EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES AND EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The most important asset of any business is its people. Ensuring the employees are working at their greatest potential enhances productivity and efficiency although many issues can inhibit and restrict an employee from working at their prime. This study examines the relationship between employee assistance programmes and employee commitment in deposit money banks in Rivers State. The focus was on three major employee commitment types affective, normative, and continuance commitment. The study was guided by three research objectives. Literatures on the concept of employee assistance programme, employee commitment, normative commitment, continuance commitment and affective commitment were duly reviewed in the study and the study was anchored on the Social Exchange Theory. According to the studys findings, the organizations employee assistance scheme policy needs to be carefully reviewed to make sure all of its motivational strategies are successful. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that Deposit money banks are encouraged to provide fair employee assistance programmes for workers, as happy workforce tends to be more committed and work hard by putting in their best to achieve organizational goals, Deposit money banks should have a basic set of Human Resource (HR) polices in place that are intended to promote employee welfare, such as an effective safety management system, employee pension scheme, in order to increase the level of commitment of their employees, amongst others.