EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKERS PERFORMANCE

1.0 Introduction

When we talk of decision making, we have to bear in mind certain things.

Decision making is the role of a leader so leaders do not allow subordinates to make decision (Authoritarian).

Some leaders go to the extent of allowing the subordinate to make all decision making of major decision (laisse faire leaders) yet some other leaders create opportunities for their subordinates to join in decision making (democratic leaders).

Each of the above leadership style has an implication or effect in organizational performance. The focus of this study is on the democratic leadership style which allows subordinates participate in decision making.
And the aim is to discover the effect of such participation on workers performance using Dantag oil servicing company in Port-Harcourt as a case study.

1.1 Background Of The Study

Advancement if the study of management with emphasis on the humanistic approach has strengthened the urge to discover and to know more about the individual interest in the organization and how it has contributed to the achievement of the organizational goals, concept like participation when related to performance have attracted the attention of researcher, management practitioner, physiologists and sociologist who devoted their time, money and human resources in trying to discover the relation between participation in decision making and job performance.

Participation is the mental, physical and emotional involvement of person in group situation that encourages them to make their own contribution towards the achievement of goals and sharing of responsibility.

Davis (1981) defines it as a motivational technique. Koortz (1983) says that the right hand of participation yield both motivational and knowledge valuable for enterprises success.

Decision making could be seen as processes of selection from among alternative of course action according to certain set criteria. The dynamic of modern organization place a haery burden on its manager sometimes see decision making as their central job because they must constantly chooses what is to be done who is to it. When, where and occasionally how it will be done.

The primary tax of a manager is to get people to contribute to the activities that will help in achieving the organizational goals and mission. Managers needs the assistance of employee in the form of information, suggestion, views and ideas from both supervisors and subordinates in order to function and make decision that affects the employee and organizational goals.

Performance entails achieving the goals when required and how required. It could be seen that there has been many identified relationship between participation and work performance, some of which centers on the believe that if workers participation in issues concerning them, and their environment, it boosts their morals, feelings of recognition and finally motivated them to increase their performance.

The study seeks to make additional contributions to the impact of employee participation in decision making on work performance and also to identify the different levels of participation and the different motivational impact of the different level of participation.

1.2 Statement Of Problem

Since the concept of participation involved from the field of human relations, it has been misunderstood by many organizations participation therefore is the act of one taking part in something that affects him or her directly or in a special way of delegation in which the subordinates gains control and freedom of choice with respect to his or responsibility.

Unfortunately, the extent to which participation of workers in decision making is allowed by most managers adopted leadership style that does not permit the participation of their employees in decision making. Consequently, such employees are denied their opportunity to contributes their own ideas or provide useful information that can lead to sound decision making. Such decision making requires a lot of information, the employee on grounds whose job are mostly affected by decision making, on their experience at work.

Employees are likely to support a course of action in which they took part in making them other wise. None participation of employee in decision making is counter productive in the sense that their moral will be low on the other hand, employee’s participation in decision making will increase their moral which in turn increase their productivity.

The assumption by some managers that employees will divulge official secret if it allowed to participate in decision making may seen reasonable in principle, while one does not rule out the possibility that employees may have important secret if allowed to participate in decision making, we cannot equally over look the over riding advantage of employee participation the assumption that the subordinates are potentially incapable of making not be true. Most subordinated by virtue of their experience in a particular job setting are very in a goof position to contribute ideas that will prove very useful in decision making.

As a result of this efficient and effective job performance together with goals requires certain and maintenance of an environment by which individual work together in group towards the accomplishment of common objectives.

Thus representing a balance group judgment and a more diversified point of view which create a sense of loyalty and commitment to decision reached.

1.3 Objectives Of Study

The study attempts to achieve the following objectives.

1. To determine the impact of democratic leadership style on employee performance.
2. To determine the impact of democratic leadership style on employee morale.
3. To find out how autocratic leadership style affects employee performances.
4. To discover how laissez faire leadership style affects employee performance.

1.4 Scope And Limitation Of The Study

This research work will be restricted only to particular oil servicing company (Dantag) in Rivers state. This scope and coverage would be an illassion and impracticable. This is a decision organization which makes employee to behave or perform well in the organization.

The organization must make positive decision to enable workers enhances their productivity. Academic, enterprises, traditionally, encounter some limitations and constraints. This project failed to live this tradition.

One of the constraints encountered was lack of related materials (books) on the topic from most of the libraries I went to.

Also I could not obtain the appropriate information needed from Dantag because I was not given free access by the security.

Another constraint was on the questionnaire, the respondent could not complete them as require. I did not use oral interview, because people did not disclosed information needed because of the fear of what it will be use for.

1.5 Significance Of Study

The main reason for this study is to assess the level of impact of employee participation in decision making process in organization.

The successful completion of this study will provide essential information to both management and employee on need to collaborate with each other in decision making process.

Secondly, it will provide necessary information to guide further researchers on the subject matter as well as act as a guideline to practitioners for effective decision making in attainment of organizational goals.

1.6 Research Questions

The study will examine the following questions;

1. To what extent does employee participate in decision making?
2. How does workers performance relate to employee participation?
3. What are the objectives of employee participation in decision making?
4. What impact does employee have on workers performance?
5. What are the factors that hinder cordial relationship between employees and workers?

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Participation, In This Research Work:

Participation is defined as a special way of delegation in which the subordinate gain greater control, greater freedom of choice with respect to the responsibility. It could also be defined as the act of the partaking in something that affects him or her directly.

Decision Making:

This is defined as an action consciously taken on chosen from available alternatives for the purpose of achieving desired result.

Job Performance:

This is the extent to which a worker does his or her job in relation to existing standards.

Employees:

These are people employed to work in an organization.

Effect:

This is simply the result of things or another.

Impact:

The efficient of one think or another.

Leadership Style:

This is authority or behavior of a leader whole performing his or her administrative function of planning, organization, staffing, evaluating and decision making.

Democratic Leadership Style:

This is the ability of a leader to consult or allow subordinates to participate in the process of decision making.

Laissez Faire Leadership Style:

This is leader whose administrative policy is not definite. He gives the subordinate free hand to participate in decision making.

Autocratic Leadership Style:

Here the leader takes unilateral decision (i.e. makes decision alone) and impose them on the subordinates to implement. They dose not trust any other person’s capacity.