FORECASTING MANPOWER DEMAND AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED OIL AND GAS FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between forecasting manpower demand and the organizational performance of selected oil and gas firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, with customer satisfaction and productivity as the criterion measures of performance. Anchored on the Resource-Based View Theory, Contingency Theory, and the AMO (Ability, Motivation and Opportunity) Theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. A population of 400 managers and supervisors was drawn from five selected oil and gas firms, from which a sample of 200 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane (1967) formula. Bowley’s (1926) proportional allocation technique was used to distribute the sample across the firms. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analysed using Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (rho) with IBM SPSS version 21. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between forecasting manpower demand and customer satisfaction (rho = .833, p < .05), and a significant positive relationship between forecasting manpower demand and productivity (rho = .710, p < .05). The study concluded that accurate forecasting of manpower demand substantially enhances organizational performance in terms of customer satisfaction and workforce productivity in oil and gas firms in Port Harcourt. It was recommended that oil and gas firms should institutionalize systematic and data-driven manpower forecasting processes to ensure optimal service delivery and competitive advantage.