Effect of Covid-19 on Human Capital Engagement in Fast Food Firms in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Engagement of employees and their commitment to the organization became one of the major
challenges for human resource managers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. This paper
examined the effect of COVID-19 on human capital engagement using fast food outlets in Owerri
Municipal Council. The period of the lockdown altered the structure, strategy and production
capacities/capabilities of many firms which saw a depletion in the number of active personnel in
most firms. Two specific objectives, two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated
for this study. The study had a population of 405 personnel from the fast-food outlets in Owerri
Municipal Council, from where a sample of 201 was determined using Taro Yamane statistical
formula. Well-structured questionnaire was the major instrument used to generate primary data
while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses with the aid of Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 at 5% error level. Based on the analysis, the
findings showed that there is a significant relationship between COVID-19 and the firms’ human
capital engagement: employee commitment and job satisfaction of human resource. The study
concluded that COVID-19 pandemic is an attack on human resources and productivity and,
therefore should be confronted with temerity by the fast-food organizations in order not to fizzle
out of business. The study recommended that human resource managers should develop new plans
and strategies for this new normal by exposing their staff to the use of emerging technologies so
as to upgrade their technical and professional expertise.