Nigerian Work Environment Research Articles

Effect of psychological intervention in cushioning work-induced stress among secondary school home economics teachers: Implications for policy and administration.

Work demands in the contemporary Nigerian work environment are a critical concern to many including occupational stress researchers. This informed the current study to investigate the effect of psychological intervention in cushioning teachers' stress in public secondary schools in Nigeria. A randomized control design was applied. The participants were 80 secondary school home economics teachers. They were randomized into 2 groups, that is, treatment and waitlisted arms. The former was designed as a 12-session cognitive behavior intervention while the latter was waitlisted and the members received theirs at the end of the study. Both group members were evaluated at the pretest, posttest, and follow-up test to understand the baseline of the problem, treatment outcome, and sustainability respectively. Perceived Stress Scale and Teacher irrational belief scale were used as test tools. Data from the 3-time tests were analyzed using multivariate statistic. The main effect results showed a significant reduction in teachers' stress and irrational beliefs due to cognitive behavior intervention. The follow-up test results also indicate that the impactful benefit of cognitive behavioral intervention on job stress reduction was significantly sustained over time. Regarding the influence of gender, the result shows no significant influence of gender on teachers' job stress in schools. This study suggests that cognitive behavior intervention can decrease work-induced stress among secondary school home economics teachers. Therefore, the management of schools is enjoined to deploy the services of cognitive behavior therapists to monitor the mood and mental health of teachers.

Stress Management And Employee Productivity: An Examination of the Nigerian Work Environment

Stress Management And Employee Productivity: An Examination of the Nigerian Work Environment

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS (FWAS) AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: AN EMPIRICAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION COMPANIES

This comparative analysis seeks to ascertain the extent to which Flexible Working Arrangements FWAs have been adopted in the Nigerian work environment and equally uncover if the acclaimed efficacy of these Flexible Working Arrangements in ensuring sustained optimal performance is as realistic in the Nigerian work environment as it is in advanced countries using two production companies, Nigeria Bottling Company NBC- a multi-national company and Camela Vegetable Oil Company- an indigenous company as focal points. The survey research design with questionnaire and interviews as instruments of primary data collection and library research for secondary data was used for the study. The research hinges on Self Determination Theory with simple percentages used for data analysis and chi-square for testing hypothesis. Research findings showed that Flexible Working Arrangements (FWAs) are not yet being practiced in these organizations of study thus they are yet to start harnessing the immense benefits of flexibility in work. It is recommended that organizations should re-strategize by upturning some of their archaic and obsolete operational policies and imbibing new ones like the flexible work arrangements which are in accord with current contemporary global practices.
 Keywords: Flexible Working Arrangements (FWAs), Organizational Performance, Self Determination Theory, Flexitime, Work-Life Balance (WLB).

THE EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE NEEDS IDENTIFICATION ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY IN SELECTED TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

A significant challenge in the Nigerian work environment is the challenge of productivity. This challenge has been attributed to a long-held emphasis on training which is concerned with the immediate benefit of the organisation. This study examined the effect of employee needs identification on employee productivity measured how far the Nigerian corporate world has adjusted to this trend. The scope of the survey cut across the Nigerian telecommunication companies. Specifically, the objective of the study was to determine how the employee needs identification impacts employee productivity variables (employee problem-solving skills, employee effectiveness, employee efficiency, and employee innovation and creativity). The population of the study consists of all employees who are engaged in the operations of the three main mobile service providers in Lagos State, Nigeria which was a total of 359. The sample size of 359 was arrived at using a census approach because the population of all the three firms’ customer service centres and the total number of employees of their customer service centres are within the Lagos geographical location. The study adopted the survey research design to generate findings from quantitative data. Results were analysed with structural equation modelling with Path coefficients, and Statistics used to measure the variables. From the study’s findings, variables measured had a high effect on each other, with employee needs identification directly and significantly influencing employee productivity. It was recommended that management must assess the learning requirements of individual employees and cater for their learning needs in order to have a more productive workforce

