MATHEW ODUNLADE AYOOLA2022-12-102022-12-102021https://nerd.ethesis.ng/handle/123456789/569The study examined the extent of strategic human resource management practices on performance of the specialised universities in Southwest Nigeria. It investigated the degree of variation in strategic human resource management practices and determined the effect of strategic human resource management practices on the performance of the institutions. It also examined the challenges facing the implementation of strategic human resource management practices in the specialised universities. These were with a view to evaluating how strategic human resource management affected performance of the specialised universities in the region. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and used primary and secondary data. Eight (8) specialised universities in Southwest Nigeria which comprised two (2) Federal, Six (6) State and two (2) private constituted the population. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the two (2) Federal and two (2) out of the six (6) State specialised universities totalling four (4) selected specialised universities for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 216 major officers that were principally involved in Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) issues in the selected universities. Data on variables such as training and development, recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, compensation system, employee participation, career planning and employment security were obtained from the respondents through structured questionnaire. Data were analysed, using both descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics such as one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multiple linear regression. The results showed that all the identified elements of strategic human resource management practises were implemented up to an average of 69.3% in the specialised universities. Also, a high degree of variation in strategic human resource management practises in the universities was found (76.8%) and this was confirmed by a mean value of 3.84 (SD = 0.973) on a scale of 5. Findings further depicted that at 5 degree level of significance, although, each element of strategic human resource management practices was positively related to performance, only recruitment/selection (t =2.919, p < 0.05), career planning (t = 2.89, p < 0.05) and employment security (t = 2.061, p < 0.05) were statistically significant to performance of the specialised universities. The study finally identified some challenges, notably, organisation culture (73.60%), top management support (72.08%), communication policy (69.04%) and management’s understanding of strategic human resource practices (69.04%) as affecting implementation of strategic human resource management practices in the specialised universities. The study concluded that strategic human resource management practices had a considerable and positive effect on organisational performance in the specialised universities in Southwest Nigeria.