Organisational Behaviour and Teachers Work Performance in Cross River State, Nigeria

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1 Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 4(2): Journal Scholarlink of Emerging Research Trends Institute in Educational Journals, 2013 Research (ISSN: and ) Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 4(2): (ISSN: ) jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.org Organisational Behaviour and Teachers Work Performance in Cross River State, Nigeria Uchendu, C. C., Anijaobi-Idem, F. N. & Nkama, V. I. Department of Educational Administration and Planning Faculty of Education, University of Calabar, Calabar-Nigeria. Corresponding Author: Uchendu, C. C Abstract The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship that exists between organisational behaviour and teachers work performance in secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. It would provide literature and as well enlighten the reading public on different ways of managing teachers to influence their work performance. Ex-post facto research design was adopted and three hypotheses were isolated for this investigation. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 500 teachers from the population of 5,410 secondary school teachers in the state. Data were generated using Organizational Behaviour and Teachers Work Performance Questionnaire (OBTWPQ). The instrument was a four point Likert type scale consisting 32 items. Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis was used to analyze the data. The result revealed that, there is a significant relationship between organizational behaviour in terms of motivation, communication, decision-making and teachers work performance. On the strength of these findings, it was recommended that school principals should utilize appropriate motivational strategies, effective communication and good decision-making approaches, to enhance teachers work performance towards achieving the educational goals and objectives. The study would help the educational managers (principals) to acquire strategies in managing teachers so as to enhance their work performance in the organization. Keywords: organisational behaviour, teachers work performance, motivation, decision making, communication skills, Nigeria. INTRODUCTION The success or failure of any educational system, whether in developed or developing nations of the world, depends to a large extent on the teachers. Teachers are the hub of the educational system and it has been generally agreed that No education system can rise above the level of its teachers (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004:2). There is no doubt that the services of the teachers are indispensable and critical to the nation s future and the kind of individuals the society wants. Therefore, the quality of the future citizens of a country depends upon the quality, competence, character and effectiveness of the teachers (Akpan, 1996). However, the ability and effectiveness of teachers in discharging their professional duties could be influenced by a lot of factors, such as personal characteristics and organizational factors. School organizational factors include the administrative style of the principal, personnel policies and procedures, motivation, communication, working conditions, involvement in decision-making, all of which help teachers to develop a sense of belonging and high morale for effective work performance. If teachers are unhappy, frustrated, uninspired and ill-motivated then the nation s educational system is doomed, for without them, educational objectives cannot be realized. The extent to which teachers are willing to cooperate and work effectively with their school heads, depends to a large extent on the administrative behaviour of the school administrator. In autocratic style of leadership, there is less creativity, absence of effective communication, lower morale, lack of trust, unilateral decision-making, etc; while in democratic style of leadership, there is higher degree of initiative, morale, staff participation in decision-making and cordial interpersonal relationship between the leader and the subordinates, thereby giving teachers a feeling of personal dignity, worth, self-respect, selfesteem, commitment and dedication. Motivation as an organizational factor creates conditions in which teachers are willing to work with zeal, initiative, interest, enthusiasm and high morale. Motivation is one of the most important factors in managing human resources today. Teachers would need proper motivation to enhance their effectiveness not only by extrinsic rewards but also by intrinsic rewards (Akpan, 2002). Related to motivation is communication. Communication has been found to be a central factor for effective job performance. Investigations reveal that principals ability to communicate, increased teachers morale, reduced misunderstanding and interpersonal conflict among staff and consequently enhanced teacher effectiveness. 288