SUSTAINING INNOVATIVE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY

Business organisations are facing the challenges of innovative adaptation in human resource management in Nigeria. The study aims at highlighting the various areas of conscious alignment of human resource management to the ever changing technology in the Nigerian work environment as a boast to achieving organizational productivity. Data used for the research were secondary and primary. In a field research of Petterson Group Ltd, an Onitsha based human resource consultancy firm, a likert structured questionnaire containing eight (8) items were designed and administered on the management staff. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. Hypotheses were tested using Z-test in the SPSS software. Findings reveal that functional areas of human resources; recruitment, training and development as well as salary and wage administration are experiencing noticeable innovations. It is recommended that close cooperation between employers and relevant agencies and organs of government will go a long way in facilitating effective implementation of statutory innovations and reforms like in the areas of contributory pension scheme, monetization, minimum wage, etc.
 Keywords: Innovation, Human Resource Management, Organizational Productivity.

The experiences of work-life balance, stress, and coping lifestyles of female professionals: insights from a developing country

PurposeGiven the limiting conditions of the gender roles confronting professional working women and drawing on spillover theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of work-life balance with an emphasis on the causes of the imbalances, perceived stress, and coping techniques experienced by female medical doctors in an African context – Nigeria, a geographical location that is considered under-researched.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data is based on one-to-one in-depth interviews with 52 Nigerian female medical doctors.FindingsBased on the findings of the thematic analysis, it is clear that time squeeze, as a well-known factor in the medical profession, exacerbates negative work-home interference. However, other themes, such as patriarchal proclivities and task-pay disparity, that affect female doctors but are rarely considered in studies on work-life balance also emerged as sources of stress and work-family conflicts, leaving these doctors to devise individual coping methods as mitigating strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on a limited qualitative sample size, which makes the generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study contributes to the limited literature on the implications of stress and work-family incompatibilities facing women in a society that is not particularly egalitarian, with an extremely pronounced culture of masculine hegemony that is contrary to western cultures. The article unveils the socio-cultural difficulties of the work-life demands facing women specific to the Nigerian society and experienced with a different level of intensity.Originality/valueThe majority of the research on work-life balance has been undertaken in western countries and has focused on various professional groups and organisations, including the health sector. Nevertheless, work-life balance is a novel concept within the Nigerian work environment, where female medical doctors, as a professional group, are rarely studied. The article also provides valuable insights into the macro-contextual features influencing the work-life balance of Nigerian professional women.

Role of Psychological Capital in Effective Management of Work-stress among Tertiary Institutions’ Staff in Nigeria

Work-stress is synonymous to occupational stress. It is a common form of strain that is usually experienced by employees, in the course of performing their official duties and responsibilities. In the contemporary world of work, including the Nigerian work environment, work-stress is identified as a ‘corporate epidemic’. Its symptoms are mostly observed physically, psychologically and socially in the lives of affected employees, while the negative effect of occupational stress is specifically, measured on employee performance and organizational effectiveness. It is for the above-described nature and effect of work-stress that this study examined the role of psychological capital in effective management of work-stress among the staff of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It adopted the explanatory survey research design, purposive and convenience sampling techniques in sampling a total number of 202 (male = 116, 57.4% and female = 86, 42.6%) academic and administrative staff of five (5) public and private tertiary institutions, in the western region of Nigeria, who served as participants in the study. All participants were Nigerians English speakers. Research participation eligibility was strictly based on the current enlistment of employees on the pay-roll of the institutions as at the time of the study. A structured validated questionnaire was used as an instrument. Hypotheses were stated and analyzed based on the data collected. Results revealed that the four psychological capital states jointly influenced work-stress management F(4,197) = 8.375; R2= 0.128; p<.05; resilience (β=0.145; t=1.983; p<.05) and optimism (β=0.294; t=3.756; p<.05) independently influenced workstress management; optimism (r=.224, P(.001)<.01), resilience (r=.350, P(.000)<.01) and hope (r=.247,P(.000)<.01) significantly correlated with work-stress management. The study concluded that psychological capital is one of the important factors that effectively helps in managing work-stress, and suggested that the management of institutions or organizations should sensitize employees on the importance of psychological capital in effective management of work-stress through seminars, trainings and conferences.

