insights for strategic management and led to developments in the economics of organizations, firm competitiveness, and the working dynamics of employees. The Nigerian pharmaceutical firms in are innovating their methods of conducting business in regard to tasks and responsibilities to make it more inspiring, encouraging, motivating, and competitive for employees in a globalized economy.

Evolving Human Resource Management
HRM has evolved over years from the very conventional mode to more innovative and structural and institutional refinement. In the literature of organisational change, innovation is a particular type of change. Change refers to any alteration in structure, process, inputs or outputs of an organisation. Innovation refers to changes that are novel to the adopting organisation. Thus innovation is change, however not all change is innovative (Barney, 2015). Usage of innovation has also differed in respect of whether 'objective newness' is considered an important criterion of innovation In the recent past, the HR function has gained tremendous significance due largely to a pool of research associating creative approaches to HRM with assorted organizational performance indicators and theoretical advancements (Barney, 2015). As noted by Boxall, (2015) and Hameed & Anwar (2018), evolving HRM activities and their influence in the entire organization encompass the compensation and selection process.

Skill-Based Employee Training
Salah (2016) explained SBT as the steps towards the acquisition of necessary skills for specific jobs or knowledge in specific areas to support a certain occupation or task. Therefore, training needs are triggered by job or organizational demands. In similar vein, Otoo et al. (2018) describe training as a step by step technique of changing the behavior of the trainee with organizational goals in mind. Singh and Mohanty (2012) define training as initiatives to improve employee's skills, knowledge and competencies which affect the employees, their productivity and overall well-being of the organization. Training is thought to have an enormous impact on the efficiency of an organization as it prepares employees with the right combination of skills, information and competencies to enable them discharge their responsibilities and duties. Training can bring about positive work attitudes on employees when perceived by the employees as geared towards addressing their developmental needs. Training is, therefore, not a benefit to only the employees but also the organization as it forms an investment that has immense returns both in the short term and long term (Salah, 2016). Organizations have adopted various training practices to fit the needs a particular set of employees. These include Induction training -which targets newly employed persons; mentorship or coaching to help employees fit-in their assigned tasks or for future job role; improve on a technical aspect of their job (for instance, when responding to a new technological development in their job), improve skills or prepare for future job roles, among others.

Selective Hiring
The human resource unit of the organisation is saddled with the function of hiring which involves reviewing the applications, selection of the right candidates for interview, testing the applicants, performing the pre-employment tests and choosing the most qualified candidate for vacant position (Wayne & Martocchio, 2016). Hiring the right person, being the main determinant of a successful organization, comprises activities such as job design, job analysis, and description of the job and creation of awareness (Otoo et al., 2018). The companies that have effective hiring program sustain good reputation and financial stability just as Grabara et al. (2016) has elucidated critical phases of the hiring process that include: attracting large pool of qualified individuals and selecting the most qualified persons to be recruited. Consequently, an effective hiring process is defined by the organization's capacity to draw in a broad pool of competent candidates and handling the selection process efficiently without bias and prejudice.

Alternative Work Arrangement
Generally speaking, alternative working arrangements (AWA) refers to a practice in which employees have some control about when and where they work as long as they meet all of their commitments (Grzywacz, Carlson, & Shulkin, 2008). AWA would involves organizational activities that increase employees' flexibility about the time and location of required work as well as numerous rules exerting influence on the number of hours worked (Eromafuru, 2018). Emerging changes in the economy, technology, society, and family have prompted the adoption of flexible working arrangements.
Flextime, absence autonomy, shortened work weeks, a smaller schedule, more vacation days, and a reduced meeting calendar, are different flexible work plans of AWA. Employees in any organization need to balance time for personal lives experience with the responsibilities and demands of jobs to bolster performance. Flexible work plans make for effective and efficient deployment of human and material resources as they provide better means to allocate employees and their time depending on the nature of work that has to be done (Berkery, Morley, Tiernan, Purtill, & Parry, 2017).

