CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study

The construct “Job Enrichment” has become a fundamental tool for management   in   improving   employees’ performance and organizational growth. It occurs when an employer through development and intensification, place extra amount of work on employees with the aim of making it more interesting, meaningful and increasing job challenge and responsibility. Jobs are enriched to motivate employees by adding to their responsibilities with a greater need for skill varieties in their jobs.

Due to the rapid change in environment and increasing level of competitive rivalry, organizations are now beginning to shift from the traditional ideological orientation of seeing money as the greatest motivating factor to a situation where workers today will continue to value their work, have more control in scheduling their work and deciding how best the work should be done and to be esteemed for the work they do (Bratton, 2007 & Hower,2008). In job enrichment, workers derive pleasure and fulfilment  in  their  position with a greater variety of skills (Kamal; Chris; Patterson; Robinso; Stride; Wall & Wood, 2008) and tasks that requires self- sufficiency  (Behson,  Eddy,  &  Lorenzet,2000). Job   enrichment,   according   to Leach and Wall (2004) is a design of job that increases the volume of employees’ autonomy, control, skill varieties and responsibility which invariably helps to reduce rigidity, tediousness, lack of creativity and employees dissatisfaction. Frederick     Hertzberg in     the     1950s developed and sees job enrichment as vertical loading’ of a job (Davoudi, 2013). This means that an enriched job should provide a range of tasks to be done with adequate Feedback mechanism, encouragement and communication. Leach & Wall (2002) posited that Job Enrichment is a vertical expansion of tasks with increase in employee control and responsibility. It is a vertical expansion, job enrichment is the systematic technique of “harnessing work processes and procedures for stimulating employees’ performance and satisfaction” (Robbins & Judge, 2011).  This implies that workers can sense job dissatisfaction when they realize their jobs lack necessary challenge(s), lack of adequate recognition, respect, creativity and other motivators, repetitive procedures, or a highly bureaucratic and over-controlled authority structure.

Job enrichment, according to Kotila (2001) is a job design technique that   is   useful   in   providing autonomy and encouraging employees’ initiative towards high quality performance and job excellence.  Mione (2004) sees Job enrichment as a managerial activity intended to provide employees with the necessary resourcing strategies  to facilitate skill development opportunities. Enriching job brings about internal work motivation and not just more work for them   to   do.   Hence, Job   enrichment serves as a roadmap to job fulfillment by improving the level of employees’ responsibility, acknowledgement, creativity, autonomy and control of the job to be performed in the organization. Job enrichment is a motivational need given to an employee to increase the opportunity to optimally and effectively utilize his talents, abilities, and capacities towards the realization of organizational objectives. Brown, (2004) pointed out that the objectives of every organization becomes a dream and unrealistic if the workers’ needs and requirements are not satisfied. The ability to attain and accomplish the goal of an organization is associated with the composition of tasks of an individual worker through a coordinated job design that will encourage performance using various motivational methods (Behson, Eddy, & Lorenzet, 2000) and training programmes (Kotila, 2001).

The principle of job enrichment in the practice of human resource management has   tremendously   been   seen   as   a dynamic process of increasing the work structures and processes with an environment that gives room for autonomy, flexibility, personal growth and satisfaction to the workplace (Aguinis,2009). Several studies have indicated that when tasks are routine, monotonous, repetitive and unrewarding with an over controlled   authority   structure,   workers tend to be highly dissatisfied, bored and demotivated. Job enrichment in organizational development has contributed in reducing these de- motivating  factors  by  giving  employees the right of decision making (Derek, & Laura, 2000),  and control over their task in order to promote healthier performance to the workplace (Garman, Davis-Lenane, and   Corrigan,   2003).   Though  Brown (2004)   argued   that   “Job   enrichment doesn’t work for everyone”. The principle of   individual   differences   indicate   that some people tend to assume more responsibilities which later leads to skill varieties, self-sufficiency, personal growth and  satisfaction  while  others  resist (Hower, 2008). However, it can be reiterated that job enrichment becomes effective, meaningful and interesting to employees provided the tasks will increase job satisfaction and productivity. A comprehensive understanding of ‘‘why’ job enrichment is important  for motivating workers to perform their tasks enthusiastically and relieve boredom will enable    management    in    the    public institutions to adopt  strategic techniques that will help employees to focus more on job depth in order to gain more control over their duties.

