INFLUENCE OF AI-BASED PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS ON ACADEMIC STAFF PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study investigated influence of AI-based performance appraisal systems on academic staff productivity in Public University in Rivers State. Two research questions were posed and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was 3,554 academic staff from the three Public Universities, which consist of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State University (RSU) and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) all in Rivers State. The sample size was determined by applying Taro Yamene’s formula on the population to arrive at 360 academic staff who are lecturers from the three Universities. Stratified purposive sampling technique was use in selecting the respondents which include, 172 male staff and 188 female staff.  The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Influence of AI-Based Performance Appraisal Systems on Academic Staff Productivity Questionnaire (IAIPASASPQ)’’ The instrument was validated by two experts in the field of Measurement and Evaluation, Rivers State University. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha method and a cumulative reliability index of 0.78 was obtained. Research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using z-test at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that; Automated performance reviews, and Continuous feedback systems influence Academic Staff Productivity in Public University in Rivers State to a high extent.   It was recommended among others that; Universities Administrators should Organize workshops and training sessions to help academic staff understand AI-based appraisal systems. Ensure that AI-generated performance reports contribute to staff development, mentorship programs, and fair promotion processes.