JOB DESIGN AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (A STUDY OF SELECTED MANAUFACTURING FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT

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Abstracts

The study was determined to examine the relationship between job design and organizational performance in selected Manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. In this study, we have employed the survey research design that is cross sectional. In this study, the total population is made up of 100 employees from operating firms in the manufacturing industry in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as follows: Indorama petrochemicals. = 50, Zina Polythene Limited = 50. The Yaro Yemen’s formula was used to determine the sample size of 80. A self designed questionnaire was used for the collection of data. the simple percentage was used to analyse the response. The Chi-square statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses. Findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between job design and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. Based on the findings of the study summary, conclusion and recommendations were made that Managers or the human resources department of the manufacturing firms   should study the psychology of employees before designing jobs, assignments and tasks for them, Employees should be interviewed at the time of recruitment to hire the desired employee whose psychology fits the existing job design, Existing valued employees also should be analyzed to provide them better job design to enhance their efficiency and retain them within the organization by delighting them and Employees should be involved in the process of designing their job characteristics that suits to their psychological perceptions.

Table of Contents

Title Page………  i

Declaration..      iii

Certification       iv

Dedication………….            v

Acknowledgement         vi

Abstracts…………                vii

Table of Contents            viii

List of Tables      x

List of Figures    xi

CHAPTER 1          1

INTRODUCTION                1

1.1 Background of the study       1

1.2 Statement of the Problems  3

1.3 Objectives of the Study         4

1.4 Research Question   4

1.5 Research Hypotheses             5

1.6 Significance of the Study       5

1.7 Scope/Delimitation of the study        5

1.8 Definition of Terms  6

CHAPTER 2          8

LITERATURE REVIEW       8

2.1 Conceptual Framework          8

2.1.1 Concept of Job Design        9

2.1.2 Dimensions of Job Design  9

2.1.3 Concept of Organizational performance     11

2.1.4 Measures of Productivity  12

2.1.5 Job Design and Organizational performance             14

2.2 Theoretical framework           16

2.3 Empirical Framework               17

CHAPTER 3          23

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY         23

3.1 Research Design        23

3.2 Population of the Study         24

3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques      25

3.4 Source and Method of Data Collection            26

3.5 Data Analytical Method          27

3.6 Reliability and Validity             27

CHAPTER 4          28

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS     28

4.1 Data Collection and Presentation       28

4.2 Data Analysis              29

4.3 Hypothesis Testing   33

4.4 Discussion of Findings             36

CHAPTER 5          39

SUMMARYS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS                39

5.1 Summary      39

5.2 Conclusions 39

5.3 Recommendations   40

References……….             41

Appendix I          ……………………………………………………….…………44

Appendix II         45

List of Tables

Table 4.1 Questionnaires administration and retrieval     28

Table 4.2: show age bracket of respondents        29

Table 4.3: show sex of respondents        29

Table 4.4: Academic qualification              30

Table 4.5: Marital status                30

Table 4.6: If skill variety related with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.           31

Table 4.7: If task identity related with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt?        31

Table 4.8: If task significance is associated with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt                32

Table 4.9: If organizational culture influences organizational performance.            33

4.10 Contingency Table 34

4.11 Chi Square Table     35

List of Figures

Fig. 2.1: A Conceptual Framework Showing The Relationship Between Job Design And Organizational performance          8

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Organizational performance is derived from the word job performance that means real work produced an employee within a specific time period. Performance is a comparison between the works of the real compared to the standard set by the company (Dessler, 2000). Performance is the quantity and quality of produced or services rendered by a person in doing the job (Luthan, 2005). Performance is the work of behavior (Armstrong, 1999). Performance is the relationship between work and behavior. One way an organization can perform is through job design.

An effective job design brings involvement of an employee in work related activities which clearly forecasts employee output, departmental productivity and organizational success (Bates, 2004; Harter, 2002; Baumruk, 2004).

This study emphasizes on the role of an effective job design on organizational performance and giving an initiative to managers on how the psychological perception of employees about an effective job design can help to involve them in their work and leads them towards higher performance.

Employee’s job involvement and performance increases if the job design is aligned with the employee psychological requirements and perceptions. An effective job design for the employees can increase their involvement in the job, they enjoy performing tasks and exert all cognitive, emotional and physical energies to achieve goals (Khan, 1992). According  to  Khan,  engaging  their  physical,  cognitive  and  psychological  presence  leads  employees  to  full performance (Khan, 1990). Employees with a job design due to their determination, invest their hand, head and heart to job (Ashforth& Humphrey, 1995).

