Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: A PROPOSED MODEL Salihu Malam Sabiu1 Department of Public Administration, The Polytechnic of Sokoto State, Nigeria. sabiumsalihu@yahoo.com Umar Abdullahi Abboh2 Department of Business Administration, The Polytechnic of Sokoto State, Nigeria auabboh@gmail.com Numerous factors have been considered as the factors influencing employee performance in organization. Some of these factors includes, organizational culture, job satisfaction, employee commitment, emotional intelligence, personality, organizational citizenship behavior among others. While some studies considered human resource management practices (HRM practices). However, some of these studies used individual practice while others used group practices. Despite these studies, however, studies attempted to consider the influence of HRM practices and employee performance have reported mixed findings; therefore, a moderating variable is suggested. This paper proposes employee engagement as potential moderator to stimulate the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance. Keywords: HRM practices, employee performance, training and development, performance appraisal 1.0 INTRODUCTION For over the years, the importance of performance is increasing. In explaining the concept of employee performance there is needs to understand the entire concept of performance. Performance can simply be defined as the ability of an object to produce results in a way of reliable with set system in relation to an objective (Laitinen, 2009). Similarly, Andersén (2010) argued that there is no specific definition of performance, the economic perspectives views on performance, focus on effectiveness and efficiency of the organization in handling their cost and outcomes, while process perspective views emphasizes on transformation from inputs to outputs in order to achieve definite results (Abu Jarad, Yusof, & Wira Mohd Shafiei, 2010; Chen et al., 2004). 1 Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2902178 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) According to Muchinsky (2003). Employee performance can be seen as a set of employee’s behaviors that can be monitor, evaluate and measure achievement at individual level. Murphy (1989) argue that employee performance should be consider as actions and behaviors of workers rather than outcomes, however, researchers like Viswesvaran and Ones (2000) have debated that differentiating between behaviors and outcomes might be very difficult, henceforth, the need to involve result in conceptualizing employee performance. As a whole, employee performance has been seen as mountable behavior, activities and results that engage workers in or bring about connected with and contribute to organizational objectives (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2000). To give emphasis on the argument of the aforementioned studies, the productivity or outcomes of the behavior are more important to organization than the actions that leads to those outcomes (Cardy & Selvarajan, 2004). Furthermore, employee performance had been classified into two dimensions by Borman and Motowidlo (1993), task and contextual performance. Similarly, Allworth and Hesketh (1999) identified three dimensions comprises; contextual performance, task performance and adaptive performance. Also three dimensions of employee performance were identified which involves; Organizational citizenship Behavior (OCB), task performance and Counterproductive work behavior (Rotundo & Sackett, 2002) For the purpose of this study two dimensions (task and contextual) will be consider as recommended by Borman and Motowidlo (1993). Several factors have been considered as factors influencing performance of employees in organization some of the factors includes; emotional intelligence (Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall, & Salovey, 2006; O'Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver, & Story, 2011; Sy, Tram, & O’Hara, 2006), organizational commitment (Tsui, Lin, & Yu, 2013; Williams & Anderson, 1991), job satisfaction (Crossman & Abou-Zaki, 2003; Sy et al., 2006; Williams & Anderson, 1991), leadership (Abbas & Yaqoob, 2009; Chen, Eberly, Chiang, Farh, & Cheng, 2014), autonomy (Arshadi, 2010; Çekmecelioğlu & Günsel, 2011), personality (Abdullah, Rashid, & Omar, 2013; Rothmann & Coetzer, 2003), self-efficacy (Judge, Jackson, Shaw, Scott, & Rich, 2007; Karatepe, Uludag, Menevis, Hadzimehmedagic, & Baddar, 2006). While other scholars considered HRM practices (Azhdar Karami, Samira Saheb, & Sarani, 2015; Karami, Sahebalzamani, & Sarabi, 2015; Khawaja, Azhar, & Arshad, 2014; Moideenkutty, Al-Lamki, & Sree Rama Murthy, 2011; Obi-Anike & Ekwe, 2014; Suthar, Chakravarthi, & Pradhan, 2014; Theriou & Chatzoglou, 2014; Trehan & Setia, 2014) among others. In general, while these above-mentioned studies help us to understand the factors influencing performance of employees in oganisation, however, literature indicated that less attention has been paid to the HRM practices and employee performance more specifically in public sector organisations. Despite these studies, however, studies attempted to consider the influence of HRM practices and employee performance have reported mixed findings includes; (Hameed, Ramzan, & Zubair, 2014; Munjuri, 2011; Poursafar, Rajaeepour, Seyadat, & Oreizi, 2014a, 2014b; Rizal, Idrus, & Djumahir, 2014b; Tabiu & Nura, 2013; Tiwari, 