Abstract

Labour productivity remains a chronic challenge in Nigerian federal parastatals, where inflexible workforce configurations and the absence of multi-skilling have persistently undermined service delivery and operational efficiency. This study examines the effect of employee versatility on labour productivity in selected federal parastatals at Emene Industrial Layout, Enugu State. Adopting a descriptive survey design, primary data were collected from 254 respondents drawn from 694 employees across the Projects Development Institute (PRODA), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression in SPSS. Findings reveal that employee versatility exerts a significant positive effect on labour productivity (β = 0.423, t = 4.812, p < .05). Specifically, multi-skilled employees demonstrate greater responsiveness and initiative, increase output during project execution, aid organisational innovativeness, and strengthen the intellectual asset base of their institutions. The study is anchored in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, which posits that versatile, multi-skilled employees constitute rare, valuable, and difficult-to-imitate assets that generate sustained competitive advantage. The study recommends that parastatals institutionalise structured multi-skilling programmes, embed continuous professional development in performance management, and establish incentive systems that reward cross-functional competency development. The findings have significant implications for public sector human resource policy reform in Nigeria.