A Survey of Physical Working Conditions and Their Effects on Productivity of the Secretaries in Some Business Establishments
Chapter One
Objectives Of The Study
The following are the objectives of this study:
To examine the impact of physical working environment on organizational performance.
To identify the factors that contributes to good physical working environment in an organization.
To determine other factors that enhances organizational performance.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This section comprises of a detailed analysis of past research studies conducted purposely to establish existence of any relationship between workplace environment on performance of employees in an organization set up. This chapter seeks to help the researcher understand what other researchers have done and the methodologies employed in their researches. This part hence covers in details the theoretical foundation on productivity of the secretaries and workplace environment constituents and how each element of workplace environment affects productivity of the secretaries.
Theoretical Foundation
This study is informed by Affective Events Theory and Theory of Work Adjustments whose details are discussed herein.
Affective Events Theory (AET)
Advanced by Weiss and Cropanzano (1996), Affective Events Theory examines the relationship between the internal influences of employees and their respective responses to various occurrences that take place in their workplace environment which affect in return their levels and quality of performance, organizational citizenry and job satisfaction. According to the Affective Events Theory positive or negative incidents that occur at workplace have ability to significantly impact on employees‟ job satisfaction whose effect results into lasting reactions evidenced job performance, loyalty and commitment to the company and job satisfaction.
The Affective Events Theory has had substantial acceptability with proponents of its findings such as Ashton and Ashkanasy (2005) agreeing to the very pillars of the AET which postulates that workplace incidences lead to affective responses in employees which in turn influence workplace cognition and behaviors. It is best suited in explaining how different initiatives undertaken by the organization affect the employee‟s immediate working environment and their possible resultant effect on the individual employee‟s job performance, satisfaction and organization citizenry. Affective Events Theory‟s strength is in its ability to be both empirically and theoretically tested at Micro-level attitudes and behaviors within the organization. However this micro level perspective is also its undoing as the theory is not able to explain effect of extra- organizational environment on productivity of the secretaries.
Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA)
The theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) as advanced by Dawis and Lofquist (1984) proposes an interaction between the employee and the work environment. TWA postulates that the seeking of correspondence between individual employee and the work environment is a basic human motive. According to Eggerts (2008) correspondence is a reciprocal process between the workers‟ satisfaction- which can be defined as an employee being satisfied with the work he/she does and the employer‟s satisfaction with individual employee‟s performance (Satisfactoriness). According to Dawis (2005) in the equation between the various fit types within an organization, satisfaction and satisfactoriness plays an ultimate mediation relationship.
TWA is viewed by many scholars and theorists as highly empirically right a perception attributed to its basis that is founded on a well-accepted experimentally based stimulus-response model and secondly, operationalization of its testable propositions through extensive instrumentation. According to Hackett et. Al (1991) TWA has had minimal criticisms leading to its uncontestable perception by many scholars as one of the dominant vocational behavior theory. According to Swanson and Schneider (2013) TWA is perhaps the dominant theory in explaining employee- Work Environment a view supported by Dawis (2005). TWA according to Dawis (2005) offers strategies which clients adopt to improve their work circumstances. TWA though has inability to explain how both the employee and environment adjusts so as to satisfy one another as its visible weakness.
Elements of Workplace Environment
Workplace environment is defined as the totality of interrelationships that occur between the employees and the workplace in which they perform their tasks Kohun (2002). According to Heath (2006) workplace environment is multifaceted and constitutes of work environment as physical location, Organizational Culture, Working relations, Work Location, Procedures, Policies, rules among others as key constituents of work environment that influences productivity of the secretaries. Other elements that constitute work environment and that are of interest to this study are, Work-Loads, team-building, leadership styles, Physical set up and Work-Life-Balance practices within an organization. According to Vischer (2008) making workplace environment conducive should be a topmost agenda for any organization as it provides significant support to the employees in executing their tasks.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Research methodology is defined by Creswell (2008) as the systematic theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study. Covered herein are the research design and method this research study adopts. This section also covers the researcher‟s target population, size of the sample from which the responses were sought, sampling techniques and method used in data collection, validity and reliability of instruments as well as Data Analysis Techniques used.
Research Design
Data collection was done majorly through surveying of people and recording of their responses at one point in time for analysis purposes. Additionally descriptive survey was adopted to enable assessment existence of relationships between the dependent and independent variables under study. According to Singleton (2009) descriptive research design is the most comprehensive and appropriate in situations the researcher is faced with large and diverse amounts of data to be analyzed within a short period of time. Additionally, Teddlie and Tashakkori (2003) posits the appropriateness of descriptive designs over other designs as it enables assessment of relationships existing between the dependent and independent variable or even in cases there exist moderating variables.
Population of Study
Research population is defined by Pole and Lampard (2002) as all members belonging to a given organization to which a study is in relation to. Ngechu (2004) opines that a population of study can comprise of organizations, components under study, individuals, families and gathering of items. This study hence covered 1200 African Independent Television Employees drawn from Senior Management, Mid-level Management and those in non-managerial levels.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Introduction
This study was carried out purposely to determine the perceived effect of workplace environment on productivity of the secretaries at the African Independent Television. This chapter hence covers data analysis, presentation and discussion of the study findings.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
Presented in this chapter are the summary of the findings, drawn conclusions, recommendations of the study based on the objectives of the study, Limitations of this study and Recommendations for future research studies.
Summary of Findings
This study sought to determine the effect of physical working conditions on Productivity of the secretaries at the African Independent Television. From the findings of this study, it is evident that there is no significant variation in gender among employees of AIT and that a majority of these employees have worked at AIT for a period longer than 10 Years hence understand the workplace environment at AIT to a larger extent. It is also revealed that a majority of employees at AIT have a bachelor‟s degree are aged 26 years and above hence understand the concept of workplace environment and productivity of the secretaries in depth.
As relates to physical workplace environment, employees at AIT were not comfortable with workplace environment as provided by the African Independent Television this is especially so with comfort of furniture, office space, provision of undisturbed work environment and office floor configuration. Employees are satisfied to a moderate extent respect accorded to junior employees by the seniors.
The study findings also revealed that a majority of the employees at the African Independent Television were satisfied with the management and leadership styles and approaches in place at their workplace. Despite this endorsement though a majority of employees were dissatisfied with the management and leadership styles as applied at AIT especially as regards to non-consultative/participatory approach and non- devolving of powers to the lowest units at their workplace.
As regards to AIT”s Organizational Culture, a majority of the employees agreed that their organization‟s Top Leadership share the vision, mission and values of the company. Despite this a majority of the respondents were strongly dissatisfied with the organization culture of the African Independent Television. The respondents dissented to having their views taken seriously by their employer in decision making process, there being free flow of information at their workplace, promotion of informal social groupings by the employer and provision of opportunity to employees to contribute to strategy implementation. It is evident hence that a lot needs to be done at the African Independent Television especially in the areas of information flow, promotion and supporting of informal social groupings at the workplace, provision of opportunities to employees to contribute to strategy implementation and finally, taking seriously employees‟ ideas in decision making for easy of obtaining their buy-in on a number of management initiatives.
Results on WLB Practices most of AIT employees expressed their satisfaction with most of the WLB practices in place at AIT. Employees are able to strike a healthy balance between work priorities and their personal life demands and that supervisors are accommodating when one has a job-family conflict, employees can access paid maternity/Paternity leave as and when necessary and finally that African Independent Television grants its employees leave as and when necessary in order to give employees time off work to relax and attend to personal issues. On the other hand employees expressed dissatisfaction as regards to existence of adequate institution-based daycare centers at the workplace.
As regards to teamwork the study revealed that a majority of the employees expressed great satisfaction with workplace environment at the African Independent Television especially as regards to Colleagues empathizing with one another, AIT rewarding team success and Colleagues providing support to one another. However respondents strongly expressed their dissatisfaction to the level of resource sharing among colleagues pointing to likely high level of distrust among the employees at AIT. From the above results employees at the Communication Authority expressed moderate satisfaction with their workplace environment as relates to teamwork at their workplace at an average mean of though there is room for more to be done especially in building trust among the employees.
Finally as regards to the performance measurement practices at CA, this study revealed that a majority of employees expressed great satisfaction with levels of involvement by their supervisors in setting performance goals, Rewards as provided by AIT whenever they exceeded performance targets and being able to meet performance targets and goals on time. However employees strongly expressed dissatisfaction to their supervisors‟ inability to; provide regular and timely feedback on performance, regularly appraise performance and observe fairness when appraising performance. Overall, AIT employees were moderately satisfied with performance measurement with a feeling that much more can be done to improve the current status. The study findings indicate existence of a fairly functional and effective productivity of the secretaries measurement system that allows managers and supervisors to involve their subordinates in goal setting and rewards performance that exceeds set targets. However it can be improved further by making the appraisal process seen and felt to be fair by all employees, making the appraisal process more regular and finally supervisors providing regular and timely feedback on performance employees.
Conclusion
From the findings of this study, the five workplace environment variables (Physical Working Environment, Management/Leadership style, Organizational Culture, Work Life balance and Team work) have significant effect on productivity of the secretaries at the African Independent Television. Leadership and Management Styles as established through the regression model strongly and positively influenced productivity of the secretaries at African Independent Television, followed by the physical workplace environment which entails furniture, office space, office floor design and noise free work environment. The study findings revealed a positive influence of Organization‟s culture and teamwork on productivity of the secretaries with WLB having the weakest positive influence on productivity of the secretaries at the African Independent Television.
Recommendation
Following the levels of dissatisfaction expressed by respondents on a number of questions under Organizational Culture, This study recommends that the Communication Authority Management puts in place systems to enable information flow freely at the workplace so as to enhance transparency and minimize mistrust from its employees. The study too recommends that African Independent Television makes a concerted effort to provide opportunities for its employees to meaningfully contribute to its strategy formulation and also take into consideration various views as vented by its employees. Finally on Organizational Culture this study recommends that the AIT Management and leadership promotes, encourages and supports informal social groupings within the workplace to the extent these groupings do not adversely affect performance of its employees.
Employees at the African Independent Television felt like their ideas and views are not taken seriously by the employer in its decision making process a perception that may have adverse ramifications on employees‟ creativity, innovation and performance. This study hence recommends that AIT puts in place systems to see that employees‟ ideas are given serious consideration they deserve and followed to the very end. Additionally, this study recommends that AIT decentralizes power through devolving powers to the lowest units at the workplace. Additionally, as relates to AIT”s physical workplace environment, AIT should make efforts to ensure their employees are provided with more comfortable furniture (Seats and workstations) as this will greatly contribute to the performance of its employees.
Finally, this study recommends that AIT establishes institution-based daycare centers at the workplace; this will go a long way in psychologically satisfying especially the nursing mothers who may not be able to give their best efforts if such a facility was not in place.
Recommendation for Further Research
The study findings herein are restricted to responses as given by the employees at the African Independent Television, it will be of absolute value add for similar studies to be carried out within other workplace environments in other state owned corporations for corroboration on the findings herein and also to give a broader perspective on the relationship between work place environment and productivity of the secretaries. This study recommends that other future researches consider other workplace environment variables not exhaustively covered in this study to assess their strength and significance in influencing both quality and level of performance of employees.
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