An Empirical Analysis of Key Antecedents of Workforce Diversity on Job Performance in Nigeria
top of page
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute

Economics and Business

Quarterly Reviews

ISSN 2775-9237 (Online)

asian institute research, jeb, journal of economics and business, economics journal, accunting journal, business journal, managemet journal
asian institute research, jeb, journal of economics and business, economics journal, accunting journal, business journal, managemet journal
asian institute research, jeb, journal of economics and business, economics journal, accunting journal, business journal, managemet journal
asian institute research, jeb, journal of economics and business, economics journal, accunting journal, business journal, managemet journal
crossref
doi
open access

Published: 04 March 2021

An Empirical Analysis of Key Antecedents of Workforce Diversity on Job Performance in Nigeria

Helen Elena Jekelle

Baze University, Nigeria

asian institute research, jeb, journal of economics and business, economics journal, accunting journal, business journal, management journal

Download Full-Text Pdf

doi

10.31014/aior.1992.04.01.331

Pages: 193-203

Keywords: Age, Educational Background, Employee Performance, Gender, Workplace Diversity

Abstract

The study examined the effect of workforce diversity on job performance. The employees’ diversity were conceptualised in terms of gender diversity, age diversity, and educational background diversity. The study was underpinned by the social identity theory as it examined such characteristics as gender, age and education. The social identity theory infers that employees have a tendency of classifying themselves based on groups in which they fit in. The study area was public sector in Abuja, Nigeria. The study adopted the quantitative research design whereby questionnaires were administered to the participants. A sample size of 208 participants were drawn from a population of 452 employees of the government agency in Abuja using Raosoft sampling size calculator. However, only 137 valid questionnaires were retrieved from the participants. Therefore, the data analysis was based on the valid retrieved questionnaires. Data analysis and hypotheses test was done using multiple regression analysis. The results showed a significant relationship between the dimensions of the explanatory variables (gender diversity, age diversity and educational background diversity) and the outcome variable (employee performance). The study also revealed that the combination of gender, age and education were the core elements that explained employee performance by 62.9 percent. In terms of individual contribution, the results indicate that educational background diversity contributed most to the variation of employee job performance while both age and gender also contributed significantly. The study therefore recommended that leadership of organisations need to focus more on diversity management in order to integrate the diverse characteristics of the workforce within the organisation.

References

  1. Backes-Gellner, U., & Veen, S. (2009). The impact of aging and age diversity on company performance. ISU Working Paper 78, University of Zurich. Post print available at: http://www.zora.uzh.ch.

  2. Bamberger, P. A., Biron, M., & Meshoulam, I. (2014). Human resource strategy: Formulation, implementation, and impact. London, UK: Routledge.

  3. Bell, J., & Waters, S. (2014). Doing your research Project: A guide for first-time researchers (6th ed.). New York, USA: McGraw-Hill Education.

  4. Bhatt, S.P., Gupta, A.K. & Bhatta (2019). Does Workforce Diversity Influence Employee Performance? An Empirical Analysis of Nepali Civil Service. IUJ Journal of Management Vol. 7, No. 2, Dec. 2019

  5. Boehm, S. A., & Kunze, F. (2015). Age diversity and age climate in the workplace. In Aging workers and the employee-employer relationship (pp. 33-55). Springer, Cham.

  6. Brown, S. L. (2008). Diversity in the workplace: A study of gender, race, age, and salary level. Capella University.

  7. Campbell, K., & Minguez-Vera, A. (2008). Gender diversity in the boardroom and firm  financial performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(3), 435–451. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10551-007-9630-y

  8. Childs Jr, J. (2005). Managing workforce diversity at IBM: A global HR topic that has arrived. Human Resource Management, 44(1), 73-77.

  9. Choi, S., & Rainey, H. G. (2010). Managing diversity in US federal agencies: Effects of  diversity and diversity management on employee perceptions of organizational performance. Public Administration Review, 70(1), 109-121.

  10. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

  11. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2013). Research methods in education. Abington, USA: Routledge Publications.

  12. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. housand Oaks, USA: Sage publications.

  13. Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (1991). Explaining sex differences in social behaviour: A meta-analytic perspective. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 17(3), 306-315.

  14. Elsaid, A. M. (2012). The Effects of cross cultural workforce diversity on employee performance in Egyptian pharmaceutical organizations. Business and Management Research, 1(4), 162-180.

