Tag Archives: Employee

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

THE EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the study

An organization is a structural component that is made up of sub-component such as man, materials and money which work interrelated and interdependently in the achievement of organizational objective. All these sub-component must work together before an organization can increase or improve in its performance. But among them, man which is the employer and the employee must exist in a cordial relationship between themselves and with the organization so as to enable them actualized the objective of the organization, manage the materials and money and also have a satisfactory working environment. Again, the employees in the organizations are the vital elements an organization should always strive hard to satisfy because without the employees, the organization would find it difficult to survive. In that case, the employer in an organization must have a good employee relation which will help the employees feel relaxed and satisfied in their workplace.

However, in context to the prevalent discussion, employee relation is seen as the fairness, trust, and the harmonious relationship that exist among the employers and their employees within organization which has a positive effect on organizational performance (Bingham, 2016). It is also seen in simple terms as the relationship that exists between the employer and the employee. According to Muhammed, Sohail, & Riaz (2013) in their research “impact of employee relation on employee performance in hospitality industry of Pakistan” view employee relation as a set of organizational functions and practices that deals with issues related to people as staffing, compensation and benefit, performance management, organizational development, health and safety, communication and administration. These means that people separated as staff should have connections or relationships among each other which will enable them work together as a team in getting a setting work done. Nevertheless, employees who have worked so hard need to be compensated and grant benefit that will make them satisfied in their workplace. In order to determine the workplace satisfaction of employees, certain variables such as health, safety, employees’ canteen, compensation, benefit, communication and many other variables need to be considered so that the organization can improve in its performance.

Therefore, an organization can only improve in its performance when the employees that work in that organization have developed a sense of belonging, and go extra mile to help the organization prosper. It is against this boundary that this study seems to investigate the effect of employee relations on organizational performance using Michelle Pharmaceutical Company as a case study.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

In recent time, some organizations have been decreasing in its performance due to inadequate management abilities of employee relations by the human resource department which is in charge of the employee’s welfare within the organization. Organizations can only improve in its performance if only a proper employee relation is adopted and maintained. However, relatively little has been written about the everyday management strategies involved in management of the contemporary relationship. Over the years the Chartered Institute of personnel and Development has undertaken a series of interviews with human resource professionals that were designed to establish what significance the term employee relation has for them and their organization.

Nevertheless, the vital determinants of work place performance are employee relationship which has been given little, if any priority. The aspect of employee- employee relations and how it relates to performance has not been given the attention it deserves by management. This is based on the fact that employees in every organization should be regarded as the most valuable assets in that organization. Hence their workplace environment impacts a lot on whether the organization achieves its goals.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The objectives which this study seems to achieve are as follows:

  1. To find out the extent employee relations is practice in this organization.
  2. To determine the components of employee relations the organization gives attention.
  3. To examine the extent employee relations strategies could be used to improve performance.

1.4     Research Questions

In the context of this study, the research asks the following questions:

  1. What is the extent of these organizational practices of employee relations?
  2. What are the components of employee relations in this organization?
  3. How can employee relations strategies improve organizational performance?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The hypotheses will be testing the significant of the research question base on the following:

H1     Organizational practices of employee relation have a positive effect on organizational performance.

H0     Organizational practices of employee relation have no positive effect on organizational performance.

H1      Employee relations has some component that significantly affects organizational performance.

H0     Employee relations has no component that significantly affects organizational performance.

H1         Employee relation strategies has a positive effect on organizational   performance.

H0         Employee relation strategies has no positive effect on organizational performance.

1.6     Significance of the Study

To the Organization, it will help identify means of having better employee relations. It offers some useful information about employee relation that can be used for further scientific research.

To the Researcher, it can contribute to build up researcher’s knowledge and understanding on the aspect of employee relation by providing awareness to the examined organizations about employee relation and how it affects organizational performance.

To the Reader, it will widen his/her knowledge on how employee relation should practice in organization.

To the Employees, it will help them to know how there can be able to relate with one another within the organization which will help them in making their work less stressful and it will also help them to know the better ways to get their work done more effectively and efficiently.

1.7     Scope of the Study

The study was done mainly in Thinkers’ Corner where the researcher was able to get all the relevant individuals.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

In the process of carrying out the study, the researcher encounter the following difficulties:

Collection of Population Sample: The researcher found it difficult to collect the population sample from the proposed company due to some privacy. It was after some series of verification through a letter submitted to the company by the researcher which serve as a means of evidence showing that the population were meant for academic purpose only.

Administration of Questionnaire: The researcher also at first meet for the distribution of the research questionnaire through the help of the proposed Company’s Administrative manager was turned down. It was when the researcher have to go back there with the Head of Department that the questionnaire was administered and was collected after 1 week and 5 days.

1.9     Definition of Terms

1.9.1  Employee: These are the people spending their time, energy working within an organization in exchange for money. It is a person who is hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business. It is also an Individual who works part time or full time under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied, and has recognized rights and duties.

1.9.2  Employee Relation: It is a tripartite (it involve the employer, employee and the government) relationship that exists within an organization. It can also be seen as a relationship between the employers and the employees which makes the employee to feel comfortable in the workplace.