Job design plays a crucial role in the achievement of organizational as well as personal goals. Job design is defined as specifying the contents or methods of any job in such a way that various requirements of the job holder can be effectively satisfied (Buchanan, 1979). These requirements may include social, technological, personal and organizational desires.

Job design is related to the process of transformation of inputs to outputs and it also takes into consideration the human factors as well as organizational factors which are of very much importance in the achievement of desired performance (Judge and Church, 2000). When employees get involved and are familiar with the job design they become more motivated to take active part in the achievement of organizational goals and as a result performance of employees increases which positively impacts the outcomes.  

Job design of one’s own choice brings Involvement, satisfaction and motivation. Such employees bear more pain for their work, they enjoy their work and stay extra hours willingly. They consider work as virtue for them and a part of their lives they feel that they are getting what they want from their jobs and fulfill their duties as ethical responsibility. These motivated, involved and delighted behaviors tend to enhance performance and ultimately organizational performance.  On the contrary if the employees are not satisfied with their job design they feel exhausted and unwilling to work properly only for the sake of organizational goals. Frustrated employees do not utilize all their efforts instead they waste their time in non-productive issues-this is what happens in mostly public sector organizations. These types of employees destroy the organizational culture. Dissatisfied and de-motivated employees become a burden for the organization if they remain and if they quit or shift to another company they cause high employee turnover cost for the organization.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

The underlying basis for the research is about how employees tend to view and enjoy their work and its impact on organizational performance. The major problems organizations face are whether organizations’ staff are motivated to perform on their jobs and whether employees find their work interesting and meaningful. 

 While there are contributions in the area of job design and its effect on organizational performance (Lawler, 2006), a relatively few studies attempt to combine the two relationships into a larger relational flow between job design and organizational performance. Vroom, (1964) proposed that people are motivated by how much they want something and how likely they are to get it. He suggested that motivation leads to effort and the efforts combined with employee’s ability together with environmental factors which interplay shall result in organizational performance.   

 It is in furtherance of this that this study reviews literature from a number of studies that attempts to outline how the design of a job can affect organizational performance.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between job design and organizational performance. The specific objectives are as follows;

1.            To examine the relationship between skill variety and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.

2.            To examine the relationship between task identity and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.

3.            To examine the relationship between task significance and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.4 Research Question

1. To what extent is skill variety related with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt?

2. To what extent is task identity related with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt?

3. To what extent is task significance associated with organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

HO: There is no significant relationship between job design and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.

HA: There is a significant relationship between job design and organizational performance in selected manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study is significant in the following ways;

Firstly, it will assist the organization to continually plan for the good of their employee’s and to ensure that employee’s job is design in such that they will be highly motivated for the good of the organization.

Others who will benefit from this study include managers, business organizations, higher institutions and the society in general.In the next segment scope and limitation of the study will be discussed.

1.7 Scope/Delimitation of the study

The study is delimited under the following heading: content scope, geographical scope and unit of analysis.

Content Scope : The content scope of this study involves an investigation to ascertain the relationship between job design and organizational performance. The independent variable is job design measure by skill variety, task identity and task significance. While dependent variable is organizational performance, measures by Profitability, Effectiveness and market share.

Geographical Scope: This study is delimited in Port Harcourt Metropolis with special reference to some selected manufacturing firms which include Indorama petrochemicals and Zina Polythene Limited.

Unit of Analysis: The unit of analysis in this research involves the individuals at the time of carrying out the study.

                This study involves an investigation of job design in relation to organizational performance; hence it is a micro level study.

1.8 Definition of Terms 

EFFECTIVENESS

Organizational effectiveness is defined in many ways depending on the organizations goals and objectives in today’s market and also is dependent on the industry.

JOB DESIGN

Job design plays a crucial role in the achievement of organizational as well as personal goals. Job design is defined as specifying the contents or methods of any job in such a way that various requirements of the job holder can be effectively satisfied.

MARKET SHARE

It is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. Market share refers to a company’s portion of sales within the entire market in which it operates.

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Productivity is critical for the long-term competitiveness and profitability of organizations. Studies have showed that the experience of work-life balance is positively related to employees’ performance and organizational performance as  well.

PROFITABILITY

Profitability is the state of yielding financial profit or gain. It is often measured by price to earnings ratio.

SKILL VARIETY

This is the ranges of relevant skills and abilities possessed by an employee to perform a specific job.

TASK IDENTITY

Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a “whole” and identifiable piece of work.

TASK SIGNIFICANCE

This is a measure of impact that determines an extent to which an employee’s measurable and identifiable task affects tasks of other employees within or outside their organization.

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