  15. Emiko, M., & Eunmi, C. (2009). Diversity management and the effects on employees’ organisational commitment: Evidence from Japan and Korea. Journal of World Business, 44, 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2008.03.018

  16. Eugene, C., Lee, K., Tan. S., Tee, S. & Yang, P. (2011). Effects of workforce diversity on employee performance. Journal of Social Science, 20(1), 173-198.

  17. Evans, A. J., & Henry, O. (2007). Critical Review of Literature on Workforce Diversity. African Journal of Business Management, 072-076.

  18. Fernandez, S., & Lee, H. (2016). The transformation of the South African Public Service: Exploring the impact of racial and gender representation on organisational effectiveness. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 54(1), 91–116. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X15000816

  19. Frink, D. D., Robinson, R. K., Reithel, B., Arthur, M. M., Ammeter, A. P., Ferris, G. R.,  Kaplan, D. M., & Morrisette, H. S. (2003). Gender demography and organization performance: A two- study investigation with convergence. Group & Organization Management, 28(1), 127-147.

  20. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update (4thed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

  21. Greer, L. L., & Jehn, K. A. (2007). Chapter 2 the pivotal role of negative affect in understanding the effects of process conflict on group performance. In Affect and Groups (pp. 21-43). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

  22. Griffin, R. W., & Van Fleet, D. D. (2014). Management Skills: Assessment and Development. U.S.A.: South Western Cengage Learning.

  23. Gupta, R. (2013). Workforce diversity and organizational performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(6), 36-41.

  24. Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., and Anderson, R.E. 2010. Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. 5th edition.

  25. Hambrick, D. C., Humphrey, S. E., & Gupta, A. (2015). Structural interdependence within top management teams: A key moderator of upper echelons predictions. Strategic Management Journal, 36(3), 449-461.

  26. Hameed, A., & Waheed, A. (2011). Employee development and its effect on employee performance: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2 (13), 224- 229.

  27. Hsiung, H.H., and Wang, J. 2012. Value creation potential of intellectual capital in the digital content industry. Investment Management and Financial Innovations 9(2): 81-90. http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html

  28. Kundu, S. C., & Mor, A. (2017). Workforce diversity and organisational performance: A  study of IT industry in India. Employee Relations, 39(2), 160–183. https://doi. org/10.1108/ER-06-2015-0114

  29. Kunze, F., Boehm, S. and Bruch, H. (2011). ‘Age diversity, age discrimination, and performance consequences – a cross organizational study’. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 32, 264–90.

  30. Kunze, F., Boehm, S., and Bruch, H. (2013). Organizational Performance Consequences of Age Diversity: Inspecting the Role of Diversity-Friendly HR Policies and Top Managers' Negative Age Stereotypes.  In: Journal of Management Studies. 50(3), pp. 413-442. ISSN 0022-2380. E-ISSN 1467-6486.

  31. Kyalo, J. M. K., & Gachunga, H. (2015). Effect of diversity in workplace on employee performance in the banking industry in Kenya. Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2(2).

  32. Leboho, M. (2017). The relationship between gender diversity and corporate profitability: The top 100 companies on the JSE ltd. Masters research, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

  33. Lee, H. W., & Kim, E. (2020). Workforce diversity and firm performance: Relational coordination as a mediator and structural empowerment and multisource feedback as moderators. Human Resource Management, 59(1), 5-23.

  34. Li, J., Chu, C. W. L., Lam, K. C., & Liao, S. (2011). Age diversity and firm performance in an emerging economy: Implications for cross-cultural human resource management. Human Resource Management, 50(2), 247–270.

  35. Milliken, F. J., & Martins, L. L. (1996). Searching for common threads: Understanding the multiple effects of diversity in organizational groups. Academy of Management Review, 21(2), 402–433.

  36. McMillan-Capehart, A. (2006). Heterogeneity or Homogeneity. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 19(1), 83-98.

  37. Morrison, A. M. (1992). The New Leaders: Guidelines on Leadership Diversity in America. Jossey-Bass Management Series. Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.

  38. Mwatumwa, A. S. (2016). Effect of workforce diversity on employee work performance: A study of the county government of Mombasa. Masters dissertation submitted to University of Mombasa, Kenya.

  39. Ngao, E., & Mwangi, C. (2013). Effects of managing gender of employees in enhancing organizational performance. A case study of Kenya ports authority. European Journal of Business and Management, 5(21), 50-62.