2 Teachers involvement in decision-making in matters that affect them is highly desirable. Nwobosi (1983) in his study pointed out that any organization that failed to make effective use of the creative abilities of its employees should expect the display of negative initiatives and imagination which would contradict the goals and objectives of such an organization. In secondary schools such actions could lead to unseriousness and ineffectiveness in teaching work by teachers, as well as uncooperative attitude, protests and strike actions. Friedman (1991) supported this claim in his own study, that insufficient decisionmaking participation influenced effectiveness of teachers. These findings were equally supported by the works of Sairos and Sairos (1992), Hipps and Halpin (1992) and Dinhan (1992). Other researchers on participation of teachers in decision-making in schools, revealed a positive correlation between participation in decision making and teachers productivity. The logic here is that by involving teachers in decisions that affect them and by increasing their autonomy and control over their work lives, employees would become more motivated, more committed to the organization, more productive and more satisfied with their job (Ford & Fottler, 1995; Sprietzer, 1995). Ekara (1996) also found out that teachers who had opportunity to participate, always and actively in decision-making processes of the school were more enthusiastic about their system than those who had limited opportunity to participate. On the contrary Umoren (1992) in her study on participative management approaches and administrative effectiveness of secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria found out that there was no significant relationship between teachers participation in decision making in their schools and their attitude to school work. This means that teachers attitude toward school work could be influenced by factors other than participation in decision-making. However, proper management by school heads can produce efficient and effective work force among the teachers for the achievement of educational goals and objectives. It is in consideration of the fact that the teacher has a statutory responsibility of realizing the educational dreams of the society, that the researchers sought to find out the extent to which organizational behaviour contributes to teachers work performance in secondary schools. THE PROBLEM Concerns are being raised about the poor performance of students at public examinations like: the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), the National Examination Council (NECO) and the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) examinations. On one hand, teachers have been blamed for failing to equip the students with the necessary skills to enable them compete in such examinations. On the other hand, teachers put the blame on students, parents and Ministry of Education. They blamed the principals for failures to provide conducive working environment for teachers. Indeed, the corner stone of good education in any high school is its teachers because all other factors mean little without competent teachers. For instance, when a highly rated student gained admission into a school which has all the standard relevant resources it would require a committed, satisfied, and result oriented teacher to raise the student performance. Given the important role teachers play in moulding students character and values, as well as imparting knowledge and skills, it is crucial to find out what are responsible for teachers poor work performance and how effective principals are in managing teachers to ensure that the objectives of the school are realized. This study, intends to provide answers to these problems. To guide the study, three hypotheses were formulated as follows: 1. There is no significant relationship between motivation and teachers work performance. 2. There is no significant relationship between communication and teachers work performance. 3. There is no significant relationship between teachers involvement in decision making and teachers work performance. METHODOLOGY This study was conducted in secondary schools in Cross River State of Nigeria. The state constitutes part of the south-south geo-political zone. It is one of the oil-rich states in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The study adopted expost facto research design and the population comprised of all the 5,410 teachers in public secondary schools in the state. The sample consisted of 500 teachers selected from all the 18 Local Government areas of the State, using stratified random sampling technique. Data collection was carried out with the use of a researcher s constructed instrument called Organizational Behaviour and Teachers Work Performance Questionnaire (OBTWPQ). The instrument was in two sections A and B. Section A sought demographic data of the respondents while section B, arranged on a 4 point Likert type scale consisted of four sub-sections. Each consisted of 8 items measuring motivation, decision-making, communication skills and work performance. The instrument was face-validated by experts in measurement and evaluation. A trial test of the instrument was carried out through test re-test reliability method which gave a reliability coefficient estimate of 0.75 to 0.85 which confirmed that the instrument was reliable enough for the successful realization of the study s goals and objectives. The 289

3 instrument administered received 100% return rate. The data obtained were analyzed with Pearson s Product Moment Correlation. The major limitation in this work was that the terrain did not give the researchers easy access to some areas for data collection. RESULTS The results of the study are presented below Hypothesis One There is no significant relationship between motivation and teachers work performance. Table 1: Pearson s Product Moment Correlation analysis of the relationship between motivation and teachers work performance N= 500 Motivation P< y r-cal The result in table one revealed that the calculated r- value of 0.62 was greater than the critical r-value of.088 at.05 level of significance with 498 degree of freedom. The null hypothesis was rejected. This implies that there is a significant relationship between motivation and teachers work performance. Hypothesis Two There is no significant relationship between organizational ability to communicate and teachers work performance. Table 2: Pearson s Product Moment Correlation analysis of the relationship between organizational communication and teachers work performance N= 500 Communication P< cal y r The result in table two revealed that the calculated r- value of 64 was greater than the critical r-value of.088 at.05 level of significance with 498 degree of freedom. The null hypothesis was rejected. This implies communication has a significant relationship with teachers work performance. Hypothesis Three There is no significant relationship between teachers involvement in decision-making and teachers work performance. Table three revealed that the calculated r-value of 0.60 was greater than the critical r-value of.088 at 0.05 level of significance with 498 degree of freedom. With the result of this analysis the null hypothesis was rejected. This implies that teachers involvement in decision-making has a significant relationship with teachers work performance. Table 3: Pearson s Product Moment Correlation analysis of the relationship between decision-making and teachers work performance Decision-making P< y r-cal DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS The result of hypothesis one revealed that there is a significant relationship between principals motivation and teachers work performance. This necessitated the rejection of the null hypothesis and retention of the alternate hypothesis. This implies that if the organizational managers (principals) motivate teachers it will affect their work performance positively in terms of lesson preparation, lesson presentation, classroom management and control, ability to motivate students to learn and control students behaviour. This finding agrees with Ogunsanya (1997) that the level of peoples performance depends largely on how well workers needs and expectations were satisfied. Uchendu (2003) in her study revealed that teachers were clearly more effective in their work performance simple because they were motivated by their principals. Ofoegbu (2001) in her study viewed motivation as any force that would reduce tension, stress, worries and frustration arising from a problematic situation in a person s life. Teachers motivation could be regarded as those factors that operate in the school system which if not provided would hamper performance, cause stress, discontent and frustration which subsequently results in poor quality of students output. Organizational managers (principals) should see motivation as one of the major factors in promoting work performance among secondary school teachers for achieving the organizational goals and objectives. The result of hypothesis two revealed that, there is a significant relationship between principals ability to communicate and teachers work performance. The finding is in line with Ezeocha (1990) that principals should learn how to communicate effectively with their staff. People react best when they know what is going on. This result implies that effective communication enhances teachers work performance. Everybody in an organization wants to know the whats, whys, hows, whos and wheres of their organizational system. Fasasi (2009) in his study said that managers (principal) should communicate and allow free communication among members of 290