Fair Compensation
Compensation includes all financial payments, bonuses and non-financial benefits, the organization provides to employees to attract qualified human resources and to maintain what is available in the organization. Compensation is a key factor that drives employees' motivation, towards growth, development, sustainment of learning, productivity stimulation and performance (Eromafuru, 2018;Chashmi & Fadaee, 2016)). Various types of compensation, including performance-compensation, profit-related compensation and employee share-ownership, are identified as strategic tools for shaping positive employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment (Moriones et al., 2009). Compensation plans give employees crucial incentives to exert more discretionary effort, which encourages better levels of success and meaningful work-related goals. Evidence have buttressed that the success of any organisation would essentially depend on maintaining satisfied and productive individuals who are willing to unleash their creative dividends to ambitiously execute tasks or goals for mutual benefits of the group. The major worldwide trends in compensation systems has increased the enhancement of the pay for abilities, skills and performance of employees, transfer of living wage allowances into basic pay, the split of bonuses formerly paid semi-annually into more flexible modules, the linking of benefits to employee and the conversion of pension into contributory pension plans (Moriones et al., 2009).

Performance Appraisal
The way and manner with employees carry out their assigned activities and responsibilities are discussed and reviewed during a performance appraisal (PFA). It is on the basis of the outcomes and what the employees achieve while performing their tasks, not on the personality traits of the employee. An essential component of HRM is PFA: the continuous process of assessing behavior and performance improvement of employees against established and objective standards. Performance evaluation increases employee's capacity to achieve organizational goals and make it necessary for employees to understand what is expected of them and the indicators by which their productivity will be assessed (Zayum, Aule & Hangeior, 2017). development, promotion, demotion, or job upgrade through the process of performance appraisal (Stonner, Freeman & Gilbert, 2005). PFA helps organizations to measure actual job outcomes against performance standard to determine possible areas of lapses with a view to effect remedial actions to improve performance. A good appraisal measure is critical to the management of the workforce and a pre-requisite for organisational effectiveness. A planned assessment system will ensure that those who contribute more are fairly compensated, and it will ensure that the proper individuals will be promoted to positions with greater responsibility (Stonner, et al., 2005).

Autonomy Work Plan
Individual member of organized group must focus on same mission and goals just as members of team members must coordinate their actions, attention, and efforts towards the achievement of collective goals. Self-managed teams may exert a great impact on the success of an organization by being able to put in above average performance (Acosta-Prado et al., 2020). With additional businesses and clients, the decision-making responsibility of the company becomes more decentralized, and managers in the middle-management teams start to take on more responsibility for determining the company's course. Additionally, there are claims that allowing employees to participate in decision making could result in increased productivity, employee accountability and improved engagement (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020). When creating an effective organization, decentralizing decision-making and giving self-managed teams more autonomy are crucial steps. According to Carleton& Kelly (2019) research, employee autonomy has a favorable impact on productivity. The theory of AMO can be traced to Bailey (1993) who first conceptualized it. Found on three building blocks of rare ability, motivation and opportunity, Bailey stressed the important entrenching a work culture that stimulate discretionary behaviors and employees assertive actions. Embedded in the theory are set of related HR Practices in their tie-in to performance at the work place. Ujma & Ingram (2019) construed the three components as those that can develop employee's minds and character. This theory of AMO has gain widespread acceptance HRM literature. This even more-so as significant proportion of studies have been devoted to understanding and changing behaviors as they border on employees performance outcomes.
However, the theory has been subjected to intense criticisms by authors who considered Ability-Motivation-Opportunity influence on performance as both a complex phenomenon and administratively cumbersome (Ehrnrooth & Bjoorkman, 2012). It was also in the opinion of scholars that AMO has not passed the test of perfect match for all situations, arguing that HRM Practices could also be influenced by other factors such as beliefs, individual perceptions, and prevailing circumstances (Guest, 2011). The theory thus supports this study as it argues that some specific basket of HRM Practices have potential to enhance ability, drive motivation and opportunity toward performance.