1.9.3  Organizational Performance: In the ’50s organizational performance was defined as the extent to which organizations, viewed as a social system fulfilled their objectives. It can also be seen as the ability of an organization to exploit its environment for accessing and using the limited resources.

1.9.4  Job Satisfaction: It is referred to job satisfaction as the positive feelings and attitudes employees hold about their jobs.

1.9.5  Performance Management: Performance management is a systematic process for improving organizational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams. It is a means of getting better results by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competency requirements. Performance management is defined as a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organizations by improving the performance of the people who work in them by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors.

 

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EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

THE EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT

Employee relation is a set of organizational functions and practices that deals with issues related to people as staffing, compensation and benefit, performance management, organizational development, health and safety, communication and administration (Muhammed, Sohail, &Riaz 2013). The main objective of this work is to determine the effect of employee relations on organizational performance in Michelle Pharmaceutical Company, Thinker’s Corner Enugu, Enugu Nigeria. Three research question were formulated to guide the study. The study adopts the scientific management theory, human relation theory, conflict theory and the two factor theory. The population comprises of a random sampling of 171 working staff of which 160 were properly filled and collected. The researcher used a descriptive survey design; data was collected through a questionnaire developed by the researcher. A descriptive statistics was adopted to know the mean, standard deviation and the variance. The values were presented in a table. The research was validated at a significant of 0.05. The study conclude that Michelle Pharmaceutical Company, Thinker’s Corner Enugu, Enugu Nigeria practices employee relation. The study also figured out the component of employee relations of the company and also enlist the strategy of employee relation the company adopt to ensure good organizational performance. It is recommended that organizations should create a work environment that promotes work-life balance and give their employees the flexibility to balance both in the aspects of their life which will improve relations and ultimately create a strong team. The findings of the study are expected to provide a source of information for policy makers, researchers and human resources professionals to understand link between employee relations and organizational performance.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the study

An organization is a structural component that is made up of sub-component such as man, materials and money which work interrelated and interdependently in the achievement of organizational objective. All these sub-component must work together before an organization can increase or improve in its performance. But among them, man which is the employer and the employee must exist in a cordial relationship between themselves and with the organization so as to enable them actualized the objective of the organization, manage the materials and money and also have a satisfactory working environment. Again, the employees in the organizations are the vital elements an organization should always strive hard to satisfy because without the employees, the organization would find it difficult to survive. In that case, the employer in an organization must have a good employee relation which will help the employees feel relaxed and satisfied in their workplace.

However, in context to the prevalent discussion, employee relation is seen as the fairness, trust, and the harmonious relationship that exist among the employers and their employees within organization which has a positive effect on organizational performance (Bingham, 2016). It is also seen in simple terms as the relationship that exists between the employer and the employee. According to Muhammed, Sohail, & Riaz (2013) in their research “impact of employee relation on employee performance in hospitality industry of Pakistan” view employee relation as a set of organizational functions and practices that deals with issues related to people as staffing, compensation and benefit, performance management, organizational development, health and safety, communication and administration. These means that people separated as staff should have connections or relationships among each other which will enable them work together as a team in getting a setting work done. Nevertheless, employees who have worked so hard need to be compensated and grant benefit that will make them satisfied in their workplace. In order to determine the workplace satisfaction of employees, certain variables such as health, safety, employees’ canteen, compensation, benefit, communication and many other variables need to be considered so that the organization can improve in its performance.

Therefore, an organization can only improve in its performance when the employees that work in that organization have developed a sense of belonging, and go extra mile to help the organization prosper. It is against this boundary that this study seems to investigate the effect of employee relations on organizational performance using Michelle Pharmaceutical Company as a case study.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

In recent time, some organizations have been decreasing in its performance due to inadequate management abilities of employee relations by the human resource department which is in charge of the employee’s welfare within the organization. Organizations can only improve in its performance if only a proper employee relation is adopted and maintained. However, relatively little has been written about the everyday management strategies involved in management of the contemporary relationship. Over the years the Chartered Institute of personnel and Development has undertaken a series of interviews with human resource professionals that were designed to establish what significance the term employee relation has for them and their organization.

Nevertheless, the vital determinants of work place performance are employee relationship which has been given little, if any priority. The aspect of employee- employee relations and how it relates to performance has not been given the attention it deserves by management. This is based on the fact that employees in every organization should be regarded as the most valuable assets in that organization. Hence their workplace environment impacts a lot on whether the organization achieves its goals.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The objectives which this study seems to achieve are as follows:

  1. To find out the extent employee relations is practice in this organization.
  2. To determine the components of employee relations the organization gives attention.
  3. To examine the extent employee relations strategies could be used to improve performance.

1.4     Research Questions

In the context of this study, the research asks the following questions:

  1. What is the extent of these organizational practices of employee relations?
  2. What are the components of employee relations in this organization?
  3. How can employee relations strategies improve organizational performance?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The hypotheses will be testing the significant of the research question base on the following:

H1     Organizational practices of employee relation have a positive effect on organizational performance.

H0     Organizational practices of employee relation have no positive effect on organizational performance.

H1      Employee relations has some component that significantly affects organizational performance.

