RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ON

THE EFFECT OF JOB DESIGN ON ORGANIZATIONAL

PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED BUSINESS
ENTERPRISE

BY

UWATI….

PTP/FMS/BUS/14/…..

1.0 Introduction

This chapter constitutes the research proposal of the research entitled: ‘The Effect
Of Job Design On Organizational Performance: A Case Study Of Selected
Business Enterprise’. It is made up of study background, problem statement,
purpose, significance, questions/hypotheses, scope and limitation and definition of
terms. Therefore, this chapter forms the foundation and justification of the study.

1.1 Background to the Study

A well-designed job usually fosters organizational performance, productivity well-

being, commitment and staff performance (Bakker and Demeroutic, 2013). It is
therefore not surprising that in recent years, scholars have begun to examining
which job characteristics contribute to organizational well-being, performance,
employer satisfaction and commitment, and which are likely to increase the
productivity of firms and the otherwise. Together, the characteristics of a job
constitute the job design (Tims and Bakker, 2014).
 In more specific terms, job design describes how job tasks and roles are
structured, enacted and modified and what the impact of these structures,
enactments and modifications are on the individual, group and organizational
outcomes (Grant and Parker, 2015). In the words of Tims and Bakker (2014), for
more than 60 years, job design theories have guided researchers and practitioners to
describe, explain and change the work experiences and behaviors as well as
employees. Job design is approached as a top-down process in which the
organization creates jobs and, in turn, selects people with the right knowledge,
skills and abilities for these jobs. When employee’s experience (e.g. job/work
engagement) and behaviors (e.g. performance) tend to decrease, the management is
bound to redesign the jobs of their employees. For examples, one reason for job
redesign may be that management notices that absenteeism among certain
employees is relatively high. After talking to the employees, company specialist(s)
and Human Relation (HR) professionals may find out that the job is too demanding
for the employees and needs to be changed. Another reason for job redesign may
be the introduction of say a new machine that (partly) replaces the work of
employees. The job of these employees may be redesigned to include another task
such as maintaining the machines (Tims and Bakkers, 2014).

Organizational performance increases if the job design is aligned with the

employee psychological requirements and perceptions. An effective job design for the
employees can increase their involvement in the job, they enjoy performing tasks and

exert all cognitive, emotional and physical energies to achieve goals ( Boadu, 2014).

The way the job is (re)designed strongly influences the performance of

organization as well as how employees perceive their job and, in turn, how they
perform their duties (tasks). Managers and scholars became interested in the effect
of job design on organization performance, employee behaviors and attitudes. It
was gathered that changes in job design were accompanied with changes in
employees’ attitudes and motivation which invariably affects productivity of an
organization. For example, over a century ago, the scientific management
approaches (Taylor, 1911) and the introduction of the assembly line at Ford in
1914 strongly promoted job simplification and job design.

In an era of technological economy like ours now, successful workplaces are likely
to be those which use and develop the skills of their employees technically through
good job design mechanisms that effect employee performance and organizational
productivity. There exist various works on job design in general, a few on
manufacturing companies, especially those outside Nigeria and seeming nothing
significant on both manufacturing companies and others in general in Nigeria,
especially in supposed industrialized and commercial areas like Calabar, Uyo,
Makurdi, Benin, Kano, Onitsha, Aba, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Warri, Asaba, etc.

Therefore, the dire need for this study to clarify the myths, tales, perceptions and
realities of job design on performance of an enterprise have gave thus gave rise to
this study. Concerned organizations/institutions stand to benefit immensely from
this study, if the findings are adopted, taken seriously, implemented and sustained
therein.

1. 2 Statement of the Problem

The scourging problems that bedevil many organizations in Nigeria, including poor
job design and organizational performance cum productivity, inefficiency,
poor/lack of technical-know-how, negative workplace politics, etc. are traceable to
lack of/low staff training as well as poor job design. This is very worrisome. Job
design influences organizational performance in several ways, positively or
negatively, depending on how the job is designed. The job design of both private
and public organizations influences also have impact on their employees’
performance and organizational productivity likewise. Job design can ensure that
skills are effectively used as well developed in the workplace.

In spite of the immense benefits, potentials and prospects of jobs design, only a
very few organizations/institutions in Nigeria practice or give attention to it, thus
making it a wasted resource in the struggle to improve competitiveness and
employee well-being. Job design should be considered a high priority issue for
managers and policy-makers alike. This study rises to this challenge; with a view to
proffering scholarly solutions to these rising inherent problems associated with job
design which adversely on organizational performance.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main objectives of this research are to examine the causes and effects of rape
in primary school. The specific objectives of this study are:-
i. To ascertain how job design enhances performance of organization.
ii. To determine the effectiveness of job design in achieving profitability and
productivity in organization.
iii. To examine the challenges inherent in the Job design on organizational
performance.
iv. To find out the measures to the challenges of job design organizational
performance.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions have been designed to guide this study:

i. How does job design enhances performance of organization?

