IMPACT OF PHYSICAL WORKPLACE FACTORS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKPLACE FACTORS ON EMPLOYEES PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED STATE UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined how physical work environment and psychosocial work place factors affect employees’ performance in selected State Universities in North East Nigeria. The study used a comparative cross-sectional survey research design in which data was collected through sampling which questionnaire were administered to 335 academic and non-academic staff of Adamawa state university, Mubi, (ADSU), Gombe State University, (GSU), Yobe State University, (YSU). Data collected was subjected to percentage analysis and hypotheses were tested using regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed that physical workplace factors on employees performance is statistically significant (β = 0.190, t = 2.525, p < 0.05. Also it was revealed that psychosocial workplace factors on employee performance is statistically significant (β = 0.435, t = 9.456, p < 0.05). This means that there is significant and positive relationship between physical workplace factors, psychosocial workplace and employees’ performance in State Universities in the North East, Nigeria. The study therefore, recommends that there is need for the management of some selected State Universities in the North East, Nigeria to give more priority and change their strategy on how they handle some of the issues associated with some factors of the physical workplace environment that may have a negative effect on employees performance, such as internet facilities, electric power supply, lack of portable water supply, insufficient lecture halls, and inadequate and unavailability of staff accommodations. All these factors should be available to employees so as to increase their performance in these institutions. The Management of these selected State Universities in the North East of Nigeria should change the method in which they pay their employees Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), as the majority of the employees are not pleased with the method currently adopted by the management of State Universities.