Technology -Organization -Environment Theory (TOE)
The TOE theory was propounded by Thornatzky and Fischer in 1990 to test the framework that links IHRM practices and effectiveness of an organization. The theory identifies the features of technology, organizational ijbm.ccsenet.org International Journal of Business and Management Vol. 18, No. 1; readiness of the firm, and the environmental conditions as key drivers of innovation. Researchers posit that the TOE theory supports overall organization's competence, proficiency, working efficiencies, and practices (Awa et al., 2015;Poorkavoos et al., 2016). Consequently, companies that adopt modern innovative HRM practices must be glued to the hips with the management, strategy, operational teams and must work in tandem with these groups to execute the corporate strategy and vision. This means understanding ultramodern technologies and up-to-date practices that can deliver better results for employees and employers.
In separate studies, Zahid (2022), Ramkrishna (2022) and Nardo, Polinar, Delantar & Buntiago (2022) examined the connection between effectiveness of employees training and their performance in India, Nepal and Cebu respectively. Data analysis was carried out with the SPSS statistical tool. Findings from these studies revealed that respondents considered all training and development to be very effective in improving of employees' performance. In the related vein, Ugwu & Hubs (2022) Questionnaires were administered to employees of the Banking sector with findings confirming significant statistical relationship. Mworia, Wachira, and Mwaura (2021) looked at linkage of autonomy work and EPM. Study utilized mixed techniques for analysis of data. Using stratified selection, 140 employees were selected as a sample. For this study, interviews and a self-administered questionnaire were employed. With the use of SPSS, descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used. The study found that high job autonomy leads to high employees' performance.
The amount of discretion in task choice to Nigerian workers in the banking business to reach a specific level of work engagement was explored by Adeniji, Adeniji, and Imhonopi in 2021. The research employed a hybrid approach to investigation. The study was a quantitative study through survey questionnaires which were mailed to respondents. Using structural equation modeling (PLS), data were examined where it was found that emotional intelligence and cognitive involvement were found to be more conducive to job autonomy than physical engagement. Bhatti (2020) investigated how training influences job satisfaction via employees' performance. Data were collected from 219 employees of Pakistani civil society. Results fully supported the proposed serial multiple-mediation model.
An experiment in neuroscience was done by Johannsen and Zak (2020) to examine the processes by which increased autonomy influence individual and team performance. For both the treatment and control groups, productivity was correlated with the physiological effort put into the activity. Findings have foreclosed that more perceived autonomy can greatly boost individual and group production and that this can positively affect overall performance. Khan (2019) researched on decentralization practices and employees' performance. Data were analyzed using SEM. The findings show a negative relationship between task decentralization and EPF. Anekwe (2019) investigated relationship between flexi-work time and EPF. Data was collected by use of structured questionnaire and analyzed by use of descriptive statistics while Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to test the hypotheses. The result revealed significant association. Moraa and Datche (2019) studied the impact of performance evaluation on the performance of employees; data was obtained through structured questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS version 23. Results affirmed positive relationship between performance review and employee performance. Kagotho (2018) examined the connection between performance management and performance of employees in the healthcare center in Kenya. A descriptive research design was utilized. Questionnaire was employed for data collection. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics. The results show that performance reviews and feedback are crucial because they give firms useful chance to assess how each employee performs in comparison to previously defined standards and expectations.

Research Design
The research design for the study was survey-based. This is the process of gathering data from a sample of people using their answers to questionnaires (Ponto, 2015). The choice of this design is premised on the assertion that it aids in obtaining information characterizing traits of a large sample of relevant people rather rapidly.

Population of the Study
This study's population comprises of eight (8)

Sampling Technique and Size
The study sample comprises of a portion of the whole population that will be investigated. The population of this study is made up of eight (8) Pharmaceutical Companies, resulting to a total population of 3213. To arrive at the sample of the study, the Taro-Yamane (1967) sample size determination formula will be used to calculate the actual sample size of the study as follows: n = N 1 + ( ) Where n = sample size; N = population size; 1 = constant; e = error limit margin of error of level of significant (accepted error at 5% i.e. 0.05). n = 3213 1 + 3213(0.05 ) = 357 Using Taro-Yamane sample size determination, the study sample is 357.

Computation of Sample Size Distribution According to Selected Companies
Using the Bowley (1926) proportionate allocation formula a total of 'n' sample has to be studied for impact evaluation, which has been decided through a standard technique which is the Taro Yamane (1967)

Instrument of Data Collection
The questionnaire is the main tool used to gather data. Questionnaire was designed in Linkert scale format.

Model Specification
For this study, the empirical models were adapted from the works of Igweh, et al, (2020); Alin, et al, (2021); Santulli, et al, (2020). In view of this, the empirical models expressing the relationship between IHRM practices and Employees performance are shown as follows: In light of the above, the model that guided the test of hypotheses in the study is stated below: Model: EMP = α β 1 SBT + β 2 SHP + β 3 AWA + β 4 FCP + β 5 PFA + β 6 AWP +Ui  Source. Computation, 2022 (using Stata version 13.0). Table 2 showed all constructs having a maximum value of 5, indicating that the respondents were strongly affirmative in the questions asked; minimum of 1 was obtained for all the constructs. On the average the respondent chooses 4 (agree).  Notes. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Normality Test
Source. Computation (using Stata version 13.0). Table 4 reveals that there is positive correlation analysis involving the various EHRM Practices and EPF of Pharmaceutical Companies in Nigeria.