ii. What are the effectiveness of job design in achieving profitability and
productivity in organization?
iii. What are the challenges inherent in the Job design on organizational
performance?
iv. Are there measures to the challenges of job design organizational
performance?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following are the research hypothesis,

1. H1: Job design and staff training have significant effects on employee
performance in organizations/institutions.
 2. H1: Job design does not have significant impact on the profitability and
productivity in organization.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The need for this study cannot be over-emphasized. To start with,

i. it will bridge the underlying knowledge on these duo work and management
phenomena, and thus expose many to the intrinsic of job design and
organization performance as well as becoming conversant with how best to
address workplace problems like low/poor employee performance, job
dissatisfaction and others.
ii. Also, this study shall be of immense benefits to those directly concerned,
such as law- makers/policy- makers, managers, job experts, entrepreneurs,
administrators, business planners, professionals, researchers, educators and
students. As such, it shall serve as a blueprint to the management of both
private and public organizations/firms in better decision-making regarding
job design and staff training and employee performance.
iii. The study gap shall be filled by other interested researchers, who would
undertake further studies on this subject matter and related ones.
iv. It shall thus serve as a research material to such researchers and students.
And, through its findings, it shall address unemployment, job issues and
staff inefficiency to some extent and as well equip many with the due
positive techniques of job design and staff/manpower that adversely affect
organizational performance.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This research solely centers on the effects of job design on organizational

performance in selected business enterprise, specifically, using DUBLOS Shoprite
& Supermarket and Joefel Supermarket as a case study. It thus leaves out other
closely related aspects and scopes of job design and staff training. It concerns
organization involving staffing, training and job management. The concerned
departments in such firms are basically Management/Administration, Human
Resources, Labor/Manpower Personnel, Establishment, Registry and Information
Departments/Units.

1.8 Limitation of the Study

This research would have been broadened more than this in scope but for several
challenges that confront a project of this kind. The factors include:

i. Time constraint: Since it is time-framed, rash and rush set in so as to beat the
time.
ii. Logistic problems: Poor or insufficient information materials and centers,
transportation challenges, and lack of basic amenities like electricity, among
others, constrained this study to its structured scope.

iii. Lack of finance: Since the researcher has no source (s) of earning yet, going
beyond this scope is more cost-demanding, which could hamper its
completion.

iv Human factors: Poor responses from and the unwillingness of the

respondents and the researcher’s human errors and research short-comings
formed another limitation to the study. And, other natural factors like
psychological state (tiredness, hunger, distractions, etc.), linguistic
performance errors and other unforeseen circumstances were likewise.
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This chapter contains and describes the suitable plausible research methods
adopted and employed in the course of the study to duly source both primary and
secondary data that are reliable and valid. It comprises the research design, area,
population, sample size and sampling techniques, instrument of data collection as
well as method of data analysis.
3.1 Research Design

This refers to the research techniques and procedures employed. Owuamalam

(2012) observes that research exercises need be conducted via a given approach. The
survey method is considered the most suitable for this study. The qualitative approach is
adopted alongside. These approach and method, together, will enable the researcher to
scholarly deal with the characteristics of the research topic. In other words, they suit the
pursuit of this study.
3.2 Population of the Study

Population of a study refers to the total items which the researcher intends to use for the study. It
is the sum of all the elements that the researchers intend to investigate use for the study. A
population of One Hundred and Eighty (180) will be drawn from the three selected
business organizations namely; DUBLOS Shoprite & Supermarket, Joefel
Supermarket and Austrock Supermarket all in Esan West Local Government Area,
Ekpoma. This means that sixty (60) each constituted the population drawn at
random from each of the organization under study.
3.3 Sampling Size/Technique
The convenient sampling adopted for this study is the non-probability sampling
method. The method involves a collection of persons who are readily available and
accessible for the study, as described by (Owuamalam, 2012). Therefore, following
the adopted plausible techniques, one hundred and eighty (180) staff from across
the organizations under study was selected to form the sample size.
3.4 Method of Data Collection
Both primary and secondary sources of data collection were employed. The
primary instrument was measured by questionnaire. The primary sources of data
collection employed were questionnaire, interview, intuition and the participant as
well as non-participant observation techniques.
The secondary sources included library print materials like textbooks, journals,
monographs, theses, periodicals, reports, papers and the internet, among several
others. The questions are mostly structured, with a few unstructured ones to allow
for respondents’ initiatives or personal opinions. This also allowed easy
codification, tabulation and analysis.
3.5 Data Analysis Method

The method used in this data analysis is the tabulation, simple percentages. It is a
simple form of organizing data, and it aid understanding. Equally, converting data
to percentage responses enables the researcher to compare sub group of unequal
size meaningfully. Hence, the responses were analyzed using table and simple
percentages.