IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES ON EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED HIGHER INSTITUTION OF LEARNING

ABSTRACT

The performance and attitude of employees’ towards official assignments around the workplace varies from one individual to another. Some individuals approach their duties with utmost seriousness while others present a rather lackadaisical approach. It is the opinion of the majority elites that an individual approach to official assignments in a corporate environment is as a result of different factors many of which in most of the cases are attributed to the social, political and economic variable .The environmental variables which are equally important as other variables lags behind in order of ranking and importance to employees’ performances in various institution or industry, be it banking, textile, oil and gas, and the academic environment. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of environmental variables on employees performance in selected institutions of higher learning in Yaba Lagos State, Nigeria. The research questions as well as hypotheses were drawn to investigate the extent of environmental variables on employees performance. The research design used was the survey design in which the population of the study consisted of members of staff some selected tertiary institutions. A sample size of one hundred and six (106) was selected using convenient sampling. Copies of questionnaires were administered to the respondents in which ninety-five (95) copies was collected back. The research question were analysed using frequency tables and simple percentages while the hypothesis were tested using Pearson Product Movement Correlation Method. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between environmental variables and employees job performances. The work environment was found to be socially and physically challenging, thereby leading to some negative behaviours on the part of the workers’ such as fatigue, low commitment and mobility of skilled labour from one higher institution of learning to another. The study concluded that in view of the importance of selected environmental variables to employees job performances programmes such as the introduction of financial incentives positive leadership and pollution (either noise or air pollution) employee performance  should be looked-into analyzed and improved upon by the management in work organizations.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Environment is the surrounding conditions and external forces influencing employee’s productivity irrespective of the nature of the organization. The productivity of employee, both the public and private sector depends on several factors out of which the immediate or working environment plays a vital role towards ensuring the optimum performances of individual or group of workers’ in question. In the course of attaining an optimal abysmal performance of employees’ in an organization, positive and negative work environment plays a vital role Decenzo & Robbins (1998).

The type of environment in which employees’ operates goes a long way to determine the way in which such enterprise prospers. About Eighty six percent (86%) of productivity problems resides in the work environment of organizations. Akinyele (2010)

The performance of a corporate organization which determines its survival and growth, depends to a large extent on the productivity of its workforce. Akinyele (2010) workers’ productivity cannot be optimal if the conditions of work environment are not favourable. Brenner (2004).

It should be noteworthy that employees’ carryout official assignment with vigour in a conducive working environment. A conducive environment ensures the well-being of employees’ which enable them exert themselves to their roles which translates to higher productivity. A conducive environment endangers motivation and aspiration for optimum productivity in organization Akinyele (2007).

A working environment where employees have access to adequate materials to work with at his or her immediate disposal, improves their performance(s) and productivity. In today’s Nigeria, industries, factories and public sectors are not producing effectively due to non-conducive environmental factors, For example the rise of insurgence in the Northeast of Nigeria has made most of the working environment unfriendly for employees’ in private and public institutions to perform ineffectively, which has a negative impact on their overall productivity.

Also, the performance of employees’ increases when the working environment ensures a stable and long-time job security. Surveys over the years has shown that most people prefers to seek employment in a government-owned institutions to that of their private counterpart. This can be adduced that government-owned institution hardly carry-out sudden and unannounced sacking of the work force enmass, and that the workers’ detainment is guaranteed for maximum numbers of years compared to privately-owned institutions Alam & Sameena (2012).

In addition to sustainability of a prosperous organization, another important variable is the issue of continuous training and manpower development with correct and up-to-date techniques in relations to their jobs. Employees’ who attends seminars and trainings on a regular basis are encouraged to put their best not only in their daily cores but also in furtherance to their career development Casio (1989).