Workplace Democracy and Performance of Employees in Public Institutions in Nigeria: How Far, So Far?

Abstract

In most work organizations in Nigeria, it was conventionally alluded that management had the prerogative and exclusive preserve in relation to decision making; therefore, little or no concrete efforts were made to institutionalize Workplace Democracy (WPD). This is in contrast to what obtained in other countries especially in developed societies where WPD has long been espoused as part of the needed tonic for operational efficiency and organizational performance. Against the backdrop of recent claims and counter claims as to the place of WPD practices in organizations in Nigeria, this paper sought to investigate WPD variables (Collective Bargaining, Committee membership, workers’ representation on boards and use of quality circles) vis-a-vis employee performance variables of job satisfaction, commitment, punctuality, timely completion of work. Using both qualitative and qualitative approaches in the collection and analyses of data, which were supplemented by views of “informed people”, the paper reinforces relationships between workplace democracy and employee performance variables. However, observable evidences supported by descriptive analyses of data are suggestive that the future of workplace democracy in Nigerian public institutions is bleak.

Keywords: Workplace democracy, Employee performance, Universities, Local governments.