H0     Employee relations has no component that significantly affects organizational performance.

H1         Employee relation strategies has a positive effect on organizational   performance.

H0         Employee relation strategies has no positive effect on organizational performance.

1.6     Significance of the Study

To the organization, it will help identify means of having better employee relations. It offers some useful information about employee relation that can be used for further scientific research.

To the researcher, it can contribute to build up researcher’s knowledge and understanding on the aspect of employee relation by providing awareness to the examined organizations about employee relation and how it affects organizational performance.

To the reader, it will widen his/her knowledge on how employee relation should practice in organization.

To the employees, it will help them to know how there can be able to relate with one another within the organization which will help them in making their work less stressful and it will also help them to know the better ways to get their work done more effectively and efficiently.

1.7     Scope of the Study

The study was done mainly in Thinkers’ Corner where the researcher was able to get all the relevant individuals.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

In the process of carrying out the study, the researcher encounter the following difficulties:

Collection of Population Sample: The researcher found it difficult to collect the population sample from the proposed company due to some privacy. It was after some series of verification through a letter submitted to the company by the researcher which serve as a means of evidence showing that the population were meant for academic purpose only.

Administration of Questionnaire: The researcher also at first meet for the distribution of the research questionnaire through the help of the proposed Company’s Administrative manager was turned down. It was when the researcher have to go back there with the Head of Department that the questionnaire was administered and was collected after 1 week and 5 days.

1.9     Definition of Terms

1.9.1  Employee: These are the people spending their time, energy working within an organization in exchange for money. It is a person who is hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business. It is also an Individual who works part time or full time under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied, and has recognized rights and duties.

1.9.2  Employee Relation: It is a tripartite (it involve the employer, employee and the government) relationship that exists within an organization. It can also be seen as a relationship between the employers and the employees which makes the employee to feel comfortable in the workplace.

1.9.3  Organizational Performance: In the ’50s organizational performance was defined as the extent to which organizations, viewed as a social system fulfilled their objectives. It can also be seen as the ability of an organization to exploit its environment for accessing and using the limited resources.

1.9.4  Job Satisfaction: It is referred to job satisfaction as the positive feelings and attitudes employees hold about their jobs.

1.9.5  Performance Management: Performance management is a systematic process for improving organizational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams. It is a means of getting better results by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competency requirements. Performance management is defined as a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organizations by improving the performance of the people who work in them by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors.

 

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JOB DESIGN AND STAFF TRAINING

EFFECTS OF JOB DESIGN AND STAFF TRAINING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Poor job design and staff training breed poor employee performance respectively, while the reverse is usually the case when jobs are well (re)designed and staffs are well (re)trained. Job design and staff training effect employee performance in organizations. They work likewise for organizational performance and productivity. The effect, positive or negative, depends on the nature/kind of job design and staff training system operated, developed and applied in organizations. In spite of the invaluable role of  these duo job and human resource management characteristics/models, only about a few institutions, firms, corporations and institutions take them seriously and practice them accordingly in Nigeria, as it has been proven that they are still low, insignificant and less paid attention to. Consequently, many organizations, private and public (the latter more), rarely experience  high or due employee performance, which in turn results to low output, poor organizational productivity and goals realization, low performance, job dissatisfaction, inefficiency and various other staff and job issues. Measures like gender mix, effective managerial/administrative control, staffing and staff appraisal, on/off-the-job trainings and effective/regular training development, training the trainers,  job enrichment and modification, organizational support and justice, job autonomy, among others, are the requisites  for employee performance. The descriptive and analytical survey method along with the qualitative approach, simple percentage and coding was adopted for the study, following its nature and preoccupation. Both primary and secondary sources were employed in sourcing data. The former basically involved questionnaire and interview, while various written library materials constituted the latter sources.

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction

This chapter constitutes the research proposal of the research entitled: ‘Effects of Job Design and Staff Training on Employee Performance in Nigeria’. It is made up of study background, problem statement, purpose, significance, questions/hypotheses, scope and limitation and definition of terms. Therefore, this chapter forms the foundation and justification of the study.

1.1     Background to the Study

A well-designed job usually fosters employees’ well-being, commitment and performance (Bakker and Demeroutic, 2013; Hackman and Oldman, 1980; Parker and Wall, 1998). It is therefore not surprising that in recent years, researches have begun examining which job characteristics contribute to employee well-being, performance, satisfaction and commitment, and which are likely to increase job stress and the otherwise. Together, the characteristics of a job constitute the job design (Tims and Bakker, 2014). In more specific terms, job design describes how job tasks and roles are structured, enacted and modified and what the impact of these structures, enactments and modifications are on the individual, group and organizational outcomes (Grant and Parker, 2009:5).

According to Tims and Bakker (2014:131), for more than 60 years, job design theories have guided scholars and practitioners to describe, explain and change the work experiences and behaviors as well as employees. Job design is approached as a top-down process in which the organization creates jobs and, in turn, selects people with the right knowledge, skills and abilities for these jobs. When employee’s experience (e.g. job/work engagement) and behaviors (e.g. performance) tend to decrease, the management is bound to redesign the jobs of their employees. For examples, one reason for job redesign may be that management notices that absenteeism among certain employees is relatively high. After talking to the employees, company specialist(s) and Human Relation (HR) professionals may find out that the job is too demanding for the employees and needs to be changed. Another reason for job redesign may be the introduction of say a new machine that (partly) replaces the work of employees. The job of these employees may be redesigned to include another task such as maintaining the machines (Tims and Bakkers, 2014: 131).

The way the job is (re)designed strongly influences how employees perceive their job and, in turn, how they perform their duties (tasks). Managers and researchers became interested in the influence of job design on employees’ behaviors and attitudes when it was gathered that changes in the work environment were accompanied with changes in employees’ attitudes and motivation. For example, over a century ago, the scientific management approaches (Taylor, 1911) and the introduction of the assembly line at Ford in 1914 strongly promoted job simplification. Employees’ jobs change from, for example, building a complete car to assembling only parts of the car, and these job changes had a considerable impact of motivation.

In an era of knowledge economy like ours now, successful workplaces are likely to be those which use and develop the skills of their employees technically through good job design mechanisms that effect employee performance and organizational productivity. There exist various works on job design in general, a few on manufacturing companies, especially those outside Nigeria and seeming nothing significant on both manufacturing companies and others in general in Nigeria, especially in supposed industrialized and commercial areas like Calabar, Uyo, Makurdi, Gboko, Kano, Onitsha, Aba, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Warri, Asaba, etc.

Also, the positive effects of staff training in both public and private organizations cannot be over-emphasized. Staff training impacts positively on employees’ performance as well as organizational manpower productivity. It has both individual and organizational development potentials, opportunities, efficiency and propels innovation, on-the-job learning and impact and standard service delivery. Trained staffs get improved and usually perform better. It is a means of job enrichment, job satisfaction and job commitment, which produces desired employee performance (Lunenburg, 2010; Saleem et al., 2012).

In the course of training while on a job, staffs learn new techniques, knowledge, intrigues and modalities with which effective performance arises and thus better output.  Next, social and public/inter-relations between and among staffs abound with various prospects. Training and retraining of staffs of both public and private establishments is imperative, particularly in the Third World nations like Nigeria, where there is high rate of illiteracy, poor knowledge of modern means of living, corruption, poor manpower and technological skills/advancement, among many others. As such, effective staff training and retraining in Nigeria is a dire necessity so as to key into it and realize targeted organizational goals and objectives, betterment, development, innovation and efficiency.

Therefore, the dire need for this study to clarify the myths, tales, perceptions and realities of  job design and employee performance, on one hand, and staff training, on the other, in  Nigeria is imperative, and thus gave rise to this study. Concerned organizations/institutions stand to benefit immensely from this study, if the findings are adopted, taken seriously, implemented and sustained therein. 

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The scourging problems that bedevil many organizations in Nigeria, including low employee and organizational performance cum productivity, inefficiency, poor/lack of technical-know-how, negative workplace politics, etc. are traceable to lack of/low staff training. This is very worrisome. Job design influences employee performance in several ways, positively or negatively, depending on how the job is designed. The job design of both private and public organizations influences their employees’ performance and organizational productivity likewise. Employee’s talents and insight can design productivity, improvement and innovation. Job design can ensure that skills are effectively used as well developed in the workplace.

In spite of the immense benefits, potentials and prospects of jobs design, only a very few organizations/institutions in Nigeria practice or give attention to it, thus making it a wasted resource in the struggle to improve competitiveness and employee well-being. Many workplaces (organizations) are characterized by a waste of employees’ talents. Job design should be considered a high priority issue for managers and policy-makers alike. This also applies to staff training in Nigeria, especially in public organizations/institutions, whereby staffs are mostly poorly trained and retrained all because of workplace politics and being economical to avoid spending on training the staff.

 In sum, the gross negligence, inappropriate, ineffective and misplacement of job and poor staff training by most organizations in Nigeria constitute some academic and managerial worries (problems) that deserve a work of this kind. This study rises to this challenge, with a view to proffering scholarly solutions to these rising inherent problems associated with job design and staff training, which adversely affect employee performance in organizations.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

This study is intended to:

  1. Explore job design and staff training effects on employee performance in Nigeria;
  2. Examine the nature and kind of job design and staff training operated by the concerned institutions in Nigeria;
  3. Examine the extent of staff training in Nigerian public and private institutions;
  4. Trace the problems that arise from poor/lack of staff training and job design in such Nigerian institutions/organizations;
  5. Describe the commonly obtained effects/impacts of job design and staff training in Nigeria;
  6. Scholarly project better efficacious measures of job design and staff training on employee performance.

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions have been designed to guide this study:

  1. How and at what extent do job design and staff training influence employee performance in organizations?
  2. What are the commonly obtained effects– negative or positive– of job design and staff training on employee performance in Nigeria and to what degree are they applied efficaciously?
  3. What are the job design and staff training related problems in Nigeria?
  4. How best can job design and staff training be evolved, improved and sustained and employee performance likewise in organizations?
  5. To what extent can the emerging trends associated with job design and staff training  as well as employee performance in Nigeria be addressed?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The following are the research statements of hypothesis, stated in null and alternative forms, whereby Ho represents null form, while Ha represents alternative form:

Ha1: Job design and staff training have no effects on employee performance in Nigeria.

