The complexities of managing people in the workplace took centre stage as Professor Francis Chukwudike Anyim delivered the ninth (9th) Inaugural Lecture in the 2024/2025 Academic Session of the University of Lagos.
His thought-provoking lecture titled: Conceptualisation of Managing People in the Workplace from the Beginning to the Present: Is It Really Relabelling? traced the evolution of employment relations, highlighting the shifts in management philosophies and the dynamic interplay between industry needs and human resource practices.
Professor Anyim commenced his lecture by drawing from his extensive experience in both industry and academia, offering a rare blend of theoretical and practical insights into the world of work. He examined the fundamental shifts that have shaped workforce management, beginning with the industrial era and the emergence of trade unions, to the complexities of contemporary Human Resource Management (HRM) and employment relations.
A key focus of the lecture was the transformation of workplace management concepts over time. He explored how Industrial Relations (IR), with its emphasis on collectivism and stakeholder engagement, evolved into Personnel Management (PM) in the 1940s, before being redefined in the 1980s as Human Resource Management (HRM). He described HRM as a discipline that prioritises both business efficiency and employee well-being.
Professor Anyim delved into the impact of scientific management theories, such as Taylor’s approach, which initially centred on productivity but later gave way to a more human-centred paradigm that acknowledges emotions, motivations, and workplace culture.
The Inaugural Lecture further examined the ongoing debate between industrial relations and employment relations, shedding light on their conceptual differences and practical implications. While industrial relations traditionally emphasised collective bargaining and workforce solidarity, employment relations introduced a more individualised approach, reflective of modern workplace dynamics and globalisation’s influence on labour practices. Professor Anyim explored the factors driving this shift, including global competition, the rise of knowledge-based industries, and the demand for service-oriented economies.
Despite the progressive evolution of these workplace concepts, the lecture posed a compelling question: “Are these changes merely a relabeling of old ideas, or do they represent fundamental shifts in how organisations manage people?” While Professor Anyim’s analysis did not offer a definitive answer, it provided a nuanced perspective, suggesting that while terminology may evolve, the core challenges of workforce management persist in various forms.
As the lecture concluded, Professor Anyim particularly emphasised the growing need to manage people not just as employees, but as individuals with emotions, aspirations, and contributions that drive organisational success.
His lecture emphasised the need for continuous adaptation in managing human resources, urging policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to engage in meaningful discourse on the future of work. His insights serve as a clarion call for organisations to balance economic imperatives with employee welfare, ensuring that workplace management strategies align with both business goals and human dignity.
The inaugural lecture was an insightful intellectual engagement that deepened understanding of employment relations and human resource management, leaving attendees with valuable reflections on the past, present, and future of workforce management. As industries navigate the ever-evolving landscape of work, the ideas presented in this lecture will undoubtedly serve as a critical reference point for scholars and practitioners alike.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, in her closing remarks, concurred that the management of people in the workplace, is indeed, a topic that lies at the heart of every successful organisation. She noted also that it is increasingly becoming evident that for an organisation to thrive its employees’ needs must be given serious consideration.
Born on Saturday, June 18, 1955, Professor Francis Chukwudike Anyim hails from Amaoba-ime Autonomous community in Ikwuano LGA in Abia State. He obtained his B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Ibadan in 1985, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management in 1986 and 2010 respectively, from the University of Lagos.
He joined the services of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in November 2010 as Lecturer II and rose through the ranks to become Lecturer I in March 2012; Senior Lecturer in June 2012; and was appointed Associate Professor in February 2018 and Professor in October 2021.
The astute Professor of Employment Relations & Human Resource Management is a Fellow of numerous reputable professional bodies and still contributes his service as Chief Examiner of Professional Examinations on Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.
Professor Anyim is happily married with children.
Author: Nike Ogunshakin
Photographer: Ayomide Oloyede
Article Editor: Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem
