Accelerating Employee Performance through Management by Objectives: Evidence from Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

This study explore ways of accelerating employee performance through management by objective among workers in manufacturing firms in Anambra State Nigeria. Three specific objectives research questions and hypotheses were formulated with the decomposed variables of the study. This study used a survey research design. The study population was three hundred and thirty-three (333) workers whereas the sample size was one hundred and eight two (182) arrived at using Taro Yamane formula. Data were composed using a self-administered questionnaire from the sample size of workers. The simple random sampling system was applied for the study. Pearson correlation coefficient and simple linear regression were applied for hypotheses testing. In the first hypothesis, the study found that participation exerts moderate influence on employee retention among workers in manufacturing firms (β=0.65, t=10.36, r2=0.424, F=107.272, p<0.01). Secondly, the test hypothesis found that there is a significant positive correlation connecting goal setting as well as employee job satisfaction among workers in manufacturing firms (r=0.859, n=148, p<0.01). In the third hypothesis, the study found that feedback exerts moderate statistical influence on employee commitment among workers in manufacturing firms (β=0.76, t=14.24, r2=0.581, F=202.815, p<0.01). The study concludes that for manufacturing firms to increase employee performance, setting and managing objectives is imperative. The research recommended that management needs to slot in employees in its actions so as to dissuade them from leaving the firm. The study also advocated that management needs to incorporate employee contributions when setting the firm’s goals to boost employee confidence and achieve job satisfaction.