Ho1: Job design and staff training have significant effects on employee performance in organizations/institutions.

Ha2: The kind and nature of job design and staff training operated in Nigeria have little or no effects on employee performance.

Ho2: The nature and kind of job design and staff training operated in Nigerian firms/organizations have so much effect on employee performance.

Ha3: There exists no significant link between job design and staff training and employee performance in companies/organizations in Nigeria.

Ho3: There exists a significant link between job design and staff training and employee performance in companies/organizations in Nigeria.

1.6     Significance of the Study

The need for this study cannot be over-emphasized. To start with, it will bridge the underlying knowledge on these duo work and management phenomena, and thus expose many to the intrinsic of job design and staff training towards effective employee performance in companies/organizations as well as becoming conversant with how best to address workplace problems like low/poor employee performance, job dissatisfaction and others.

Also, this study shall be of immense benefits to those directly concerned, such as law- makers/policy- makers, managers, job experts, entrepreneurs, administrators, business planners, professionals, researchers, educators and students. As such, it shall serve as a blueprint to the management of both private and public organizations/firms in better decision-making regarding job design and staff training and employee performance. The study lacuna shall be filled by other interested scholars/researchers, who would undertake further studies on this subject matter and related ones. It shall thus serve as a research material to such researchers and students. And, through its findings, it shall address unemployment, job issues and staff inefficiency to some extent and as well equip many with the due positive techniques of job design and staff/manpower that adversely affect employee performance.

1.7     Scope of the Study

This research solely centers on the effects of job design and staff training on employee performance in Nigeria. It thus leaves out other closely related aspects and scopes of job design and staff training. It concerns both private and public firms/institutions involving staffing, training and job management. The concerned departments in such firms/institutions are basically Management/Administration, Human Resources, Labor/Manpower Personnel, Establishment, Registry and Information Departments/Units.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

This research would have been broadened more than this in scope but for several challenges that confront a thesis of this kind. The factors include:

  1. Time constraint: Since it is time-framed, rash and rush set in so as to beat the time.
  2. Logistic problems: Poor or insufficient information materials and centers, transportation challenges, and lack of basic amenities like electricity, among others, constrained this study to its structured scope.
  3. Lack of finance: Since the researcher has no source (s) of earning yet, going beyond this scope is more cost-demanding, which could hamper its completion.
  4. Human factors: Poor responses from and the unwillingness of the respondents and the researcher’s human errors and research short-comings formed another limitation to the study. And, other natural factors like psychological state (tiredness, hunger, distractions, etc.), linguistic performance errors and other unforeseen circumstances were likewise.

1.9     Definition of Terms

For clarification as well as easy understanding, our core keywords are explained hereunder:

Effects: Positive or negative outcome, result, impact or influence of something, here, job design and staff training

Job Design: The management modalities systematically evolved, set out and enforced for workplace effective results towards realizing organizational goals

Employee Performance: The output of the manpower commitment at workplace as a show for job satisfaction and organizational support

Staff Training: The practice of engaging staff in different innovative activities and programs that would make them to learn and acquire new professional skills towards better performance

 

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MANPOWER TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY

MANPOWER TRAINING AND ITS EFFECT ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (A Case Study of Board of Internal Revenue Kaduna State)

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Initially in developing countries, the achievement of maximum output was given greatest emphasis with belief that; a rapid increase in output level can lead to achievement of development policy objectives. But, due to the experiences of most countries in Africa and Nigeria not an exception, the shortages of skilled and knowledgeable manpower constitute a binding constraint in executing development plans. This is leading to the failure in achieving higher productivity objectives in Nigerian economy most especially in the public sector organizations.

However, the researcher further observes that, development policies in any economy may likely not be successful without ensuring sufficient and adequately trained manpower is put in place. Not only that, but also to ensure that the trained manpower is fully employment appropriately. This may lead to higher productivity in an economy. The public sector is one of the largest sectors of Nigerian economy that provide jobs to citizens. In Nigeria, government is generating a lot of revenue from the public annually with the aim of providing essential services to the general public. Furthermore, in relation to the case study (Board of Internal Revenue), it is basic for the government to have resources required in running activities for enhancement of the quality of lives of its citizens. Thus, taxes have to be levied on all taxable people, individuals and corporate organizations.

In line with this, in order to attain aims of the public sector organizations, and also meet-up with the current technology developments, manpower training has to be embarked on. This is because; manpower training can lead to higher productivity in the organizations since it is the bedrock of every organization success.

According to Nyanwu (1997), Nigeria set up PEs (Public Enterprises) in all sectors of the national economy, because they were seen as the only way of attaining economic growth in the face of; inadequate entrepreneurial skills, shortage of investible capital, fear of foreign control of the national economy, and underdeveloped capital market. He further state that, during the oil boom era of 1970s, PEs total about 600 at federal level and 900 at state level. In the 1990s PEs accounted for 30 – 35 percent of GDP and large proportion of employment in the modern economic sector (Bureau of Public Enterprises, 1996). But it was later discovered that there are many hunches leading to poor performance of the PE sector among which is lack of manpower training.

Due to the economic problems and in particular, PE sector, it dawned on the federal government for solution to rescue the PEs. Consequently, the privatization and commercialization programme was conceived introduced by SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme). Another organization similar to SAP handling issue like this, is NEEDS (Nigerian Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy) introduced by Obasanjo Regime.

Various agencies are involved in tax policy administration in the country. At the federal level we have Federal Board of Inland Revenue (FBIR), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Federal Tariff Review Board (FTRB), Federal Ministry of Finance, etc. while at the state level we have State Board of Internal Revenue (SBIR), State Internal Revenue Services (SIRS) and the Planning and Budget Department. Thus, there are at the federal, state and local government levels, Federal Inland Revenue Services, State Internal Revenue Service and Local Government Revenue Committee (LGRC) respectively. Each service has a board which is its governing body with responsibilities. Some of their objectives might include: Collect tax base on law by cheap means to actively encouraging compliance; Prosecute the tax laws very vigorously; Maximize tax collection by effective and extensive coverage of the country; and Maintain public confidence in integrating tax system through fairness and uniformity.

Therefore, in line with the above background, Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue came into being by an Edict of 1997. The Edict derives its enabling power from section 9 of the Personal Income Tax Decree 104 of 1993 of the Military Regime. It states as follows:

“there is hereby established for the state a body called the board of internal revenue (hereinafter in this edict referred to as “the board”) whose operational arm shall be known and called internal revenue services (hereinafter in this edict referred to as “the state service”) which shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and with a power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable property”

Given the above background, the research work seeks to investigate manpower training and its impact on employee productivity in the public sector. This means that manpower and training of organization employees will be studied with emphasis on how the training administered to the employees may influence their productivity and the entire performance of the organization as a whole. The case study considered for this research work is Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue. This is because the Board is being patronized by customers and offer services to both domestic and international investment.

However, the Board does not operate in isolation. This is because of the prevalence of numerous challenges offered by the contemporary government, business and financial world. Some of these challenges include: information technology (IT) and computer operation, project financing, government policies are among others in the PE sector like privatization and commercialization. The board is required to find ways forward for performance in line with the organization requirement for high productivity.

But the board productivity in practice may depend on the employees’ performance because it greatest worth and saddled with a lot of responsibilities, which may be impacted through manpower training and development or education to influence job performance. And the question of interest is; does manpower training have effect on employee productivity in the Board?

In addition, this research work is intended to establish some form of relationships between the effects of manpower training on employee productivity in form of 3 angles influential variables on the organization employees which include: knowledge, skills and attitude.

These influential variables are carefully selected for consideration because manpower training is aimed at changing the behavior of the organizations’ employees towards better job performance, improved productivity and the overall success of the organization objectives.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

In every organization, emphasis should be placed on manpower training and retraining in order to improve level of productivity, which will lead to achievement of goals or target. Any organization that neglects employees training and retraining may be said to encouraging failure. This is because; lack of training will lead to dropping of employees’ moral, competent as well as productivity. Not only that but also employee skills and innovation may decline and this will cause the entire organization to suffer a devastating blow in terms of manpower strength, which may lead to un-attainment of target or goals. Therefore, in this research, the researcher intends to examine the important of organizational performance in relation to manpower training, retraining and development. The research work will also come up with recommendations, which may provide solutions to public sector organizations personnel department problems. This could be in terms of relevance and need for manpower training particularly in to the Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue .

1.3     Objective of the Study

The following are the objectives of the study:

  1. To examine the processes, methods and attainment of manpower training of employees in the public sector.
  2. To examine the process, methods and attainment of employee productivity in the Public sector.
  3. To discover the effect of knowledge on employee productivity in the public sector.
  4. To discover the effect of skill on employee productivity in the public sector.
  5. To discover the effect of attitude on employee productivity.
  6. To establish relationship between the effect of knowledge and skill on employee productivity in the Public Enterprises.
  7. To establish relationship between the effect of knowledge and attitude on employee productivity.
  8. To establish relationship between the effect of skill and attitude on employee productivity.

1.4     Significance of the Study

The significance of the study includes the following:

  1. The Board used as a case study and other interested parties might make and improve rules and regulations responsible for;
  2. Encouraging manpower training of the Board employees to increase performance and employee productivity.
  3. Holding the Board employees accountable for their inactions and performance of tasks.
  4. Ensuring strict compliance with spelt out positive measures against deviations from the organization precepts and standards of job performance.
  5. Clear delegation of responsibilities to subordinate employees in the Board.
  6. Encouraging team work, collective participation and adequate rewarding of the organization employees based on outstanding job performance or merit.
  7. The Board and other interested parties may find reasons to appreciate the practical relevance manpower training in the public sector to facilitate employee productivity and realization of objectives as well as comparison of industry performance and benchmarking.
  8. The Board and other interested parties may encourage the selection of most suitably qualified personnel’s to perform tasks, given the personnel’s background, study and history in promoting professionalism.
  9. Government or managers, researchers and other interested readers of this research work may find the study interesting too. This is because the research topic is treated in the perspective of contemporary public sector and organization challenge(s), geared by the globalization of information technology.

1.5     Scope of the Study

This research work is meant to cover manpower training and its effect on employee productivity in the public sector. The study is relevant and made very comprehensive too. To achieve this, the researcher considered the board of Internal Revenue. Beside, the influential variables of the organization employees productivity to be covered are; knowledge, skill and attitude. For this study, the Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue , Kaduna is used as a case study.

1.6      Research Questions

The following research questions are considered in the study:

  1. Do knowledge has any impact on employee productivity in the organization?
  2. Do skills have any impact on employee productivity in the organization?
  3. Do attitudes have any impact on employee productivity in the organization?
  4. Does training and development have any impact on employee productivity in the organization?

1.7     Research Hypotheses

The following null hypothesis (Ho) and alternative hypothesis (Hi) are considered in relation to the research questions for the purpose of this study:

Hypothesis One

Ho: There is impact of knowledge on employee productivity in the organization.

Hi: There is no impact of knowledge on employee productivity in the organization.

Hypothesis Two

Ho: Skills have impact on employee productivity in the organization.

Hi: Skills have no impact on employee productivity in the organization.

Hypothesis Three

Ho: There is impact of attitude on employee productivity in the organization.

Hi: There is no impact of attitude on employee productivity in the organization.

Hypothesis Four

Ho: There is impact of training and development on employee productivity in the organization.

Hi: There is no impact of training and development on employee productivity in the organization.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

In the public sector, Board of Internal Revenue deals with a lot of financial activities which are very tasking and requiring adequate knowledge and skills. It is recording a lot of successes though with so many bottlenecks. All of these are symbols needing better performance and high productivity, which may not be without the organization employees’ participation.

Perhaps, this is because the Board of Revenue may be regarded as one of the life wire for financial activities that may be needed for projects execution of the country. However, the complexity in human living and the real increases in industry competition globally make the government to pay greater attention on the organization employees’ performance and the way forward. This explains the reason why the organization on recruitment and selection has to seek for more competent personnel’s, who may be able to build and maintain the image of the public sector and confidence in the minds of the general public. And because the competence employees may be affected by the quality of education lagging adequate knowledge, skill, financial process and insufficient training to achieve objectives, manpower training of employees become imperative for higher job performance in the public sector organization in general or the board in particular. Therefore, this research work has as its basis the important of manpower training for employee productivity in the public sector organizations which is the way forward the country.

The delimitation of this research work comprises the financial constraint which greatly affects the researcher during the period of the research. Time constraint is also another serious problem encountered, which makes the researcher to work sleeplessly because of combining it with other necessary school activities. Another serious problem faced during the research was lack of corporation of the respondents in terms of supplying needed data to facilitate the research work.

1.9     Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined based on their usage in this research work. The terms may take different meanings and interpretations but defined below within the confine of this research work. The terms include:

Variables – attributes and characteristics of something that can influence job performance.

Globalization – wide and international spread of ideas, finance business activities enabled learning by information technology and the computer.

Information Technology – computer machines and electronics systems facilitating data processing, storage, retrieval and use in a more economic, effective and efficient manner.

Effectiveness – the use of resources to achieve results on time.

Efficiency – the use of resources to achieve results without waste.

Resources – these are men, money and materials used in producing goods and services.

Performance – the ability to do what is expected to be done as required without delays or errors.

Benchmarking – copying and modernizing the activities of another enterprise especially a leading enterprise within an economy for success.

Manpower – This is the workers required for job to be done.

 

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IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLE AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Efficient and effective organization performance and productivity is the core target and interest of any business establishment. The efficiency and achievement of any organizational goal must be anchored on certain persons and responsibilities delegated to persons for the purpose of concentration and division of labour benefit. Attitude and behavior towards any activity is also a core determinant of the success of that act.  The behavior of employees in organizational life and their relationship with their jobs are affected by many variables. One of the most important of these variables is leadership behavior of supervisors for leadership is seen as the behavior of impressing people in many studies.

Leadership is the process through which an individual tries to influence another individual or a group of individuals to accomplish a goal. Leadership is valued in our culture, especially when it helps to achieve goals that are beneficial to the population, such as the enactment of effective preventive health policies. An individual with leadership qualities can also improve an organization and the individuals in it, whether it be a teacher who works to get better teaching materials and after school programs or an employee who develops new ideas and products and influences others to invest in them.

The behavior of employees in organizational life and their relationship with their jobs are affected by a lot of variables. One of the most important of these variables is leadership behavior of supervisors for leadership is seen as the behavior of impressing people in many studies. It has also become clear that organizational commitment has important implications for employees and organizations through various studies by researchers. Bennett and Durkin (2000) stated that the negative effects associated with a lack of employee commitment include absenteeism and turnover.

Employees are bent on acting in such manner as they have seen their boss or superior imply. The activities of employee is the major determinant of performance and output because an improved attitude towards work and toward one responsibility and assignment will transform into the person’s ability to either perform effectively or not.

It could be observed that leadership and management envisages deeply into what the organization can achieve if the quality of recognition is accorded to them. Leadership has been propounded to include the sources of influence that are built into a position in an organizational hierarchy. These include organizationally sanctioned rewards, and punishments, authority, as well as referent and expert power katz and kahn 1966, p.32. It could be seen however, that subordinates within the organization, through not all seem to enjoy the influence that exists all over and above the organization. Leadership is very essential organization and greatly influences the whole organization because achievements and results occur corollary to the traits being projected by the leader.

In general terms the acts of controlling other people consists uncertainty reduction ,which entails making the kind of choice that permits the organization to proceed towards its objective despite various kinds of internal and external variables. The effectiveness of leadership has some characteristics, which include forceful threats, a complete assertion of authority to the subordinates, and a derived, and situational responsibility. Note that in the society today, not only the presence of rewards (positive and negative), or the incentive appraisal could induce productivity but the feeling of belongingness. Improper leadership qualities within the organization have a negative impact on the subordinates as well as the achievement of the organizational objective. An 6 organization that has growth and forward looking has a good leadership and vis a vis a bad or deteriorating organization has a bad leadership. Leadership is always related to the situation. There is a growing awareness that is a continuous interaction between the factors presents in any given situation, including for example, the personal characteristics of the leader, the tasks, the environment, the technology, the attitudes, motivation and behaviour of the followers and so on

Hence, in order to be effective, it is critical for managers to influence their subordinates, peers, and superiors to assist and support their proposals, plans, and to motivate them to carry out with their decisions Blickle, (2003). Organization commitment can also increase the creativity in the organizations Sousa & Coelho, (2011). However, organizational commitment is one of strong determinant of success towards employees for the better performance of the organization, which is highlighted various times in the past literature Chew & Chan, (2008) Das, (2002). The behavioral status of the employees in any company is occasioned and influenced by the leadership behavior and life style, this transcends into productivity level and performance.

Another way of defining leadership is to acknowledge what people value in individuals that are recognized as leaders. Most people can think of individuals they consider being leaders. Research conducted in the 1980s by James Kouzes and Barry Posner found that a majority of people admire, and willingly follow, people who are honest, forward looking, inspiring, and competent. An individual who would like to develop leadership skills can profit from the knowledge that leadership is not just a set of exceptional skills and attributes possessed by only a few very special people. Rather, leadership is a process and a set of skills that can be learned.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Over the years, there has been conflicting ideas and conceptions about the effect of leadership style and the behavior of employees towards productivity. Leadership includes the ultimate source of power but has that positive ability in persuading other individuals and to be innovative in decision-making. According to Bennis and Nanus,(2013) many organizations are over managed and under led. The difference is crucial, managed are people who do things right, but leaders are people who do the right things always. Problems are bound to occur within every noted organization and decision-making is bound to generate conflicts while initiating policies. People are expected to coordinate. Whatever they are doing to achieve organizational goals. In this light, the notion of leadership act are those, which help a grouping meeting those stated objectives (Bavelas 1960).

However, the scholarly ideology and dichotomy on the degree of impact exacted on productivity and employee performance by leadership and organizational behavior remain a national and scholarly contest. Several researchers are of the opinion that leadership style is greatly related to performance while others believe that employee behavior is more related to productivity and performance level of an organization at large. Undisputable, different scholars have different ideas and different perception about organizational behavior and leadership style. Thus, the question remains, which leadership style is best for organizational and employee’s performance maximization? What degree of contribution do leadership styles have on the performance level? Are there positive or negative relationships between the leadership and organizational behavior and employees’ performance? To what extent are these claims applicable and feasible in the area of this study? These constitute the major problems that triggered and motivated this study.

1.3 Research Objectives

The main objective of this study is to ascertain the impact of leadership and organizational behavior on employee performance.

The specific objectives of this study include

  1. To ascertain the relationship between leadership style and employees commitment to work.
  2. To ascertain the relationship between organizational employees behavior and employees commitment to work.
  3. To ascertain the relationship between leadership style and organizational behavior.

1.4 Research Questions

  1. What is the relationship between leadership style and employee’s commitment to work?
  2. What is the relationship between organizational behavior and employee’s commitment to work?
  3. To what extent do leadership style relate to organizational behaviors?

1.5 Hypotheses

H01

There is no significant relationship between leadership styles and employee’s commitment to work

H­02

There is no significant relationship between organizational behavior and employee’s commitment to work s

H03 ­

There is no significant relationship between leadership style and organizations employees behavior

1.6 Significance of the Study

Every research work is expected to be of relevance to certain persons thus this work ill be relevant to the following ;

  1. To the academia, this work will be relevant as it will constitute a literature of relevance on the topic organizational behavior and leadership.
  2. It will serve as a working document for firms and business organizations on the type of leadership style to adopt and the implications of employee’s behavior on their performance.
  3. To further researchers, this work will be adopted as a research material for further studies and reference material.
  4. This work will highlight various strategies to manage different organizational behaviors since people behave differently.

1.7 Scope of the study

The area of coverage of this the research work is basically on UNILEVER PLC Aba, Abia. The project is primary concerned with the impact of leadership and organizational behavior on employee performance particularly in Aba.

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