The above definition is two-tie. The first involves a set of result or performance. Performing or accomplishing a set of result refers to the effectiveness in reaching a mission, a planned achievement or a needed value without serious regard for the cost incurred in the process. Certainly, accomplishing a set of result is by far  the  most  important  focus  of  the productive concept because without it there is no productivity. The second part involves consuming resources without which achievements are not likely to happen and productivity cannot exist. It specifies the number type and level of resources needed, e.g. plant capacity, cost, raw materials, personnel, facilities, capital, technology. How well these resources are brought together refers to the efficiency of achieving results with minimum exposure of the resources. High productivity suggests minimum use of resources. From the foregoing therefore, the study seeks to examine the relationship between job enrichment and organizational productivity in selected commercial Banks, in Port Harcourt.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In this world of globalization, organizations are competing globally and one of the vital resources to organizational competitive advantage is the employees. With the view to making employees to be committed in the organization, management has resorted to fair compensation policies and human resource (HR) strategies ranging from promotion, job security, and good working conditions. However, management of the studied tertiary institution  fail to understand why some employees are not committed to the work even though they have proactively implemented fair compensation policies and human resource (HR) practices to motivate and retain them. It was observed that in the studied institution, that employees appear bored, tired, lack participation and autonomy. This seems to be as a result of poor job enrichment practices in the institution. These seem to be affecting the commitment level of employees as they are ready to do only what they are asked to do; they seem not to have a sense of duty and responsibility. It is within the foregoing that the study evaluates the relationship between job enrichment and employees’ commitment in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between job enrichment and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

The specific objectives are as follows:

1. To examine the relationship between skill variety and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.
2. To examine the relationship between task identity and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.
3. To find out the relationship between task significance and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.
4. To determine the relationship between employee autonomy and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The outcome of this study will be of immense benefit to a wide range of people. First, to the government and public policy makers, this study will help them appreciate the strategic importance of making and implementing a policy of inclusiveness that can fast-track environmental stability for business to serve, hence, promote friendly investment climate which is an impetus for increased foreign direct investment. The study will reveal to commercial banks management to promote job enrichment in the organization in order for the organization to be effective and face their competitors.

1.5 Research Questions

With the above objectives in focus, the study seeks to find answers to the following questions:

1. To what extent does skill variety associate with employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori?
2. What is the extent to which between task identity associate with employee autonomy and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori?
3. Does task significance influence employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori?
4. Does employee autonomy associate with and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori?

1.6 Statement of Hypothesis

HA: There is no significance relationship between job enrichment and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

HA: There is a significance relationship between job enrichment and employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

1.7     Scope and limitations of the Study

The scope of this study is delimited into the followings:

Content Scope: The specific areas of organizational productivity the study investigated include; efficiency, effectiveness and market share. Whereas the areas of job enrichment includes skill variety, task significance, autonomy, and task identity.

Geographical scope: This study covers an examination of strategic contributions of Job enrichment on employee performance in First City Monument Bank PLC Bori.

Unit of Analysis: This is a macro study because it is interested in ascertaining the effectiveness of an organization in this direction.

In carrying out this research work, the researcher was constraint by lot of factors which include but not limited to the following:

Time Constraint: The time frame provision for this study was short.

Financial Constraint: Usually, a study of this nature involved some level of expenditure; therefore, finance was also a limiting factor.

1.8 Definition of Terms

ADAPTABILITY

This is the ability of an organization to adapt to relevant changes that take place in the business environment.

AUTONOMY

This is the ability of an employee to act and make decisions without being controlled by management.

EFFECTIVENESS

Effectiveness is the capability of producing a desired result or the ability to produce desired output. When something is deemed effective, it means it has an intended or expected outcome, or produces a deep, vivid impression.

EFFICIENCY

Employee job performance is derived from the word job performance that means real work produced an employee within a specific time period. Performance is a comparison between the work of the real compared to the standard set by the company.

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

It is the ability to avoid wasting material sand time in doing something or in producing a desired.

JOB ENRICHMENT

This is a dynamic process of increasing the work structure of an employee with an environment the gives room for flexibility, personal growth and satisfaction.

SKILL VARIETY

This is the ranges of relevant skills and abilities possessed by an employee to perform a specific job.

TASK IDENTITY

Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a “whole” and identifiable piece of work.

TASK SIGNIFICANCE

This is a measure of impact that determines an extent to which an employee’s measurable and identifiable task affects tasks of other employees within or outside their organization.