CHAPTER 1
1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
        A natural consequence of the systematic view of organization is that it is made up of subsystems or components which are interdependent and interrelated.
        Any of these components can derail or be operated in a way that is inconsistent with requirement for efficient attainment of organizational goal. It becomes the role of the manager, therefore to operate instrument of control to ensure that there is integration of the component part for goals attainment.
        Personnel performance appraisal is one of these instruments of control.
        The human component serves as the head as it were which circulates and energizes every subsystem of the organization as system.
        The University of Benin was found in 1970. It started as an institute of technology and was accorded. The status of a full fledged university by National Universities Commission (NUC) on 1st July, 1971. In his budget speech in April 1972, the then military governor of mid-western state, col S.O Ogbemudia. (then also visitor to the university) formally announced the change of the name of the institute of technology to the University of Benin, on 1st April, 1975. The University at the request of the state government, was taken over by the federal government and became a federal university at the onset, the university was situated at Ekewan Road in 1972, a project to build a main campus at Ugbowo and Ekosodim governance with Engineer Daniel Uheniwen as the director. Today the main site campus, is at Ugbowo, but some courses are still offered at Ekewen campus. Today, the university has continued to grow from strength to strength with a number of faculties, department, institutes and units.
        Following NUC’s directives, the university experimented with the collegiate system in 1971/72 and 1992/93.
        However, the light of new developments the university reverted to the faculty system except for the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Basic Medical Science and Institute of child health which reverted back to the collegiate system in August, 1999 with a provost as its administrative head.
        The faculties as presently constituted are those of Agriculture, Arts Education, Engineering, Law, Life Science, Pharmacy, Physical Science, Social Science and college of medical science (which has three schools, Basic medicine and the institute of child health). In January 2006, the federal government approved the take off of the college of petroleum and gas engineering of the University of Benin ate Effunin, near Warri in Delta state, with the initial population of hundred (100) students in two department petroleum engineering and gas engineering.
        The university offer course at various levels, post graduate undergraduate, diploma and certificate. Presently, the total student enrolment stands at over 40,000 made of both full time and part time students share among the various faculties. So personnel performance appraisal attempt to identify, record and analyse the expectation of the organization. It is base on the assumption that members of the organization respond differently and in varying degree to stimuli to which they are exposed in their work.