job performance of the administrative staff in south west Nigeria ...

European Journal of Educational Studies 4(3), 2012
European Journal of Educational Studies 4(3), 2012
© 2012 Ozean Publication
JOB PERFORMANCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN SOUTH WEST
NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES
E.O. OLORUNSOLA
Institute of Education, University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
E-mail address for correspondence: funmiladebayo@yahoo.com
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Abstract: This study examines the job performance of administrative staff in federal and state universities in
south west Nigeria Universities. It also investigates whether age will significantly influence the job performance
of the administrators. A self- Administered questionnaire titled job performance questionnaire (JPQ) was used
for data collection from the respondents. 400 respondents in different department were rated by their
supervisors or heads of departments. The selection was done through multi-stage sampling and random
sampling technique from four universities out of which two are federal and two are state Universities. A
descriptive research of the survey type was employed. The data were subjected to t-test analysis and one-way
ANOVA for the analysis. The findings revealed that there is no significant difference between the job
performance of administrative staff in federal and state Universities. Also, age will not significantly influence
the job performance of administrative staff. Recommendations were made based on the findings that both
federal and state government should equip the universities more and also motivate the worker’s more to further
boost their morale for greater performance.
Key words: Performance, Organization, Goal Directed, Behaviour.
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INTRODUCTION
Job performance in various organizations has been a hot spot that has taken the fancy and attention of
researchers in the recent times now, mostly in the education sector job performance is of paramount importance
in maintaining an enviable position of any organization. Researches have shown that no organization can exist
unless its workers are highly productive. Little wonder then, that Campbell (1999) asserted that the most
obvious category of individual behaviour‘s in the work place are those that support the organizations objectives
( Hughes, Ginnelt and Curphy, 2009) corroborated this and opined that performance concerns those
behaviours directed toward the organizations mission or goal or the products and services resulting from those
behaviours .
McShane and Glinow (2005) were of the opinion that performance is a goal directed behaviours under the
individuals control that support organizational objectives.
Olorunsola (2010) submitted that a worker may put in his best if he knows that the leader possess the ability to
motivate him, as this ability in a leader is important to boost the morale and the performance of the work group.
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European Journal of Educational Studies 4(3), 2012
She further added that performance is propelled by workers evaluation of what they gain or lose by acting in a
particular way.
Akinsorotan and Adedeji (2001) supported the fact that better promotion prospects, opportunity for further
training are special ingredients needed for high organizational job performance.
Taylor (1991) also concord that incentives are prerequisite to job performance and achievement of a set goal in
an organization. He further reiterated that any worker who does not get as much incentives as he anticipates may
likely be dissatisfied and not perform on the job.
This implies that if the necessary expected incentives expected by the worker are lacking in the work place .it
may prevent workers from exercising their proficiency skill and expertise on the job.
Age is also said to be an important factor in job performance. Olorunsola (2010) asserted that age may diminish
the activities of older workers as ability to move smart and even think logically may be lost, slowing down the
speed of work while Avolio, Waldman and McDaniel (1990) had a positive view that older workers usually
have more job experience and experience is an important predictor of job performance. Shepherd (1995) decline
from such view that aging might depress performance in physical demanding jobs. The problem of the study
therefore, is to investigate the job performance of administrative staff in federal and state universities in south
west Nigeria and also to examine whether age will significantly influence job performance of administrative
staff.
Purpose of the Study
This study is to achieve two main purposes namely:
1. To investigate the job performance of administrative staff in federal and state universities in south west
Nigeria.
2. To examine whether the age will significantly influence job performance of these administrators.
Research Question
1. Is there any difference between job performance of administrative staff in federal and state
Universities
2. Will age influence the job performance of administrative staff
The following hypotheses were generated to guide the study.
- Ho1 there is no significant difference between the job performance of administrative staff in federal
and state Universities.
- Ho2 Age will not significantly influence the job performance of administrative staff.
METHODOLOGY
The descriptive research of the survey type was adopted in the study. The population of the study comprised of
all the administrative staff in south west Nigeria Universities.
The Multi-Stage and random Sampling technique was used to select four universities out of which two are
federal and two are state Universities.