2011). Therefore, a moderating variable is 2 Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2902178 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) suggested as recommended by Baron and Kenny (1986). This paper proposes employee engagement as potential moderator on the link between HRM practices and employee performance to stimulate the relationship. In the academic literature, a number of definitions have been provided in respect of the term employee engagement, Kahn (1990) defines individual engagement as “the joining of organization members’ selves to their work roles, in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during in-role performances.” Literature revealed that employee engagement is link with various important organizational outcomes, such as performance for both individual and organization (Scullion & Collings, 2010). Similarly, employee engagement is a strong predictor of positive employee performance in the organization (Kompaso & Sridevi, 2010). Furthermore, Studies of engagement, like those of high performance HRM practices, draw on social exchange theory to suggest that employees will become more engaged with their work when backgrounds are in place that signal them, they are valued and trusted (Crawford, LePine, & Rich, 2010). Literature on HRM practices and performance has neglected the developments in other related areas and specifically evidence linking the influence of employee engagement on employee performance (Christian, Garza, & Slaughter, 2011; Rich, Lepine, & Crawford, 2010; Saks, 2006; Truss et al., 2006). Even though, no study yet, examined the moderating effect of engagement, on HRM practice and employee performance as empirical studies have demonstrated the link between high levels of engagement and the high-performance. Engaged employees invest themselves fully in their roles (Rothbard, 2001), which may lead to the enactment of vigorous in-role performances (Macey & Schneider, 2008). Many studies have claimed that employee engagement predicts employee behaviour, organizational success, and performance (Bates, 2004; Baumruk, 2004; Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002; Richman, 2006). Therefore, the objective of this paper to examine the moderating effect of employee engagement on the link between HRM practices (training and development, performance appraisal) and employee performance. The paper is divided into six parts. The first part is introduction,the second part is literature review, part three is research framework, part four is theoretical underpinning, while, part five is methodology which comprises,the study population; sample; and techniques for data analysis, and the final part is conclusion. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Employees are (human resource) one of the most essential assets as they contribute emmensely to growth and development of any organisation (Danish & Usman, 2010). Similarly, human 3 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) resources can be considered as an important ingredeint for organisatioanal growth, succcess and failure (Baron & Kreps, 1999). Therefore, Appelbaum, Bailey, Berg, and Kalleberg (2000) argued that sources of success and the ways of achieving competitive advantage does not just coming from the corporate strategy, technology, product and services alone, rather than from organisation’s ability to attract and effectively and effeciently manage its human resources. In addition, organisations that have succeed have employees who freely offer their time and energy to perform their assigned task.They also go extra in discharging their formal task or responsibilities, although, the selflessness is neither prescribed nor required such efforts in order to make substantial contribution towards the success of organisational goals and objectives (Jahangir, Akbar, & Haq, 2004). Previous studies were conducted with different numbers of HRM practices on employee performance. For example, Muchhal (2014) investigated the relationship between (3) three HRM practices (promotion, compensation, performance appraisal) and job performance in Asian context specifically in Indian power and steel company located in Chhattisgarh using 517 samples in quantitative techniques using SPSS, result shown all HRM practices are correlated to job performance. Similarly, Suan and Nasurdin (2014) conducted study in Asian context specifically in Malaysia 34 upscale hotels investigating the relationship between (4) four HRM practices (information sharing, service reward, training, performance appraisal) and employee performance, result revealed that all the practices significantly related to service oriented contextual performance. Again, another study by Khalid, Rehman, and Ilyas (2014) in Pakistan public sector organization investigating the influence of (5) five HRM practices (performance evaluation, compensation, career development, training, employee relation) on employee performance using 120 samples in quantitative techniques, result revealed that performance evaluation, compensation and training are all positive significantly associated with employee performance, while employee participation and career development are found insignificantly related to employee performance. Further, Alfes, Truss, Soane, Rees, and Gatenby (2013) carried out study on the impact of (6) six HRM practices (training, rewards, development opportunities career management, feedback) on employee performance