Role of Psychological Capital in Effective Management of Work-stress among Tertiary Institutions' Staff in Nigeria

Work-stress is synonymous to occupational stress. It is a common form of strain that is usually experienced by employees, in the course of performing their official duties and responsibilities. In the contemporary world of work, including the Nigerian work environment, work-stress is identified as a ‘corporate epidemic’. Its symptoms are mostly observed physically, psychologically and socially in the lives of affected employees, while the negative effect of occupational stress is specifically, measured on employee performance and organizational effectiveness. It is for the above-described nature and effect of work-stress that this study examined the role of psychological capital in effective management of work-stress among the staff of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It adopted the explanatory survey research design, purposive and convenience sampling techniques in sampling a total number of 202 (male = 116, 57.4% and female = 86, 42.6%) academic and administrative staff of five (5) public and private tertiary institutions, in the western region of Nigeria, who served as participants in the study. All participants were Nigerians English speakers. Research participation eligibility was strictly based on the current enlistment of employees on the pay-roll of the institutions as at the time of the study. A structured validated questionnaire was used as an instrument. Hypotheses were stated and analyzed based on the data collected. Results revealed that the four psychological capital states jointly influenced work-stress management F(4,197) = 8.375; R2= 0.128; p<.05; resilience (β=0.145; t=1.983; p<.05) and optimism (β=0.294; t=3.756; p<.05) independently influenced workstress management; optimism (r=.224, P(.001)<.01), resilience (r=.350, P(.000)<.01) and hope (r=.247,P(.000)<.01) significantly correlated with work-stress management. The study concluded that psychological capital is one of the important factors that effectively helps in managing work-stress, and suggested that the management of institutions or organizations should sensitize employees on the importance of psychological capital in effective management of work-stress through seminars, trainings and conferences.

Management of Designed Safety Adherence Model for the Nigerian Work Environment

Studies on management of the designed safety adherence model in Nigerian workplace environment revealed that there is an inter-relationship between adherence to safety rules and regulations and goo...

Reference Groups and Worker’s Job Satisfaction in Selected Work Organisation in Lagos, Nigeria

This study examines the resolve to mentor of individuals with no mentors, with male mentors, and with female mentors, using a sample of 70 male and 70 female potential mentors in the Nigerian work environment. Descriptive statistics showed that the greatest level of resolve to mentor was made by respondents in the female mentor group, followed by those in the male mentor group; the least was by respondents in the no mentor group. Results of one way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in resolve to mentor of respondents in these groups. The source of the significant difference was the low resolve to mentor in the no mentor group compared to the high level recorded in the female mentor category. Generally, male respondents in each of the study groups reported a higher level of resolve to mentor than their female counterparts. These findings are discussed in the context of mentoring and goal commitment literature. The study represents the first enquiry of a potential mentor’s resolve to mentor. The practical implication of findings is that individuals will be more resolute to serve as mentors if organizations create a pleasant mentoring experience for them by training their mentors, especially male mentors, in the act of effective delivery of mentoring. Findings further suggest that better incentive to serve as mentors is possible through a reward policy and a training package to improve perceptions of mentor benefits, especially among female potential mentors who were less resolute to mentor.

Experience of Sexual Harassment at Work by Female Employees in a Nigerian Work Environment

Among the prominent issues bothering the work experience of female employees is that of sexual harassment at work. This paper is an empirical study on this issue. The study seeks to uncover perceived experience of sexual harassment among female employees in a Nigerian work setting. Questionnaire was the main research instrument adopted to gather important data for the study. It found that majority of the respondents have experienced sexual harassment of one kind or the other usually from their male superiors. Socio-cultural factors dictated their varying responses ranging from concealment due to fear of shame to ignorance of channel of legal redress. Suggestions are made towards improving enlightenment campaign to female workers on their rights to legal redress if they were sexually harassed by their male boss, the formation of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) to protect rights of female workers and the active involvement of trade unions in efforts meant to reduce the incidence of sexual harassment at the workplace.

