WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
The study examined the relationship between workplace management strategies and employee commitment in Local Government Councils in Rivers State. The study used Ergonomics and Automation as the dimensions of the independent variable while Affective and Normative commitment were used as the measures of the dependent variable. The population of the study consisted of the entire employees in the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State; a convenient sampling was used to derive 13 local government councils namely; Obio-okpo, Okrika, Ogu-Bolo, Opobo-Nkoro, Abua-Odual, Degema, Bonny, Etche, Eleme, Emohoua, Ikwerre, Port Harcourt and Khana local government councils because of proximity and accessibility. They have 4,905 employees according to the registry of Rivers State Local Government Service Commission. The study took a cross sectional survey design approach on covering the thirteen (13) Local Government Councils in Rivers State, Nigeria. The Krejcie and Morgan sample determination table was used to determine sample size of three hundred and fifty five (355) employees. Three hundred and fifty five (355) copies of questionnaires were administered, 355 were returned, but 35 copies were rendered invalid for use. Therefore, 320 copies were used for the analysis and data gathered were presented using descriptive statistical tools and hypotheses generated were analyzed with Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings revealed that ergonomics has significant relationship with employee commitment; automation in the workplace has significant relationship with employee commitment. Therefore, the study recommended that, local government administrators should pay attention to critical factors of ergonomics such as, workplace furniture, workspace design and ventilation/humidity. Local government administrators should automate the workplace by procuring modern workplace technologies and also retrain their employees to keep pace with technological advance.