in European context specifically in United Kingdom with 1,796 samples using quantitative approach in SPSS techniques, findings show all the HRM practices are positively related to employee performance through employee engagement. Furthermore, Bowra, Sharif, Saeed, and Niazi (2012) in their study using (3) three HRM practices (compensation, performance evaluation, promotion practice) on employee performance in Pakistan banking industry using 235 samples in quantitative analysis tools using SSPS, findings revealed promotion practice and performance evaluation were found positive significantly linked with employee performance. While compensation found insignificant. Again, Munjuri (2011) investigated the impact of (5) five HRM practices (job design, job security, training, empowerment, performance related pay) on employee performance in African context Kenyan high institutions of learning with 176 samples, result explained positive significant 4 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) correlation with all the HRM practices on employee performance, with performance related pay having the highest correlation. In addition, Ahmad and Shahzad (2011) conducted study on the impact of (3) HRM practices (performance evaluation, compensation, promotion) on employee performance in Asian context in Pakistan with 113 samples considering Azad Jammu and Kashmir universities (AJK) as the study population, findings shows that only compensation found significantly related to employee performance, while promotion and performance evaluation were insignificantly related to employee performance. Furthermore, Snape and Redman (2010) carried out one study in NorthEast England investigating the effect of (5) HRM practices (recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, involvement, rewards and training and development) on In-role performance one of the dimension of employee performance through organizational support and job influence, result revealed HRM practices positively related to In-role behavior with influence of organizational support and job influence. Moreover, the study carried out by Cho and Yoon (2009) in Asian context particularly in Korean public sector using (6) six HRM practices (career development, training, autonomy, appraisal, feedback, participation in decision making) on employee performance with the moderating role of individualism-collectivism. Findings show that all HRM practices are positively associated with employee performance with the exception of career development which is found insignificant. Also, the regression analysis show that individualism-collectivism moderate the relationship between the HRM practices and employee performance. In general, the reviewed studies help us to understand the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance in different context and countries. However, some studies reported mixed findings between some HRM practices and employee performance (Ahmad & Shahzad, 2011; Bowra et al., 2012; Suan & Nasurdin, 2014).Therefore, Baron and Kenny (1986) recommended the use of moderating variables were there is inconsistencies findings in the literature. However, this study proposed employee engagement as potential moderator on the relationship between HRM practices (training and development, performance appraisal) and employee performance. In addition, this study chooses to study HRM practices as the best internal factors that has great influence on employee behaviour. Therefore, employees can perform through effective utilization of internal resources base on HRM best practices. 2.1 HRM PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE The practices to be discussed in relation to employee performance are training and development and performance appraisal. 2.1.1 Training and Development and Employee Performance Training and development has been recognized as one of the essential components of HRM practices in the field of human resource management (Joarder, Sharif, & Ahmmed, 2011). Training can simply be explained as special activities intended to help learning of knowledge, 5 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) attitude and skills among the employees in organization to improve their specific work performances as well as achieving organizational goals (Edralin, 2004). Organizations put in training as a package to ensure and develop their employees’ output (Gattiker, 1995; Guthrie & Schwoerer, 1994), training is seeing as a strategic effort by an organization to enable employees’ learning job-related behavior on the part of its personnel (Cho & Yoon, 2009). On the other hand, development activities are aimed on the long-term by preparing future work responsibilities and the current work as well. Training and development focus on technical training, skills, counseling and other developmental programs (Truss, Mankin, & Kelliher, 2012). Several empirical studies have identified the linked between training and development and employee performance. For instance, study conducted by Cheah, Chuah, Lim, Lim, and Lim (2014) on training and development and organisational citizenship behavior (OCB) one dimension of employee performance, result shows insignificant relationship between the OCB and employee performance. Similarly, the study by Issahaku, Ahmed, and Bewa-Erinibe (2014) in African context specifically in Ghana hospital, investigating the role of training on employee performance using 160 samples in quantitative