THE EFFECT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF POWER, WORKS AND HOUSING, ABUJA)

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Human effort in organization is indispensable. It comprises a complicated phenomenon to managers of organization to comprehend. Accordingly, it is believed that every behavior is a goal directed. Therefore, for an organization or individual to involve in any productive venture, it must have underlying factors including the individual in that direction. Thus, the effect of work environment in actualizing set target for the organization must be in good condition.  A work environment can be identified as the place that one works, which means the milieus around a person. Work environment is the social and professional environment in which an individual is supposed to relate with a number of people. The work environment has a pronounced impact upon employee productivity. Work environment simply mean those processes, systems, structures, tools or conditions in the workplace that impact favorably or unfavorably employee productivity. The work environment also involve policies, rules, culture, resources, working relationships, work location, and internal and external environmental factors, all of which affects the methods those employees carryout their job functions. It is the standard of the employee’s workplace environment that most impacts on the level of employee’s motivation and subsequent performance. How well they work with the organization, majorly with their immediate environment, influences to a great extent their error rate, level of innovation and collaboration with other employees, absenteeism and, ultimately, how long they stay in the job. The environment that an individual is required to work in can have a significant impact on their capability to execute the tasks that they have been assigned to do. This has a way of affecting productivity and health and well-being of employee. The main factors fall into two groups, those that are moved by procedures, protocols and management requirements and the factors that emanate from premises, office or factory design. Factors that are Management driven include the development of Organization plans such as the allocation of responsibilities at all levels of the organization, definition of job descriptions and the degree of access to the management and administrative support needed to complete their tasks; Working patterns, shift-working, break times, absence or holiday cover; and Health and safety policies, including the provision of training, development of conducive working practices and the adequate supply of equipment. Business environment today is very competitive; management cannot afford to lavish the potential of their workforce. The key factors in work place environment impact greatly on employee’s level of motivation and their productivity. A well set workplace environment boasts employee morale, productivity– both positive and negative. And when the circumstances are not favorable it will be affecting the productivity of the employees in the various form of delay. In an effort to motivate employees, organizations have adopted performance based pay, practices to aid balance both work and family and various forms of information sharing. Management’s new challenge is to create a work environment that draws keeps and motivates its workforce. However, the organizational goal can only be achieved if the environment is conducive. Work environment consists of the office buildings, its furniture and layout as well as the physical conditions under which workers operate. it is also concerned with the external factors to the business which the office serves, the industry or other activities within which the business lies, the custom and laws of the community within which they operates. These environmental factors are always changing and the office must react to the changes, but how does the customs and laws reduce workers morale? This question can be answered after investigation. Workers today are more educated than before. They are more likely to raise questions about their environment of work since management itself is dynamic pro. It has conformed and addresses itself to the provision of convenient work environment for workers productivity. But what are those factors that boast productivity? However, unconducive work environment and poor conditions have brought a great danger to workers health and therefore leave them to work with less joy and excitement and work progress is warped and disrupted. Knowledge of the effect of work environment on the productivity of employees cannot be over-emphasized or seen as overstatement in every organization. Experience has shown that workers are directly influenced by the environment they find themselves or where their competence will achieve nothing in terms of productivity if the environment is not convenient. There is a great need for standard of working condition received legal backing law and act of parliament which made it mandatory for all business organizations to provide the minimum standard of interest that will enhance the performance of employees as an objective. It is against this backdrop, that the study, the effect of work environment on employee productivity is being examined.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Employees use about 50 percent of their existence within work environments, which extremely affect their status of mind, aptitudes, and actions in addition to their performance (Sundstrom, 2012). Notwithstanding this, the environment in the workplace of most government organizations and public companies are insecure and harmful to one’s health (Perry & Porter, 2010). These comprises poor air circulation, poor personal protective equipment, inappropriate furniture, inadequate security measures in fire emergencies (absence of fire extinguishers), unnecessary noise, unfitting lighting and poorly designed workplaces. Employees operating in these environments are susceptible to job-related ailment and it influences on worker’s productivity negatively. Meanwhile, it is the value of the work environment that influences greatly on the quality of worker’s inspiration and productivity (Hughes, 2007). In recent time’s competitive corporate environment have created a situation where companies cannot tolerate to misuse the abilities of their staff (Armstrong & Murlis, 2007). For that reason, public companies cannot afford not to do their possible best to create a comfortable, safe and healthy work environment if productivity is a priority. There is important evidence that productivity advancement in government organizations has not kept pace with the growths discovered in the non-governmental sector (Killefer & Mendonca, 2010). The difficulty is that encouraging local workers is not an easy task in the mist of poor working environment. Government employees have a status for sluggishness and indolent due to their poor work environment (Wilson, 2011; Wright, 2016) and managers’ cannot do much to resolve the issue because of the firm civilservice laws. How local managers can inspire their staff is considered to be one of the big challenges of Public Management” (Behn, 2011). The above situation can adversely affect the productivity of government organizations and for that matter needs immediate attention.

1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the work environment of federal ministry of power, works and housing?

 2. What is the productivity of workers of federal ministry of power, works and housing?

3. What is the effect of work environment on productivity of employees?

4. What are the factors influencing the employee productivity?

5. What is the relationship between work environments and employee productivity?

6. How does work environment affects employee performance?

1. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To examine the work environment of federal ministry of power, works and housing.

 2. To assess the productivity of workers of federal ministry of power, works and housing.

3. To determine the effect of work environment on productivity of employees.

4. To identify the factors influencing the employee productivity.

5. To examine the relationship between work environment and employee productivity.

6. To study how work environment affects employee performance.

1. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significant effect of work environment on employee productivity.

H1: There is a significant effect of work environment on employee productivity.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship between work environments and employee productivity.

H1: There is a significant relationship between work environments and employee productivity.

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is important in providing better understanding of the relationship between working environment and employee’s productivity in government organization which will serve as a guide to evaluate how the working environment affect the performance of government employees. In addition, the study makes room for employees to voice their level of work affection which helps in formulating training needs (Newstrom and Davis, 2010). Moreover the study would serve as background information for similar research in the future.       

1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to the effect of work environment on employee productivity.

1. DEFINITION OF EXPRESSIONS

Environment: as the term itself indicates, is anything immediately surrounding an object and exerting a direct influence on it.

Employee: An employee is an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job. The employee is hired by the employer after an application and interview process results in his or her selection as an employee.   

Productivity: describes various measures of the efficiency of production. Often, a productivity measure is expressed as the ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production process, i.e. output per unit of input.