THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND WORK PERFORMANCE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR

ABSTRACT

 This study has examined employee participation in decision making and its impact on productivity.  Three publishing outfits in Enugu were studied, namely: Government Printing  Press, ROCANA Nig Ltd and GOSTAK Nig Ltd.

 The population consisted of managers and employees in the three elected firms in Enugu Urban.  The sample for the study was 137.  Out of the 137 questionnaires administered, 105 were returned.  Oral interview was also used to obtain responses from some managers and employees.

 The outcome of the study was analyzed by the use of tables and percentages while the three hypothesis formulated were tested by the use of chi-square.

            The study reveals that;

a)Participative decision making does not involve participation at all levels of management.

b)There is a positive relationship between participative management and productivity i.e to say participative

management results in increased productivity.

c)The investment effort in the practice of participation has not been yielding the desired out puti.e increased

productivity.

d)There are diverse perceptions of participation among the workers and managers.

e)The pressing problems facing the practice of participation is that employees and managers misconstrue participation in decision making.

            Indeed participative management should be seen as an inevitable tool in any organization both public and private.

            The following recommendations were also put forward.

a)Managers should put more efforts in encouraging their employees to contribute to decision making and incorporate them into the organizational policy.

b)Managers should allow increased level of workers participation in decision making since they are the centre of operations and can say better on issues bearing on those areas.

c)Participative management should be redefined and properly applied so that peoples understanding and perception of what it is all about will be improved.  

d)The operators of businesses should take steps to set specific measurable objectives that participative management should aim to achieve.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

SIGNIFICANT OF THE  STUDY

RESEARCH  QUESTION

RESEARCH   HYPOTHESIS

SCOPE  OF THE STUDY

LIMITATION OF THE  STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.2 CONCEPT OF PARTICIPATION

2.3 EXPRESSED VIEWS CONCERNING EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION

2.4 LEADERSHIP STYLES AND DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION

2.5 CONDITIONS AND INFLUENCES ON PARTICIPATION

2.5.1 Education

2.6       ARGUMENTS FOR PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT

2.7       ARGUMENTS   AGAINST    PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT

2.8 METHODS OF INVOLVING EMPLOYEES IN DECISION MAKING

2.9       ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY    THROUGH PARTICIPATION

  CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1     DESIGN

3.2       POPULATION OF THE STUDY

3.3 SAMPLING PROCEDURE

3.4       INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION

3.5       METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

3.6    RELIABILITY/VALIDITY OF TEST

3.7       DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF   DATA

4.1       PRESENTATION        OF DATA FROM MANAGERS’ RESPONSES

4.2 PRESENTATION OF  DATA   FROM EMPLOYEES’ (OPERATIVES) RESPONSES

4.3       TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF

FINDINGS

5.1. INTRODUCTION

5.2       DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 

5.3       SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

5.4       CONCLUSIONS

5.5       RECOMMENDATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

The manufacturing sector in Nigeria has been a focal sub-sector; but little is probably known about the influence of its employee involvement in decision making on firms’ performance.   The manufacturing sector in Nigeria has  been a focal sub-sector; but little is probably known about the influence of its employee involvement in decision making on firms’ performance.    The particular attention in manufacturing emanates from the conviction that the sector is a potential instrument of modernization, a  creator of jobs, and a generator of positive spill-over effects (Tybout, 2000). Moreover, the growth in manufacturing output has been a key element in the successful transformation of most economies that have   seen sustained rises in their per capital  income (Soderbom and Teal, 2002). Focus should therefore be on manufacturing and  those factors that may foster its growth.

A high degree of involvement (deep employee involvement in decision making) means that all categories of employees are involved in the planning process. Conversely, a low degree of involvement (shallow employee involvement in decision making) indicates a fairly exclusive planning process (Barringer&Bleudorn, 1999) which involves the top management only. A deep employee involvement in decision making allows the influence of the frontline employees in the planning process. These are the people who are closest to the customer and who can facilitate new product and service recognition,  a central element in the entrepreneurial process (Li et al., 2006). This   means that employee participation in the planning process surrounding the potential innovations may facilitate opportunity recognition throughout the organization (Kemelgor, 2002; Zivkovic et al., 2009).