4 the organization in order to guide against rumour, misunderstanding and misrepresentation. Another result of this study states that there is a significant relationship between principals involvement of teachers in decision-making and teachers work performance. The result showed that teachers who participated in taking decision implemented it better than those who were not fully involved. In order words, implementing decision successfully calls for active participation in formulating them. This finding is in agreement with Ogbonna (1995) who stated in his result that the more a teacher is actively involved in the decisionmaking process of the school and especially in his subject, the more he feels committed and so participates and co-operates in school activities, hence the tendency to increase his job performance. In support of this some studies found out that teachers level in decision-making increase a teachers level of satisfaction, his effectiveness, his enthusiasm for his school system and positive attitude towards the principal. A teacher who participates in decision-making will likely record higher productivity because the decision he will implement were the same he thoroughly examined and agreed upon. He will only apply it to his job and as such, his productivity will improve tremendously (Holdaway, 1978; Uchendu, 1997). CONCLUSION From the result of the study, it was concluded that organizational behaviour has a significant relationship with teachers work performance. If the principal coordinates the human and material resources with appropriate administrative styles, motivational strategies, effective communication skills, good decision-making measures and others, he will enhance work performance of teachers towards achieving the educational goals and objectives. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made: 1. The educational managers and employers should adopt motivational strategies that could enhance teachers work performance such as increasing their entitlement package for greater commitment and job satisfaction. 2. Principals should give correct and accurate information to the teachers and on time to guard against misunderstanding and misinterpretation of information. 3. Principals should allow teachers to participate in decision-making for better performance towards achieving the educational goals and objectives. REFERENCES Akpan, C. P. (2002). Resource management and commitment to duty among academic staff of tertiary institutions n Cross River State of Nigeria. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. Akpan, R. J. (1996). Teacher effectiveness as a determinant of students performance in mathematics. A theoretical review. Journal of Nigerian Education Research Association, 1 (1), Dinhan, S. (1992). Human perspective on teacher resignation preliminary results of one investigation. A paper presented at the annual conference of administrators. Darwin, Australia. Ekara, E. G. (1996). Participation in decisionmaking. Unpublished M.Ed thesis, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. Ezeocha, P. A (1990). Educational administration and planning. Enugu: Optimal computer solution limited. Fasasi, Y. A. (2009). Managerial behaviour in educational organizations. In J. B Babalola & A. O. Ayeni (eds) Educational Management Theories and Tasks. Lagos: Macmillan Nigeria publishers limited Federal republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education (4 th edition) Abuja: NERDC press. Ford, R. C. and Fottler, M. D. (1995). Empowerment: A matter of degree. The Academy of Management Executive, Friedman, T. A. (1991). High and low burnout schools: Culture aspect of teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Research, 4 (25), Getzels, J. W & Guba, E. G (1954). Role, conflict and effectiveness. American Sociological Review 19, Hipps, E. S. and Halpin, O. (1992). The differences in principals and teachers general job stress related to performance based accreditation. A paper presented at the annual meeting of Mid-South Education Research Association, Knoxville, November Holdway, E. A (1978). Job satisfaction: an Alberta report. Edmonton: University of Alberta press. 291

5 Ofoegbu, F. I (2001). Motivational factors and the achievement of classroom effectiveness in Edo state secondary schools. In N. A nwagwu, E. T. Ehiametahor, M. A. Oguna and M. Nwadiani (eds). Current issues in educational management in Nigeria. ( ) Benin city: Nigerian association of educational administration and planning. Ogbonna, F. C (1995). A Handbook on Educational Administration. Jos: tech-source publishers limited. Ogunsanya, M. (1997). Fiscal factor as a determinant of workers performance. African Journal of Educational Management 5 (1,2) Sairos, J. C. and Sairos, A. H. (1992). Social support and teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Administration, 30 (1), Spreitzer, O. M. (1995). Psychology empowerment in the workshop: Dimension measurement and evaluation. Academy of Management Journal, 4 (6), Uchendu, C. C. (1997). Principals administrative style and teachers effectiveness in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra state. Unpublished M.Ed Thesis. University of Calabar, Calabar. Uchendu, C. C. (2003). Organizational Climate and Secondary School Teachers Job Performance. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. Umoren, O. N. (1992). Participative management approaches and the administrative effectiveness of secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation. University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. 292