(A CASE STUDY OF UBA PLC IKOT EKEPENE)
ABSTRACT
This research work focused on the evaluation of organizational change and its impact on staff productivity using UBA plc Ikot Ekpene as a case study. To accomplish the research objectives, the study adopted the survey research design while convenience sampling technique was used to select fifty (50) respondents as sample size. The instrument of the study was self-developed questionnaire and the forms were personally administered. Hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and data were analysed using chi-square(2) statistical tool and frequency tables. Findings from the study revealed that influencing staff attitude positively to align with organizational change, improving management/leadership style of organization are the roles of organization in enhancing staff productivity. It also revealed that poor communication of change, resistance behavior of staff to change when they are not certain about the benefits are the factors that affect organizational change for improved staff productivity. Finally, the solution to the need for organizational change for improved staff productivity are the introduction of new technology, global competition and downsizing. However, it was recommended that organizations should influence staff attitude positively to align with organizational change, restructure the organization processes to meet goals, organization should improve management/leadership style.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study Change is unavoidable in organizations today and is of paramount importance to study how change factors affect staff productivity. Change is what presses us out of our comfort zone and it is inevitable (Sidikova, 2011). Kitur (2015) is of the view that change comes in an organization in many forms: merger, acquisition, joint venture, new leadership, technology implementation, organizational restructuring, and change in products or regulatory compliance. The change may be planned years in advance or may be forced upon an organization because of a shift in the environment. Organizational change can be radical and alter the way an organization operates, or it may be incremental and slowly change the way things are done. Change management can be defined as a style of management that aims at encouraging organizations and individuals to deal effectively with the changes taking place in their work. (Green, 2007). For change management to be successful and its impact positive, managers or supervisors in the organizations need to understand what motivates their team and enroll employee participation. In fact separating managers from leadership in terms of style is difficult because every manager needs to have leadership skills to get activities done and every leader should have managerial skills to induce workers to change directions. This is especially important in organizations or institutions which are going through change since constant motivation and guidelines are needed for effectiveness of employee performance (McLagan, 2002). In the global market economy, technology introductions, aging boomer population, and less than honest world competition have all had an impact of change management. With the sudden financial shock in late 2008, many employers rushed to downsize their organizations to capture possible profits. In today’s business environment, it’s becoming obvious that nothing remains still (Olubayo 2014). He emphasizes that the rate of change which business organizations face have continued to increase more and more in the last five decades. This is as a result of advances in information and communication technology increasing democratization of economies and liberalization of economies across the globe.