EMPLOYEE’S PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (A CASE STUDY OF DUFIL PRIMA FOOD PLC, CHOBA, PORT HARCOURT)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Certain logic supports the opinion that an organization benefits from their managers and employees collaborating, and research has shown the close link between organizational and individual effectiveness (Irawanto, 2015). For many years, the relationship between job performance and participation has been an area of interest for business researchers. If employees are to understand the need for creativity and commit to changing their work behaviours in new and improved ways, they must be involved (Singh, 2009; Kingir & Mesci, 2010). Employee participation in decision-making creates a sense of belonging among workers and an agreeable environment in which both management and employees willingly contribute to healthy relations (Noah, 2008). Thus, workers’ participation in decision-making can be seen as a motivational tool for encouraging high organizational performance and positive attitude (Noah, 2008). Scepticism regarding the relevance and value of employee participation in decision-making to firm performance persists, and as such this study assesses whether employee participation in decision-making has a significant impact on organizational performance. A pointer to achieving the goal of ensuring the organization contributes favourably to the countries growth and development is that all stakeholders in the industry must exercise a deep sense of commitment to duty in service delivery. All businesses that engage in service delivery irrespective of technological advancement require a level of human contribution to effective achieve excellent service delivery. This emphasizes the need for a proper management style that incorporates employees in all the business endeavours in the service industry, as employees are the contact point to all customers which their attitude will not only leave a lasting impression but will also be a basis for customers repeat demand. This fact drives the need for employee’s participation in business decision making and their active participation in issues that relates to their welfare. Employee participation is a very wide term with different researchers from diverse fields of study (Lam et al., 2002). Participation simply gives the researchers the need to share their ideas, challenges or fear and express opinions on possible ways that will drive the sector forward. Employees’ participation in management has attracted quite a number of researches in recent times, though its development can be viewed slow but increased employees demand for job satisfaction and the need for recognition of employees relevant in the structure of an organisation, the concept has become a major topic for first line growth. The desire for economic and industrial freedom that is believed to be attained when political democracy is achieved is a prompter to the growth of employee’s participation in organisations (Rathnakar, 2012)