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Human Resource Management Project Topics

The Effect of Dispute Management and Cultural Diversity on Employee Performance

The Effect of Dispute Management and Cultural Diversity on Employee Performance

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The Effect of Dispute Management and Cultural Diversity on Employee Performance

Chapter One

Objectivesย ofย theย Study

ย Generalย Objective

To examine the effects of dispute management and cultural diversity management and employee performance inย Nationalย Biosafetyย Authority,ย Nigeria.

Specificย Objectives

Theย studyย wasย guidedย byย theย followingย objectives:

  1. To examine the effect of educational background management on employee performance in National Biosafety
  2. To examine the effect of gender diversity management on employee performance in National Biosafety
  3. To examine the effect of marital status management on employee performance in National Biosafety
  4. To examine the effect of age diversity management on employee performance in National Biosafety

CHAPTERย TWO

LITERATUREย REVIEW

ย Theoreticalย Review

There are different theories of dispute management and cultural diversity management on employee performance inย the workplace. This study will focus on the key theories related to the research topic. Theseย will include the different theories on, stereotyping and prejudice, pluralism, multiculturalismย andย Equityย theories.

Equityย Theory

The equity theory was introduced Adams (1963) with the view that fairness and equity areย very crucial elements of a motivated individual. This theory states that โ€œindividuals are drivenย by frankness, and if they identify inequalities in the input or output rations of themselves andย their referent group, they will seek to adjust their input to reach their perceived equityโ€ย (Adams,ย 1963).

Yousef (1998)explains that the equity theory is a theory that centreโ€™s on perceived fairness ofย an individual. An employee reflects on how much effort has expended and compares this toย what has been got from it. This theory shows that employees strive to achieve equity betweenย themselves and their co-workers. This equity will be achieved when the ratio of employeeย outcomesย overย inputsย isย equalย toย otherย employee outcomes overย inputs.

The equity theory isย concerned with the perceptions peopleย have aboutย how they are treatedย asย comparedย toย withย others.ย Theย theory positsย thatย employeesย seekย toย maintainย equityย between the input they bring into a job (education, time, experience, commitment and effort)ย and the outcome they receive from it (promotion, recognition and increased pay) against theย perceivedย inputs andย outcomes ofย otherย employees.

An example is when employees compare the work they do to someone else that receives aย higher salary than them. They may conclude that the person may be doingย lesser workย comparedย toย them,ย whileย receivingย aย biggerย compensationย (Kandpal,ย 2015).ย Inย suchย aย scenario,ย theย personย evaluatesย theirย ownย effort-to-compensationย ratioย toย thatย of anotherย person, and the end result is a loss in motivation. When compared to others, individuals wantย to get paid fairly according to the contributions in the organization. Since motivation has aย direct influence on performance, the study shall try to understand if the staff at NBA feel thatย there is equalityย inย theirย outputย inย regardย toย theirย input.

ย Stereotypingย andย Prejudiceย Theory

Pitts(2009) defines stereotype as a fixed and over-generalized belief about a group of people.ย The author asserts that stereotypes helps people respond to situations because of sharingย similar experiences. The main drawback with these stereotypes is that it makes people ignoreย differences and make generalizations about others that might not be true. Stereotyping in theย workplace allows people to infer that an employee has a range of characteristics and abilitiesย thatย membersย of hisย orย herย groupย areย assumedย toย have.ย Thisย inferenceย leadsย toย socialย categorization which forms the prejudice attitudes that cause people to form in-groups andย out-groups.

Workplace prejudice and stereotyping can result to discrimination of a person or a group ofย people based on a certain range of characteristics. Such instances create a poor workingย atmosphere thatย may end up demoralizing the victim. Such effects can cause the victim toย lose focus and morale which directly impacts on the productivity of the individual (Nayab,ย 2010). The individual may end up feeling unworthy, which can cause a loss inย self-esteemย and motivation. The productivity or performance of such a person is likely to drop. He furtherย indicates that workplace prejudice and discrimination is a major cause of unemployment.ย People stay unemployedย because of biasness inย hiring companies or organizations. Thisย biasnessย impactsย onย workplaceย diversityย managementย whichย createsย aย rippleย effectย onย performance.

Uwlax (2003) also introduced four theories describing the formation of prejudices amongย individuals.ย Theseย wereย normativeย theory,ย scapegoatingย theory,ย exploitation theory,ย andย authoritarian-personalityย theory.ย Onย normativeย theory,ย theย authorย observesย thatย oneโ€™sย family, friends, and community will be responsible for the creation and reinforcement of prejudices.ย In the scapegoating theory, people formed prejudices based on their need to apportion blameย on a minority group for personal shortcomings and misfortunes. Uwlax observes that theย exploitation theory describes the prejudices formed by individuals as a result of conflictingย economic interests. These conflicting interests cause people to justify actions that wouldย discriminateย againstย otherย ethnicย groupsย withย whomย theyย areย inย competition.ย Finally,ย authoritarian-personality theory described theย formation of harsh prejudicesย based on anย individualโ€™sย personalityย ofย whatย isย goodย orย evil.