approach with SPSS techniques, result explained training is related to employee performance positively. Additionally, Falola, Osibanjo, and Ojo (2014) conducted study on training and development and employee performance in Nigerian banking industry, using 223 samples, findings indicated that training and development were positively linked to employee performance. Again, one study conducted by Inayat, Amin, Inayat, and Salim (2013) on the effect of training and development on employee performance in Asian context specifically in Pakistan. The findings pointed out that training and development have positive influence on the employee performance. Furthermore, Karim, Huda, and Khan (2012) carried out study on the impact of training on employee performance in United kingdom (UK), findings indicated that training is significantly related to employee performance. Also, Khan (2012) investigated the impact of training on employee performance, the result shown that training is positively related to employee performance. However, some studies contradicted the findings by the previous studies. For example, the study of Snape and Redman (2010) in vestigated the impact of training on two dimensions of employee performance (task and contextual performance) result explained training has no direct linked with task performance. Despite many evidences in Asian, Western and with few in African countries, studies are still lacking on the link between training and development and employee performance in African countries particularly in Nigerian public sector. Therefore, the following hypothesis is develop:H1: That training and development significantly related to employee performance 6 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) 2.1.2 Performance Appraisal and Employee Performance Performance appraisal can simply be defined as assessing of employees on how well they do their jobs base on performance scale (Dessler, 2000). According to Joarder and Ashraf (2012), performance appraisal is a key to provide incentive to the talented personnel to be satisfied with the organization. Again, performance appraisal is seeing as continuous process not just a year exercise. It is the official system of time to time evaluation and assessment of an employee or group's job performance and make sure feedback is provided when due (Islam & Siengthai, 2010). In general, performance appraisal is a process in which an organization or by selected agency evaluate the organization employees in order to find out their performance level as well as using it as mechanism for upgrading, sacking and organizational decision making. Literature revealed that many empirical studies established the link between performance appraisal and employee performance. The study of George, Olufemi, and Lucas (2013) in African context specifically in Nigerian multinational company, result shows significant correlation between performance appraisal and employee performance. Similarly, the study of Snape and Redman (2010) in North-East England revealed positive significant relationship between performance appraisal and contextual performance one dimension of employee performance. Again, Roberts (2003) investigated the influence of performance appraisal on employee performance in European context England in particular, the result explained there is positive correlation between performance appraisal and employee performance. However, others prior studies reported contrary to the abovementioned studies. For instance, Poursafar et al. (2014a) conducted study in Asian context specifically in Iran using 217 samples, result shows no direct relationship between performance appraisal and employee performance. Again, same scholars Poursafar et al. (2014b) carried out another study in the same country investigated the impact of performance appraisal on employee performance, findings revealed no direct relationship between the performance appraisal and contextual performance one dimension of employee performance. Despite many evidences in Asian, Western and African countries, studies are still lacking on the link between performance appraisal and employee performance in African countries particularly in Nigerian public sector. Therefore, the following hypothesis is develop: H2: That performance appraisal significantly related to employee performance 2.2 Employee engagement as moderator on the link between HRM practices and employee performance. There has been a lot of desire in investigating employee engagement. Several studies have assured that work engagement predicts, employee outcomes, organizational success, and 7 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) performance (Bates, 2004; Baumruk, 2004; Harter et al., 2002; Richman, 2006) similarly, it has been testified that employee engagement is on the weakening and there is a excavating disengagement among workers today (Bates, 2004; Richman, 2006) literature reported that a wide number of employees today, are not fully engaged (Bates, 2004; Kowalski, 2003). Regrettably, studies on employee engagement mostly comes from the practitioner’s literature and consulting companies. There is a scanty of research on employee engagement in the academic literature (Robinson, Perryman, & Hayday, 2004). Employee engagement can be seen as a psychological incidence but goes in advance to state that it includes two critical mechanisms: attention and absorption. Attention refers to “cognitive availability and the