EFFECTS OF EMPLOYEES’ COMMITMENT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

1.1       INTRODUCTION

In an era of limited resources, governments at all levels are pressured to produce maximum output with the least input. A great deal of attention has been given to a variety of Performance improvement strategies, including public-private partnership, and Balanced Score Card (BSC), in the hope that such strategies are a starting point for Performance improvement. It should be noted, however, that no Performance improvement strategy alone is perfect. As such, various strategies should be used at the same time. Since Performance improvement is a function of too many factors, ranging from top management support to feedback on budget based decisions, it is essential to be aware that all factors are equally important (Holzer & Callhan, 1998; Lee, 2000a).

Among others, the backdrop of Performance improvement is an employee’s desire to be maximally productive. As Guy (2002) points out, “it is the people who, in the long term, control the Performance of any organization” (p.307). Even if there might be a number of reinvention efforts and top management support, unless employees at all levels are willing to improve Performance, all efforts toward Performance enhancement will come to nothing.

Modern day Organization is  concerned  with the  analysis  and  diagnosis  of  the  factor  that determine  organizational  effectiveness,  and  the planning and delivery of programmes to increase that effectiveness. Organizations want to obtain the commitment of their employees. Management  would  like  its employees  to  identify  with  the  values,  norms and artefacts of  the organization, hence  the need for organizational culture. Management needs  to explain  and  imbibe  its  culture  in  its  employees; this will enable the employee to get familiar with the  organizational  system.  During  this  process of  explanation,  the  employee  learns  about  the organizational  culture  and  decides  whether  he can  cope  with  it  or  not. This means that each organization is a learning environment. It is the proper understanding of the organizational culture that the performance of theemployee in the organization. Performance is the extent to which an individual is carrying out assignment or task. It refers to the degree of accomplishment of the task that makes up an employee’s job (Cascio, 2006).

Commitment has a rational element: Most people consciously decide to make commitments, then they thoughtfully plan and carry out the actions required to fulfill them (Meyer, et al, 2004).Because commitments require an investment of time as well as mental and emotional energy, most people make them with the expectation of reciprocation. That is, people assume that in exchange for their commitment, they will get something of value in return—such as favors, affection, gifts, attention, goods, money and property. From this perspective, this paper sheds light on the importance of a multidimensional view of employee commitment. This paper starts with an assumption that the previous concept of organizational commitment may not tell the whole story about individual performance and Performance. Identifying multiple foci of employee commitment beyond the organization helps explain various motivational bases among employees toward Performance improvement efforts.

1.2       Statement of Problem

The problem of this study bore from the fact that there is a wide discrepancy between employees’ efforts towards work and what he or she receives or get in return for that effort. In the world of work, as particularly in an organizational setting, employees and employers have traditionally made a tacit agreement: In exchange for workers’ commitment, coca cola’sgoverning bodies would provide forms of value for employees, such as secure jobs and fair compensation. But rather unfortunate, the employees irrespective of their level or ranking in Coca-cola. As a result, workers in the organization have embarked on series of protest in order protect their work conditions and improve welfare package. Reciprocity affects the intensity of a commitment. When an entity or individual to whom someone has made a commitment fails to come through with the expected exchange, the commitment erodes.This study therefore, looked into the effect of employee’s commitment on organizational Performance,a case study of staffsof the Coca-cola, Edo state.

1.3       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

It is in view of the above problems that the following questions arise:

1. What is the level of employee commitment in relation to job satisfaction in Coca-cola?
2. Does motivation improve employees’ commitment to work?
3. Does the level of employee’s commitment determine organizational Performance?

1.4       OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of employee’s commitment on organizational Performance. The study also aims at:

1. Determining the effect of employee commitment in relation to job satisfaction.
2. Ascertaining whether motivation improve employees’ commitment to work, and
3. Ascertaining whether employee’s commitment determines organizational Performance.

1.5       STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses will be tested in this study:

H0: There is no significant relationship between job satisfaction and employees’ commitment

H0:   There is no significant relationship between motivation of employees and employees’ commitment to work

H0:There is no significant relationship between employee’s commitment and increased performance/Performance

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY    

The findings from this study will help to highlight those areas where there are problems among staff and thus will be of great benefit to the authorities of higher institutions and the policy makers. The results of this study would hopefully be significant in the sense that it would enable both the Management of universities to better understand how the various motivational factors could be harnessed to inspire staff to increase and sustain Performance.

The findings from this study would help to further highlight the likely problems of frustrations and how motivation can be used to either reduce or eliminate these problems amongst staff of the organization (Coca-cola).

1.7       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is on effect of employee’s commitment on organizational Performance. The study will also covers the various techniques of employees commitment and theories of motivation as they impact on employees Performance in an  organization.  The study covers between 2010 and 2011.

1.8       LIMITATION OF STUDY

 The study is limited to the employees’ commitment, and its effect of organizational Performance. The study does not consider other variables and as such is limited to only those areas specified above. Also, the study only covers the academic environment which is further confined to the Coca-cola, Ekpoma. It does not cover all sectors of the Nigerian educational system; and as such the study does not look into how commitment strategies work or influence Performance across other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

1.9       ORGANIZATION OF STUDY

For an orderly presentation of this study, this research essay has been divided into four chapter.The first gives an introduction of the study, chapter two focuses on literature review, chapter three is the presentation and analysis of data generated for this study, and chapter fourthe summarizes the study and gives useful recommendations.

1.10    DEFINITION OF TERMS

Employees’ commitment can be defined as both a willingness to persist in a course of action and reluctance to change plans, often owing to a sense of obligation to stay the course.

Morale: Moral refers to staff emotional and mental level of zeal.

Employees: Are theworkers in an organization, working for the accomplishment of the organizational goals. In this study, the employees are those staffs of the organization, the Coca-cola, Edo state .

Performance: It is the relationship between the amount of one or more inputs and the amount of outputs from a clearly identified process. That is the outcome performance of an organization or individual. 

Motivation:These are factors (familiarity, concern and driving force), which exist or are provided in a work situation either physically or psychologically which determine the input and Performance level of the worker.

REFERENCES

Cascio, J.S. (2006) The public-private distinction in organization theory: A critique and research strategy. Academy of Management Review, 13, 182-201.

Guy, M.E. (2002). Managing people. In M. Holzer (Ed.), Public Performance handbook (pp.307-320). New York: Marcel Dekker.

Cohen, A. (2003). Multiple commitments in the workplace: An integrative approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (2001).  A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1, 61-89

Meyer, J. P., Becker, T. E., & Vandenberghe, C. (2004). Employee commitment and motivation: A conceptual analysis and integrative model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 991-100.