Test of Hypotheses
The OLS multiple regression analysis was employed as an analytical tool for testing the hypothesis. The result in Table 6 above for the test for heteroskedasticity, shows that the variation between the dependent and independent variables are homoskedastic, in that there is no heteroskedasticity problem (3.91(0.1091)). The implication is that the model is free from presence of unequal variance strengthening the case for regression analysis as reliable test statistic.  Table 9 shows the test for variance inflation factor test (VIF); the mean VIF value reported is 1.53, which is less than the benchmark value of 10 thus pointing to the absence of multicolinearity. The regression result output in table shows that SHP has a significant positive effect on employees' performance in the Nigerian Healthcare Sector given by: β = .128; p = 0.000< 0.05). The null hypothesis is rejected and alternate accepted.

Post Regression Test (Heteroskedasticity)
H0 3 : Alternative work arrangement has no significant statistical impact on employees' performance.
The regression result output in table reveals that AWA has a significant positive effect on EPF. Regression result is obtained at β = .174; p = 0.000< 0.05) leading to rejection of the null hypothesis and acceptance of the alternate.
H0 4 : Fair compensation has no significant linkage with employees' performance.
The regression result output in table depicts that FCP has significant positive effect on employees' performance of Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. Regression result is obtained as: β = .243; p = 0.000< 0.05) translating to rejection of the null hypothesis and acceptance of the alternate that affirms relationship.
H0 5 : Performance appraisal does not significantly correlate with performance of employees in the pharmaceutical firms.
The output of OLS in table 10 shows that PFA significantly influence EPF of Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria, with the regression result: (β = .120; p = 0.008< 0.05). We reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternate that affirms the association.
H0 6 : Autonomous work plan has no significant relationship with employees' performance.
The regression result in table 10 shows that AWP has significant positive relationship with employees' performance of Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria judging by the regression output: (β = .265; p = 0.000< 0.05).
As indicated in Table 10 above, Adj. R-Squared of the models is 0.7061 implying that 70.61% change in employees' performance is accounted for by the joint predictive power of dimensions of evolving human resource management practices.

Discussions
Result has buttressed significant positive relationship between SBT and EPF of Pharmaceutical companies in the South-South geo-political zones. Evidence concurs with the findings of Anwar et.al (2021) ;Nawal et.al.(2021); Mulolli and Boskovska (2020); Mandara (2019); and Kumar et.al (2017). Regression result has also shown that AWA has a significant positive effect on EPF of Pharmaceutical companies just as Eromafuru (2018); Nawalet.al.
(2021), Kassaw and Golga (2019); Duru and Shimawua (2017) have independently found in their studies. The result of significant association between selective hiring EPF of selected Pharmaceutical firms has correlated bearing with the findings by Anwar et.al (2021); Kassaw and Golga (2019). Employees who are recruited based on their skill proficiency, are more flexibly disposed to productive work. The regression result that Fair compensation positively affects EPF of the Pharmaceutical companies, agrees with prior findings as above. Implicated in the finding is that employees are moved to put in more than suboptimal performance if they perceive their remunerations package commensurate with their input. Regression result has further buttressed significant association between Performance appraisal and performance of employees in the Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. This is in consonant with the findings of Anwar et.al. (2021), Nawal et. al., (2021), that Performance appraisal positively affects employees' performance. Taking regular assessments of an employee's performance on the job can lead to identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses and possible ways to fully harness the former in order to increase the employee's output. More so, effective performance appraisal causes improved employee performance when it is perceived positively by the appraised subjects (Lin & Kellough, 2018, Youssif, Mohamed, & Safan, 2017, Khan et al., 2017, Zayumet.al. 2017, Lashchonau, 2015. Finally, result has affirmed that autonomy work plan significantly and positively affects employees' performance in the Pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria.

Conclusion
Having examined the relationship between Innovative Human Resource Management Practices and employees'