The research instrument for the study was questionnaire titled job performance questionnaire (JPQ) to elicit
information from the supervisors and heads of units about their subordinates. Both face and content validity of
the instrument was established by experts and the correlation coefficient was 0.229. The reliability of the
instrument was ascertained using Cronbach Alpha and a reliability coefficient of 0.916 was obtained.
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European Journal of Educational Studies 4(3), 2012
RESULTS
Hypothesis 1: there is no significant difference between the job performance of administrative staff in federal
and state Universities.
Table I: Data were analysed using t- test comparison as presented in the table.
Table 1: t-test of difference between job Performance of administrative staff
in federal and state Universities
Group N Mean S.D df t-cal t-table
Federal 155 320.77 21.30 299 1.734 1.960
State 146 226.42 22.30
P> 0.05
The table shows that the mean score for job performance of administrative staff were 320.77 and 226.42
respectively. The t-calculated was 1.734 while the corresponding t-table was 1.960. The table calculated was
greater than the t-calculated, hence the hypothesis was accepted. Hence there is no significant difference
between the job performance of administrative staff in federal and state universities.
Hypothesis 2: One-way ANOVA of age and job performance of administrative staff.
Table 1: One-way ANOVA summary of age and administrative staff
Source SS df MS f-cal f-table
Between Groups 15.60 3 5.217
Within Groups 143323.8 297 482.572
Total 143339.4 300
P>0.05
0.011 2.60
Table 2: Shows one-way ANOVA summary of age and administrative staff. The f-calculated and f-table were
0.011 and 2.60 respectively. The f-table 2.60 is greater than f-calculated 0.011 therefore the null hypothesis is
accepted at 0.05 level of significance. It is therefore implied that age will not significantly influence the job
performance of administrative staff.
DISCUSSION
The study revealed that there was no significant difference between the job performance of administrative staff
in federal and state Universities. This finding implies that whether a university is owned by federal or state
government, does not make any difference in the workers performance. The reason might not be unconnected
with the efforts of the state government in their efforts to equip the state Universities and improve the welfare
packages of their workers, promoting workers as at when due. This is in line with assertion of Ogunsanya
(1981) and Ibikunle (1997) that promotion prospects are strongly related to high job performance. Akinsorotan
and Adedeji (2001) supported that better promotion prospects, opportunity for further training are special
ingredients needed for high organizational job performance.
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European Journal of Educational Studies 4(3), 2012
Also Hughis, Ginnelt and Curphy (2009) are of the opinion that it is the leader and management that make
workers and institutions whether federal or state to perform. He further asserted that harmony between the
management and workers will enhance performance. The study also revealed that age of workers will not
influence their job performance. Even though one may naturally think that age should influence workers job
performance as ability decreases with age.
This finding is not in agreement with Sheldon (1971) who holds the view that age binds one more tightly to job
performance in the organization particularly, the pension plans.
Lawrence (1987) opined that managers often find aged employees of either sex to be more reliable in job
performance. This is just to buttress the fact that age is not a barrier or would not significantly influence job
performance if the environment is condusive , materials and other infrastructures or tools are adequately
provided for the workers to work whether old or young will not matter as long as the skill, basic education and
acumen is there.
CONCLUSION
The study examined if there is significant difference between the job performance of administrative staff in
federal and state universities and whether age will significantly influence the job performance of the
administrative staff. The study was able to conclude that there was no significant difference between the job
performance of administrative staff in federal and state universities. It was also revealed that age of workers will
not influence the job performance of the administrative staff in south west Nigeria Universities.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The fact that there is no significant difference in the job performance of administrative staff in federal and
state universities implies that motivation from both the federal and state government for the workers are high,
the organizational climate is quite encouraging and the facilities provided for the workers are adequate. This
standard should be kept and workers morale should be boosted more to keep the standard. Also, age was found
not to significantly influence the job performance of workers. This also means that both old and young staffs are
pulling their weight and committed to their job. This should be encouraged and sustained with a lot of
motivational remunerations.
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Lawrence, B.S. (1987). An organisational Theory of age effects Research in the sociology of organisations. 5,
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