amount of time one spends thinking about a role” while absorption “means being absorbed in a role and refers to the intensity of one’s focus on a role” (Rothbard, 2001). Again, Schaufeli, Salanova, GonzálezRomá, and Bakker (2002) define employee engagement “as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by strength, dedication, and absorption.” Further, stated that employee engagement is not a temporary and precise state, but quite, it is “a more determined and universal affective-cognitive state that is not focused on any particular object, event, individual, or behavior. Employee engagement has to do with how individuals pay themselves in the performance of their job. Besides, employee performance contains the active use of emotions and behaviors adding to cognitions. It is also been defined as “an individual employee’s cognitive, emotional and behavioral state directed toward desired organizational outcomes” (Shuck & Wollard, 2010). According to May, Gilson, and Harter (2004), also pointed out that “employee engagement might be considered as an antecedent to job involvement in that employees who encounter profound engagement in their parts ought to come and relate to their works. Additionally, employee engagement is distinct from quite a few number of related constructs, most particularly organizational citizenship behavior, organizational commitment, and job involvement. Furthermore, employee engagement are now becoming a performance indicator for several organizations in both the private and public sectors (Rees, Alfes, & Gatenby, 2013). Again, HRM-performance literature has therefore overlooked developments in other related areas and precisely evidence linking levels of employee engagement with individual performance (Christian et al., 2011; Rich et al., 2010; Saks, 2006; Truss et al., 2006). Previous Studies has shown that employee engagement has relationship with dimensions of psychological ownership, when employees are engaged in their work tasks, the need to develop certain skills and competencies arises. The ability to perform better is based on the equipped state of the employee to be able to take decisions and perform better (Alamahamid, McAdam, & Kalaldeh, 2010). When employees are engaged in their work their commitment and comfort with work will increases. Employee engagement is related to the commitment of employee and how hard they work. Again, employee engagement is related to outcomes, success, and betterment of performance in organization (Ghafoor, Qureshi, Khan, & Hijazi, 2011; Harter, Schmidt, Asplund, Killham, & Agrawal, 2010). Empirical studies conducted, established the link between employee engagement and individual performance. For instance, study conducted by Andrew and Sofian (2012) in Asian context specifically in Malaysian Revenue Board, investigating the relationship between Individual Factors and Work Outcomes of employee engagement using 104 human resource officers, findings showed a significant difference between employee and 8 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) organization; with co-employee support as a main individual factor that effects both measures of engagement and the work outcomes. Again, Christian et al. (2011) investigated the relationship between employee and task and contextual performance, result revealed that employee engagement influence employee behavior in an organization and the study suggest more investigation need to be done on the engagement as a construct. Similarly, study by Rich et al. (2010) reported that employee performance mediates the relationships between perceived organizational support, value congruence, and core self-evaluations, and two employee performance dimensions: task performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, Crawford et al. (2010) examine the relationship between employee engagement, resources and job demands, result explained positive relationship between the study variables. Moreover, study of Rees et al. (2013) investigated the linked between voice behavior and employee engagement, study reported positive association. Similarly, Salanova, Agut, and Peiró (2005) investigated the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance, study explained positive significant relationship. Available literature reviewed established that employee engagement has significant influence on employee behavior. Despite many evidences in Asian, Western and American countries studies is still lacking on the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance in African countries particularly in Nigerian public sector. Therefore, the following hypothesis is develop:H3: That employee engagement significantly related to employee performance In general, despite the importance of employee engagement, the moderating effect of employee engagement has been neglected in the academic literature. However, employee engagement has been used as mediating not moderating variable in the previous studies (Andrew & Sofian, 2012; Laschinger & Leiter, 2006; Salanova & Schaufeli, 2008; Shantz, Alfes, Truss, & Soane, 2013). Based on this, the present study will use employee engagement to moderate the relationship between the two HRM practices (training and development, performance appraisal) and employee performance, specifically in Nigerian public sector. So the moderating hypothesis will be develop as follows:- H4: That employee engagement moderates the relationship between training and