Employee Tenure, Training Access, and Perceived Organizational Support as Determinants of Career Advancement Opportunities of Commercial Bank Staff in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between employee job status and career advancement opportunities of commercial bank staff in South-East, Nigeria, focusing specifically on three dimensions of employee experience: tenure, access to training and development, and perceived organizational support. The study was motivated by growing concerns in the Nigerian banking sector, where the increasing reliance on core, contract, and outsourced staffing arrangements has produced unequal access to career progression, skill acquisition, and organizational support among employees performing similar roles. The study was anchored on Social Exchange Theory, Human Capital Theory, and Equity Theory. A correlational survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 5,000 staff drawn from first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier commercial banks across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States, with a sample size of 370 respondents determined using Taro Yamane's formula. Stratified random sampling ensured proportional representation across job status categories. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between employee tenure and career path (r = 0.648, p < 0.05); a strong positive and significant relationship between access to training and development and career path (r = 0.662, p < 0.05); and a strong positive and significant relationship between perceived organizational support and skill development (r = 0.671, p < 0.05). The study concluded that employee-centered organizational practices, particularly tenure recognition, equitable training access, and organizational support, significantly enhance career path clarity and skill development among commercial bank staff. It recommended structured career development frameworks, continuous and equitable training programmes, and support-oriented human resource policies that recognize the contribution of all categories of staff regardless of job status.