THE INFLUENCE OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE MORALE IN BREWING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA

THE INFLUENCE OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE MORALE IN BREWING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

There is a challenge of the difficulty in determining the effect of Diversity Management on Employee Morale in the Brewing Industry in Southeastern Nigeria.  The specific objectives of the study were to determine the type of influence diversity management has on employee morale in the brewing industry in Southeastern Nigeria, to determine the nature of the effect of demographic work-place diversity on the state of the minds aspect of employee morale in the brewing companies that were studied, to establish the effect of socio-cultural work place diversity on the willingness to perform aspect of employee morale in the brewing companies in the area studied, to determine the influence of workplace diversity management on the polarization aspect of employee morale of the brewing companies in the area studied and to ascertain the effect of workplace management on the autonomy aspect of employee morale of the brewing companies in the area studied. The research design was a combination of the survey, oral interview and PEST model modification. Hypotheses 1, 2, 3 were tested using the Z test of population proportions while 4 and 5 used the Z test for Likert Scale Responses. It was found that Diversity Management had a positive influence on employee morale in the brewing industry in Southeastern Nigeria (Z_c = 5.936 > Z_t = 1.645), the demographic workplace diversity had a positive influence on the state of the minds aspect of employee morale in the brewing companies in the area studied (Z_c = 7.139 > Z_t = 1.645), the socio-cultural workplace diversity had a positive influence on the willingness to perform aspect of employee morale in the brewing companies in the area studied (Z_c = 8.343 > Z_t = 1.645), the demographic workplace diversity management had a positive influence on the polarization aspect of employee morale in the brewing companies in the brewing companies in the area studied (Z_c = 33.904 > Z_t = 1.645) and that the workplace management had a positive effect on the autonomy aspect of employee morale of the brewing companies in the area studied (Z_c = 33.990 > Z_t = 1.645). The conclusion was that Diversity Management had a positive influence on Employee Morale in the brewing industry in Southeastern Nigeria which implied that the management of the differences and similarities of the behaviour, attitude to work, culture, religion and management styles of the workers would make for an increase in the performance factor of employee morale which determines the extent to which the workers of the brewing companies are doing their work. Recommendations were made along that line.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Managing diversity and employee morale have had early influences. Management of diversity naturally has been of some concern to organized history throughout the history of civilization. Most of the early contributions came from practitioners such as Taylor and Fayol. Taylor is the father of scientific management and wrote his book in 1911 while Fayol developed the fourteen principles of administration (Koontz and O’Donnel, 2000). Management in antiquity shows the interpretation of early Egyptian papyri, extending as far back as 1300 B.C., that indicates the recognition of the importance of organization and administration in the bureaucratic states of antiquity with similar records of such existence for ancient China. Confucius’s parables include practical suggestions for proper public administration, and admonitions to choose honest, unselfish, and capable public officers (Koontz and O’Donnel and Weihrich, 2000).

The Roman Catholic Church, if one is to judge by age, is probably the most efficient formal organization in the history of Western civilization. Its long organizational life has been due not only to the appeal of its objectives but also to the effectiveness of its organization and management techniques. The development of the hierarchy of authority with its scalar territorial organization, the specialization of activities along functional lines, and the early use of the staff device are striking examples of these techniques. However, present times are showing the challenges of diversity management where the Pope Benedict XVI resigned on Thursday February 28, 2013 in the face of growing issues of age and general administration (Nwachukwu, 2013).

In the Military Organisations as might be expected, some of the more important principles and practices of modern business management may be traced to military organizations. Except for the Church, no other form of organization in the history of Western civilization has been forced, by the problems of managing large groups, to develop organization principles. Yet despite the need, the military organizations probably failed to put the theory to use before the past two centuries (Koontz and O’Donnel, 2000).

THE INFLUENCE OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE MORALE IN BREWING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA