IMPACT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEES’ PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVICE

Abstract

It is not an overstatement that work environment is central to employees’ performance as oxygen is to life. The workplace environment is the most critical factor in keeping an employee satisfied in today’s business world. It has both positive and negative effects on workers performance, morale, productivity and commitment. This paper aims to bring to the fore salient information concerning the work environment factors which have influence on employees performance. In a bid to attract an optimal level of degree of reliability and consistency in research, a survey research was adopted. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit relevant information from respondents coupled with oral interviews. A sample size of 165 respondents was selected from Federal, State and Local Government employees. The study used simple random sampling techniques. The 5 –point likert scale of importance was used as a measurement scale to elicit information from respondents, while the methods of data analysis include frequency count, simple percentages, chi-square and Z-test analysis. The result indicates that good work environment has bearing on workers performance and that it has great influence on employee’s safety and labour turnover in Nigerian public service. The study concludes among other things that poor work environment result in significance losses for workers, their ministries/departments and the national economy in general. It recommends that public authorities create a work environment that attracts keeps and motivate its workforce towards optimum performance for the good of the nation