IMPACT OF NON-EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AT AKWA IBOM BROADCASTING COMPANY
Abstract
A study was conducted to examine the impact of non-employee participation in decision making at Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation. Four research questions were raised and a hypothesis formulated to guide the study. The methodology adopted as research design was descriptive survey method. The population of the study comprised of all the 213 employees of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation which were mainly employees from the lower management cadre such as those in works, engineering and graphics, editing and news room units. A sample of 180 respondents was used for the study. The sample for the study was derived using proportionate random sampling technique. The researcher’s designed instrument titled “Non-Participation in Decision Making Questionnaire (NPDMQ)”, was used to source for primary data. The instrument was validated by two experts and the reliability estimated Cronbach Alpha analysis which gave reliability coefficient estimate of 0.78. Mean score and standard deviation was used to answer research questions raised while the hypothesis was tested with pearson product moment coefficient. The findings of the study indicate that: the level of communication flows between the management and staff of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation was low. Also, the findings reveals that the employees were only limited to the role of execution and implementation in Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation. The result equally revealed that the extent to which staff management relationship significantly affects decision making process in Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation is low. The problem associated with non-staff participation with management in decision making are poor commitment to responsibility, discouragement of unity of purpose, hinders team spirit and discourages staff motivation and Corporation efficiency. The study therefore recommends that board management of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation should incorporate the employees in principal decision making processes especially that which concerns the welfare of the corporation and the staff. Also, management of the corporation should utilize participatory leadership style to encourage unity of purpose and team-spirit as well as ensure that employees are adequate development through sponsorship in workshops, conference and seminars as well as in the information communication technology. This will enhance employees’ quality contributions to the quality assurance of the corporation.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Decision making is the most important activity of management of most organization ranging from small sole organization to multinational corporations whether in the private or in the public sector. This is the case of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation where decision making is a core responsibility of the top management.
Basically, the 21st century decision-making processes are changing due to the geometrical changes in globalization, urbanization, value orientation and technological advancement. Competitive advantage is now the result of employee decision-making proficiency. This is why consideration of holistic social system participation of the composite units of any organization is highly essential.
Critical examination of every organizational organogram shows a typical position of employees in an organization as a basement that supports other managerial hierarchy. Employees can be regard as the base men of an organization that are positioned at the point of delivery of organisational goals. Effiong (2009) considers employees as individuals that facilitate successful implementation of decision taken by the top management as well as stimulate transitional efficiency of the organization. Similarly, employees conduct the baseline affairs of the organization and are the vital component that relate and relay the organization decisions (in the form of policies) with the public. This in essence implies that employees are bedrock for successful translation of goals into concrete form. Thus, active participation of employees is essential to the growth of an organization.
Employees participation in decision making is the extent to which employees are allow or encourage to share or participate in organisational decision making process (Hickey and Cosner-Lotto in Abduli and Shatiwa, 2014; Probst, 2005). This as argued by some scholars has the tendency to improve staff (employees) moral and support, increase employees satisfaction, motivation, innovation and decrease inefficiency (Steinheider, Bayerl and Wuestewald, 2006; Rice, 2015). In other words, putting decision-making power as close as possible to the point of delivery may ease the implementation of those decisions possibly successful.
There are many measures through which employees participate in the decision making of an organization. Some of such ways are through inter-personal relationship between the top and lower management, top management delegation of responsibilities and leadership. These may help to create a sense of belonging among workers as well as a congenial environment in which both the management and the workers voluntarily contribute to healthy industrial relation. This is premised on the assertion of Cotton in Irawarito (2015) that there may be a close link between organizational effectiveness and individual effectiveness in an organization.
Sad to say however, some top manager of some organisations adopt paternalistic and authoritarian attitude with their employees during decision making processes which exclude the employees from taking decision. This according to Steinheider et al (2006) could lead to job dissatisfaction, lack of organizational commitment and low labour management relationship which may reduce productivity.
This entails non-participation of employees in decision making process may result in employees lack of or poor commitment to service delivery, demotivation and reduce productivity. This entails that non-participation of employees in decision making process may result in employees lack of or poor commitment to service delivery, demotivation and reduce productivity. On the other hand, Apostolou (2002) explains that employees participation in decision making of an organisation is waste of time, lower efficiency, and weakens the effectiveness of management. According to Apostolou’s explanations, the allowance of employees to participate in decision making distract the top management focus, discourage effective concentration to policy formulation and implementation, thus drastically reducing employees, employers and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. However, these contradictory positions of Apostolous (2001) and Steinheider et al (2006) becomes a source of concern to the researcher, thus prompted the consideration of this study to examine the impact of non-employees participation in decision making at Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation.
IMPACT OF NON-EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AT AKWA IBOM BROADCASTING COMPANY