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Levy(1997)introduced the stereotype embodiment theory (SET) to describe the process byย which age stereotypes affect the health of older adults. This assertion was based on four mainย premises:ย thatย stereotypesย becomeย internalizedย acrossย theย lifespan;ย thatย stereotypesย canย operate unconsciously; that stereotypes can gain salience from self-relevance; and peopleย could utilize multiple pathways in their stereotyping. Using these premises, Levy sought toย explain why age stereotypes were internalized by older adults and how other types of self-ย stereotypes operated (such as ethnicย stereotypes).ย Theย findings will be useful in depictingย how these stereotypes, once activated in the individualโ€™s sub-conscious, would eventuallyย have anย effectย onย hisย orย herย health.

Stereotyping and prejudice shall be investigated in this study at the NBA. As outlined aboveย on the impacts of stereotyping, the study shall try to make a generalization of the influence ofย stereotyping and performance. Random sampling shall be expected to include respondentsย from initially known stereotyped groups along age, education or even genderย lines whichย shallย beย usedย toย inferย conclusions.

 

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCHย METHODOLOGY

Researchย design

The study adopted descriptive research design.ย This design was chosen to help describeย employeeย performanceย in relation toย dispute management and cultural diversity managementย by consideringย theย caseย study atย NBA. Robsonย (2002) pointsย outย thatย descriptiveย study portraysย anย accurateย profile of persons, events or situation. The descriptive design helped to obtain informationย concerning the current state at NBA while describing, โ€œwhat existedโ€ with respect to differentย conditions or variables. Furthermore, the descriptive nature of the research provided detailedย information about the research problem. This provided a general overview giving valuableย pointers as to what variables were worth testing quantitatively. The independent variables thatย guided the research design were educational background, gender diversity, marital status andย age diversity on employeesโ€™ performance.ย The study determined the dispute management and cultural diversity management and employee performance in National Biosafety Authority, Nigeria.ย Based onย an association between the variables, a valid conclusion was derived to show a cause andย effect.

ย Targetย Population

Population refers to the entire group of people, events, or things that the researcher wishes toย investigate (Sekaran, 2003). The target population for this research was National Biosafetyย Authorityย andย theย respondentsย were employees/staff fromย allย theย departments.ย The respondents atย NBAย wereย madeย upย ofย 6ย seniorย andย managementย staff,ย makingย upย 15%ย of the staff, 8ย supervisory managementย staff whichย is 21% of the staff and 24ย general staff,ย aboutย 63%ย ofย allย theย staff.

Since the population was small, a census study was adopted and the entire population of staffย was considered for the study. According to (Cooper & Schindler, 2007) a census is feasibleย when the population is small and necessary when the elements are quite different from eachย other. Therefore, a census study was deemed appropriate for study since the sampling frameย was small; thus all the 38 managerial, supervisory and general staff at the National Biosafetyย Authorityย wereย consideredย forย the study.

CHAPTERย FOUR

RESULTSย ANDย FINDINGS

ย ย Demographicย Results

Education Level

 

CHAPTERย FIVE

ย DISCUSSION,ย CONCLUSIONSย ANDย RECOMMENDATIONS

ย Influenceย ofย education backgroundย onย employeeย performance

Employees at NBA were educated with the highest qualification being at Masters level andย the lowest at certificate level. Majority of staff possessed degrees, diplomas and certificatesย withย onlyย threeย havingย theย Mastersย qualification

About 92% of employees had the perception that the level of education of an individual had aย direct influence on their work output. They would further indicate that education was anย important aspect in developing an individualโ€™s skill set that would make them better at theย workplaceย inย terms ofย productivity.

A cumulative 52% of staff indicated thatย productivity of employees was enhancedย by theย levelย ofย educationย ofย anย individual.ย Aย representationย ofย 24%ย employeesย didย notย feelย convinced that more educated employees would perform their jobs better than them. Thisย couldย beย attributedย toย themย believingย thatย experienceย alsoย contributedย moreย towardsย productivity thanย justย education.ย On theย otherย hand,ย when askedย whetherย less educatedย employees had productivity equal to those of their more educated counterparts, 77% did notย believe that their lesser educated colleagues could match their productivity. More educatedย employees believed thatย theirย work experience complemented with theirย higherย level ofย educationย gave themย aย betterย competitive edgeย withย regardsย toย productivity.

About 76% of employees had the perception that trainings offered at the workplace improvedย their ability to achieve their goals, targets and thereby improving their productivity. This wasย aย resultย ofย gainingย additionalย skillsย thatย wereย jobย related,ย enablingย themย performย theirย duties more effectively. 8% of employees however did not believe that training at the workplaceย would bring an effect if the skills being trained were not being applied at the current positionย heldย byย theย employee,ย orย departmentย theyย were workingย atย theย time.

Better employee performance can be achieved when employees are allocated tasks or dutiesย they have most knowledge or experience in. At NBA however, only 45% of employeesย believe thatย jobs are assigned according to employee skills, training or education. 32% didย not think that allocation of tasks was based on individualโ€™s skills or training. This is anย indication thatย other factors were considered when majority of employees were allocatedย roles withinย theย organization.

Only 36% of employees believed that skills attained in college did influence the quality ofย work at the workplace. 42% did not believe that skills attained in college enhanced theirย performance. Most of the employees did not necessarily have the skills directly related to theย jobs they were holding or tasks they were working on. Therefore, the skills attained in collegeย wouldย beย irrelevantย inย their currentย positions,ย andย would notย enhanceย performance.

On overall, 82% of staff had the perception that education did play an important role inย influencing performance. The reported effectย of education on performanceย variedย from aย smallย extentย toย aย veryย greatย extentย inย differentย employees.

Regression analysis revealed that education had an influence on performance as shown by aย beta value of 0.105 of the standardized coefficients. This contribution was however notย significant to the performance of employees since the p-value was 0.51 which was greaterย thanย 0.05.

ย Conclusions

The study concluded that age, education and gender diversity at NBA were the primaryย contributors to employee performance. An age diverse workforce creates an atmosphere inย which each generation brings in a variety of skill sets important in problem solving andย meeting of objectives. Age groups of employees at NBA were diversified and therefore theย organization reaps the benefits of that through improved performance. Gender equality bringsย aboutย a balanced genderย mixย of employees thatย possess an assortmentย of expertise andย abilities,ย andย suchย diversifiedย teamsย createdย improvedย outputย therebyย improvingย the performance. Educated people perform certain tasks more easily and efficiently compared toย illiterateย orย lesserย educated.ย Inย thisย studyย however,ย educationย levelย portrayedย aย weakย relationship with performance,ย mainly because mostย of the employees reported that theyย workย inย departments/ย jobsย thatย doย notย utilizeย theย skillsย theyย learntย inย higherย learningย institutions.ย Therefore,ย theirย levelย ofย educationย mayhaveย notย beenย aย keyย contributorย toย performance of staff. Marital status of employees did not seem to show a direct influence onย performance.

Recommendations

Theย organizationย shouldย makeย effortsย onย creatingย awarenessย andย conductingย trainingsย touching on workplace diversity since most of the staff did not think the organization hasย investedย enoughย inย sensitizingย employees.

The organization should focus on assigning tasks to employees possessing relevant skills andย trainings toย enhance performance. Mostย of the employees confirmedย thatย they wereย notย assigned tasks that they had been trained on both at the workplace and in college. Therefore,ย performance at the organization would be enhanced if they were applying their skills andย expertise.

The organization should organize team building activities to ensure that the staff who areย unsure of the effect of age diversity on lack of bonding are engaged with staff of different ageย groupsย bothย atย aย professionalย andย a socialย level.

REFERENCES

  • Abbott, K. (2006). A review of employment relations theories and their application. Problemsย andย Perspectives inย Management,ย 4(1),ย 187โ€“199.
  • Adams, J. S. (1963). Toward an understanding of inequity. Journal of Abnormal and Socialย Psychology,ย 67(5),ย 422-436.
  • Alesina, A., & Ferrara, E. L. (2005). Ethnic diversity and economic performance. Journal ofย Economic Literature,ย 43(3),ย 762โ€“800.
  • Amo, T.ย (2013).ย Theย Negativeย Effectsย ofย aย Lackย ofย Trainingย inย theย Workplace.ย Retrievedย from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effects-lack-training-workplace-ย 45171.html
  • Anderson,ย S.ย E.,ย Coffey,ย B.ย S.,ย &ย Byerly,ย R.ย (2002).ย Formalย organizationalย initiativesย andย informal workplace practices: Links to work-family conflict and job-relatedย outcomes.ย Journalย ofย Management,ย 81(4),ย 787-810.
  • Barak, M. E. M. (2013). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sageย Publishers.
  • Beauregard, T. A., & Henry, L. C. (2009). Human Resource Management Review Makingย the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Humanย Resourceย Managementย Review,ย 19(1),ย 9โ€“22.ย http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001

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