development and employee performance H5: That employee engagement moderates the relationship between performance appraisal and employee performance 2.3 Conceptual Framework The research framework will be framed to investigate the moderating effect of employee engagement on the link between HRM practices and employee performance to be tested in Nigerian educational sector. Social exchange theory is considered to explain the framework as it is limited to actions that are contingent on rewarding reactions from others. “Implied is a two9 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) sided, mutually contingent, and mutually rewarding process involving "transactions" or simply "exchange as argued by Blau (1964). Based on the above stated justification the researcher intended to use HRM practices as Independent variables. While on the employee engagement as the moderating variable, previous studies neglected the power of employee engagement as moderator in the relationship between HRM practices and employee engagement despite the inconsistencies in the literature. Based on the above empirical evidences, a proposed research conceptual framework for this study illustrating the moderating role of engagement on the link between HRM practices (training and development, performance appraisal) and employee performance is shown in Figure 1. HRM PRACTICES EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE Training and Development Performance Appraisal Figure 1. Research conceptual framework EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT 2.4 Underpinning Theory Social exchange theory will be an underpinning theory to this study. Social exchange theory argues that, commitments are generated through a sequence of exchanges between parties who are in a State of reciprocal interdependence. A basic principle of social exchange theory is that interactions develop over time into loyalty, trusting, and mutual obligations as long as the parties abide by certain rules of exchange (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). Rules of exchange generally encompass reciprocity or repayment, rules such that the actions of one party lead to a response or actions by the other party. For instance, when employees receive economic and socioemotional resources from their organization, they feel obligated to respond in kind and repay the organization (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). One approach for employees to repay back their organization is through their level of engagement. That is, personnel will choose to engage 10 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) themselves to changing degrees and in response to the resources they receive from their organization, taking oneself more fully into one’s task roles and dedicating higher amounts of emotional, cognitive, and physical resources is a very philosophical way for employees to respond to an organization’s activities. Therefore, personnel are expected to exchange their engagement for resources and benefits provided by their organization. This is in line with Dilys Robinson, Sarah Perryman, and Sue Hayday (2004) explanation of engagement as a two-way connection among the employer and employee. In general, based on the above argument, this study aims to use social exchange theory to explain the research framework. 2.5 Proposed Methodology This study intends to used quantitative method with primary data through questionnaire, and the focus will be on public sector performance in Nigeria. The study to tested empirically using Sokoto State ministries, boards, agencies and parastatals. Unit of analysis is individual, senior staff employees (GL 07-above) will use as respondents. The sample to be use is 306 from the total population of 1,148 based on Krejcie and Morgan (1970) determining sample size table. PLS SEM will be use in the data analysis, it is a second generation analysis technique which came to overcome the shortcomings of the first generation statistical techniques like of, Factor analysis, Manova, Analysis of variance. It also considered important in testing measurement and structural model, latent variables, accommodate small sample size, and complex model (Hair, Sarstedt, Hopkins, & Kuppelwieser, 2014). 2.6 Conclusion This study has proposed the moderating role of employee engagement on the relationship between HRM practices and employee performance, as shown in Figure 1. If the proposed framework empirically validated, finding will provide important insight to the policy makers, academics and practitioners into the significant direct effect of HRM practices on employee performance as well as the indirect effect of employee engagement on the relationship between HRM practices on employee performance in Nigerian Public sector. 11 Sokoto Journal of Management Studies Volume 11 (2) September, 2016 ISSN: 2141-1670 (p. 272-297) References Abbas, Q., & Yaqoob, S. (2009). Effect of leadership development on employee performance in Pakistan. Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 269-292. Abdullah, I., Rashid, Y., & Omar, R. (2013). Effect of Personality on Job Performance of Employees: Empirical Evidence from Banking Sector of Pakistan. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 17(12), 1735-1741. Abu Jarad, I., Yusof, N. A., & Wira Mohd Shafiei, M. (2010). The organizational performance of housing developers in Peninsular Malaysia. 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