Group Differences in the Resolve to Mentor of Potential Mentors

This study examines the resolve to mentor of individuals with no mentors, with male mentors, and with female mentors, using a sample of 70 male and 70 female potential mentors in the Nigerian work environment. Descriptive statistics showed that the greatest level of resolve to mentor was made by respondents in the female mentor group, followed by those in the male mentor group; the least was by respondents in the no mentor group. Results of one way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in resolve to mentor of respondents in these groups. The source of the significant difference was the low resolve to mentor in the no mentor group compared to the high level recorded in the female mentor category. Generally, male respondents in each of the study groups reported a higher level of resolve to mentor than their female counterparts. These findings are discussed in the context of mentoring and goal commitment literature. The study represents the first enquiry of a potential mentor’s resolve to mentor. The practical implication of findings is that individuals will be more resolute to serve as mentors if organizations create a pleasant mentoring experience for them by training their mentors, especially male mentors, in the act of effective delivery of mentoring. Findings further suggest that better incentive to serve as mentors is possible through a reward policy and a training package to improve perceptions of mentor benefits, especially among female potential mentors who were less resolute to mentor.

A Study of Worker Participation in Management Decision Making Within Selected Establishments in Lagos, Nigeria

This paper is concerned with an investigation of the existing level of worker participation in management decision making within the Nigerian work environment. The study involved a survey in which a total of two hundred and twenty seven (217) non management employees drawn from two work organizations in Lagos (Flour Mills Nigeria Plc and Niger Insurance Plc) were used as subjects. Interview schedule and in-depth interview were the main research techniques adopted for data collection while percentage distribution and chisquare statistical techniques were used to analyze the data collected for the study. Results show that employees in both organizations demonstrate a high interest in participation in the decision making process within their respective work places. However, the actual level of involvement in management decision making demonstrated by the employees was found to be relatively low. There is significant relationship between education and employees’ involvement in decision making at Flour Mills Nigeria Plc. In Niger Insurance Plc, there is a significant relationship between age and employees’ involvement in decision making as well as between frequency of employees’ consultation and organizational commitment. The study reveals a growing desire of non-management employees in the Nigerian work environment to exercise greater involvement in the decision making process of their enterprises.

Career Outcome of Job Experience and Gender Occurrence of Mentoring

The study examined the career success outcome of job experience and gender occurrence of mentoring in the Nigerian work environment. It utilized a factorial design in a survey of five hundred and ten managers from three international and seven local banks located in Lagos State, Nigeria. All the participants were involved in informal mentoring relationships. The results of the analysis of variance showed that there was no difference in career success between employees with high levels of job experience and those with low levels. In addition, job experience and gender did not combine to determine career success. Male protégés had better career success compared to their female counterparts, but the level of career success reported under male and female mentors was comparable. The gender of the protégé and that of the mentor interacted to yield four gender combinations that affected career success differently. Results showed that cross-sex combinations produced higher levels of career success compared to same-sex combinations. The findings imply that gender occurrence of mentoring is more relevant for career success among Nigerian employees. The paper recommends that training and mentoring intervention should be structured in ways that take cognizance of the gender factor.

Determinants of pay satisfaction of senior managers in the Nigerian Civil Service

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate senior managers' satisfaction with pay in the Nigerian Civil Service.Design/methodology/approachA field study was undertaken to test the hypotheses. The sample was drawn from senior managers in the Nigerian Civil Service. A quantitative methodological approach was used based on questionnaire designed to measure the variables that literature review has identified as having relationship with pay satisfaction.FindingsThe finding of this research paper shows that pay incentive scheme is a distinctive dimension of pay satisfaction among senior managers in the Nigerian Civil Service; and the perception of pay‐for‐performance determines the level of satisfaction with pay.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size is very small relative to the total federal civil service population. Only senior managers were selected for questioning and may not reflect the general opinion in the Nigerian Civil Service. The sample is limited to the Federal Civil Service and excludes state and local government services in a federally governed country.Practical implicationsThe study has important implications for organisations and human resource practitioners in Nigeria to design their compensation and benefit programmes.Originality/valueThis research is one of the few studies that explore pay incentive schemes as a distinct dimension of pay satisfaction relevant to the Nigerian work environment. It adds value to the study of organisational justice by demonstrating that procedural justice, interactional justice, and distributive justice, influence pay satisfaction.