EMPLOYEE WELFARE AND JOB PERFORMANCE AT ISA MUSTAPHA AGWAI I POLYTECHNIC, LAFIA
Keywords:
Employee Welfare, Job Performance, Promotion, Working Environment, PolytechnicAbstract
This study examined the relationship between employee welfare conditions and job performance at Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, Nigeria. Despite theoretical consensus on welfare as a performance driver, empirical evidence isolating specific welfare components' influence on job performance in Nigerian polytechnics remains limited. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources Model and Sen's capability approach, the research evaluated how promotion opportunities, long-service awards, retirement benefits, and working environment conditions relate to employee performance. A mixed-methods approach was adopted using a cross-sectional survey design with stratified sampling technique. From a population of 1,300 staff, a sample of 400 was determined using Taro Yamane's formula, achieving 375 valid responses. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews, analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 employing descriptive statistics and chi-square test for hypothesis testing. Results revealed significant positive relationships between all welfare conditions and job performance, with mean scores exceeding the 3.0 acceptance threshold. Working conditions and regular rewards demonstrated the strongest associations with performance (M>3.88), followed by promotion opportunities and working environment (M>3.73), while long-service awards and retirement benefits showed moderate but significant relationships (M>3.08). Chi-square analysis (χ²=193.07, p<0.001) confirmed a statistically significant relationship between working conditions and employee performance, rejecting the null hypothesis. The findings provide empirical evidence that strategic investments in employee welfare conditions constitute critical performance levers for institutional effectiveness in Nigerian polytechnics, with implications for policy prioritization and resource allocation in similar educational institutions.
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