  40. Ning, Y.T., Chen, C.H., Yen, L.S., and Lun, T.C. (2011). Knowledge creation and intellectual capital on securities investment services. African Journal of Business Management, 5(3): 924-933.

  41. Odhiambo, O. W. (2014). Workforce diversity and its effects on employee performance: a case of Mbita sub county Homa-Bay County in Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Moi University).

  42. Oxelheim, L. (2006). A Nordic perspective of corporate board diversity. Norway: Nordic  Innovation Centre.

  43. Pelled, L. H. (1996). Demographic diversity, conflict, and work group outcomes: An intervening process theory. Organization Science, 7(6), 615–631.

  44. Pitts, D. W., Hicklin, A. K., Hawes, D. P., & Melton, E. (2010). What drives the implementation of diversity management programs? Evidence from public organizations. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, mup044.

  45. Rabl, T. & Triana, M. (2014) Organizational value for age diversity and potential applicants’ organizational attraction: Individual attitudes matter. Journal of Business Ethics, 121, 403-417.10.1007/s10551-013-1729-8.

  46. Rizwan, M., Khan, M., Nadeem, B., & Abbas, Q. (2016). The impact of workforce diversity towards employee performance: Evidence from banking sector of Pakistan. American Journal of Marketing Research, 2 (2), 53- 60.

  47. Robbins. (2009). The equal opportunities handbook: How to recognize diversity, encourage fairness and promote anti-discriminatory practice. In L. Roberson & C. T. Kuluk (Eds.). Stereotype Threat at Work, 136-154. London: Kogan Page.

  48. Sayers, J. (2012). Managing Diversity. Retrieved October 4, 2016, from www.bookboon.com/en/managing-diversity-ebook

  49. Scott, C. L., & Sims, J. D. (2016). Developing Workforce Diversity Programs, Curriculum, and Degrees in Higher Education. USA: Information Science Reference.

  50. Sekaran U. 2003. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. 4th edn. John Wiley: Hoboken, NJ.

  51. Selvaraj, P. C. (2015). The effects of work Force diversity on employee performance in Singapore organisations. International Journal of Business Administration, 6(2), 17.

  52. Sharma, A. (2015). Managing diversity and equality in the workplace. Cogent Business and Management, 3, 1–14.

  53. Sharma, A. (2016). Managing diversity and equality in the workplace. Cogent Business & Management, 3(1), 121–136.

  54. Smith, K. G., Smith, K. A., Olian, J. D., Sims, H. P., Jr., O'Bannon, D. P., & Scully, J. A.  (1994).Top management team demography and process: The role of social integration and communication. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39, 412–438.

  55. Srivastava, E., & Agarwal, N. (2012). The emerging challenges in HRM. International journal of scientific & technology research, 1(6), 46-48.

  56. Swaratsingh, K. (2015). Enhancing workplace productivity and competitiveness in Trinidad and Tobago through ICT adoption (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).

  57. Trajfel & Turner, J.C (1979). Social comparison and group interest in group favouritism.  European Journal of Social Psychology, 63(1), 781-796.

  58. Turek, D. (2017). What Do We Know about the Effects of Diversity Management? A Meta-analysis. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie, 964(4), 5-25.

  59. Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons.

  60. Walster, E., Walster, G. W., & Berscheid, E. (1978). Equity: Theory and research.

  61. Webber, S. S., & Donahue, L. M. (2001). Impact of highly and less job-related diversity on work group cohesion and performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of management, 27(2), 141-162.

  62. Wegge, J., Roth, C., Neubach, B., Schmidt, K.-H., & Kanfer, R. (2008). Age and gender diversity as determinants of performance and health in a public organization: The role of task complexity and group size. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1301–1313.

  63. Williams, K. Y., & O'Reilly, C. A. (1998). Demography and diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research. Research in Organizational Behaviour, 20 (20), 77-140.

  64. Wittenbaum, G. M., & Stasser, G. (1996). Management of information in small groups.

  65. Zenger, T. R., & Lawrence, B. S. (1989). Organizational demography: The differential effects of age and tenure distributions on technical communication. Academy of Management Journal, 32(2), 353–376.

  66. Zhuwao, S. (2017). Workforce diversity and its effects on employee performance in Higher Education Institution in South Africa: a case study of University of Venda.

bottom of page