Effective Management Performance And Success Of The Auditor-General’s Office

CHAPTER ONE

PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

1.1     INTRODUCTION

The fundamental way in which people organize is through the process of communication. Indeed, our very survival depends on the extent to which we can effectively negotiate and persuade one another within culturally diverse and complex organizational settings. (Pearson, 2002:305).

It is obvious to everyone that among the factors necessary for economic take-off, none is being stressed more often an management. Characteristically, developing countries are known for their low technological progress and extremely low labour productivity. A realistic approach to the development of these countries calls for qualified high-level manpower, especially at the management levels. In present days organizations, it is the manager that determines the appropriate technology required, and the best way to efficiently and effectively utilize all types of resources (Physical and Human).

When people work together, there is generally a need for the co-ordination of efforts in order to attain expected result in reasonable time, and, and with minimum amount of money, discomfort or energy. Any organization that fails to realize its objectives often blame it on management.

All key functions of management in an organization are: planning, organizing, directing and controlling depending on effective communication for proper execution and performance. Organization with inefficient communication is symptomatic of a faulty corporate chain. Management therefore uses communication in threefold, task, maintenance and human.

Organizational performance refers to the effectiveness of organization in terms goals and objectives set for them, the efficiency of the constituent department in achieving those goals and the attitudes of the employee therein.

The most important objective in most organizations is survival while the objective is present with regard to other business functions, it tends to be more prominent, more explicitly noted and more central.

But what is required for survival? Concisely resources and sufficient demand for the goods and services that the organization can produce with these resources. Resources can further be considered in three categories there are;

1. Thing
2. People and

• Management

Since most organizations have objectives in addition to survival, mere assurance of survival is rarely a sufficient goal. Most organizations want efficiency while many want growth.

With regards to the importance of communication and organizations in our daily lives, there is need to know the importance of communication in organizations, the process, problems, effects and approaches  towards effective communication, organizational efficiency, growth  and performance.

Therefore, the contributions of effective communication, both formal and informal to the efficiency  of an organization, its departments or sub-systems and employee attitudes shall form the basis of this  study.

1.2       HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF AUDITOR GENERAL’S OFFICE          

          The Auditor General’s office is established by the Audit Act (Cap, 17) of laws of the Federation, 1958 which states that the Auditor-General’s office shall on behalf of the House of Assembly inquire into and audit the accounts of all accounting officers and of the persons entrusted with the collection, receipt, monies or with the receipt  custody, issue, sales transfer or delivery of stores and other property   of the government provided that except where the provisions shall only inquire into and audit the accounts of a sectional officer so far as those accounts relate to public money or other property of the Government.

Auditor General’s office is charged by law with determining the extent to which the legal requirement on the expenditure of public money which are compiled with. In effect, the office is saddled with the responsibility of finding out whether the financial transactions of Government Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Department are accurate and fully reported and that all transactions are carried out in accordance with the budgetary laws and financial regulations and extant circulars as well as ascertain that adequate internal financial controls exist and are maintained.

The establishment is a dynamic office and functions in a dynamic setting where changes are taken place constantly.

The office is effective I the audit of public account and in expanding the scope of the audit of public account and in expanding  the scope of the audit  to embrace the review of the performance of those who manager government resources in order to ascertain whether management practice meet with the requirement of economy efficiency and effectiveness.

1.3     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Organizations are everywhere. People has many organizational affiliations not only do they belong to numerous organizations; they also interact with and seek the services of an even broader range of organizations on daily basis.

For any organization growth through  improved performance of its employees, the management of such an organization must take a much deeper look into the effective and efficient use of communication with work force.

Decision-making can only be as sufficient as the level of information upon   which they are based. Most organizations are involved in number of management strategies for survival and growth which are not self-evident to their external public and sometimes not even to the majority of the internal public.

Therefore, communication is a tool by which management can inform an organizational staff on the work responsibilities, departmental activities, and how they can contribute to the general well-being of such an organization.

Many managers of service-oriented organization are aware that the strategic management of such business is different from that of manufacturing. This distinction is important because everyone in this type of business, any transfer of physical or concrete products is incidental to the service. For example, the written report of a management consultant. The Auditor General’s office is a service organization specializing in Audit report where an important discovery is made during the auditing and reported to the management for the necessary corrective action to avoid a reoccurrence. The establishment has recorded so many awards due to its exceptional performance and excellent in audit organization.

But what is not evident is that the Agency beside its success in the production of audit of audit report might have gone through some minor and sometimes major management problems which may lead to clash in departmental responsibilities, employee dissatisfaction, and   delay in jobs undertaken.

This study therefore seek to examine the specific communication strategies, which the Auditor-General office employs to enhance organizational performance.

1.4     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To examine the role of communication and its use by management in defining the job responsibilities of workers and departments in the organization.
2. To find out the channels and mode of communication existing in Auditor-General’s Office and the effectiveness of communication flow in the communication network
3. To find out the channels and mode of communication existing in Auditor-General’s office and the effectiveness of communication flow in the communication network.
4. To identify the process by which communication is used to address problems in the agency and to prevent future occurrence.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How often does the management of the Auditor-General’s office interact with their subordinates and what are the patterns of communication used?
2. What role does communication play in defining the job responsibility of individuals and departments in the establishment and how does the management use communication to this effect?
3. What are the channels and modes of communication existing in the establishment and how does communication flow in the communication network?
4. How has communication contributed to the establishment’s performance and success?

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

As communication is a vital tool of management in any establishment and as an organization is considered a living system made up of human being, all organizations need communication for survival and growth.

Thus, this study will go a long way in proposing  ways  through which communication can be used to achieve a favourable organizational climate needed to improve performance and also achieve the objectives of the organization.

This research work, when concluded could pave way for more effective management of any  organization and the creation of more realistic organizational climate through upward, downward and horizontal communication.

1.7     DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to the following

• Formal and informal communication network existing in the establishment and its frequency.
• How communication is used in resolving the establishment conflicts especially within and between departments.
• How communication contribute to the establishment’s performance.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Communication: This is the process of conveying or sharing meaning, understanding, ideas, attitude, though and information among the employees and other individuals in an organization.
2. Management: This concerns working with and through individuals in an organization to achieve organizational goals and objectives through the basic functions to planning, controlling and directing.
3. Organization: This can be defined as a system of individuals who work together to achieve, through hierarchy of rank and division and objectives.

d.      Performance: This is the effectiveness of an organization in terms of goals and objectives sect for it. The efficiency of its department in carrying out their duties and in attitudes of the employees