CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Employee relations are concerned with creating an enabling work environment for a pleasant interpersonal relationship in the organization which gears towards the effective promotion of the organization goals and objectives. Donohoe (2015) defines employee relations as the study of the relationship that exist between employees and the employers. Basically, effective employee relations places high premium on the human element in the organization, which results in higher employee engagement, motivation and improved productivity. Considering the strategic role of employee relations in organizations Yongcai (2010) posit that employee relations is a specialized discipline in human resource  development  and management.  Jing (2013) further buttress that employee relations is the organization’s concerted effort in adopting several mechanisms to regulate relationship amongst the employee towards the achievement of the organization goals.  

Pareek and Rai (2012) maintained that effective employee relations management  in  an  organization  enhances  confidence,  trust  and  loyalty amongst the employee. To buttress the assertion it is noted that trust and loyal-ty are  earned by an employer through open communication,  regular feed-back system and the delegation of duties to the staff (Janssens et al., 2003). The inability of an employer to build trust and respect in their employees will eventually affect the relationship negatively. 

According to  Nikoloski  et  al. (2014) employer-employee  relations is  concerned with the  provision of  in-formation to employees with regards to the objectives of the organization so that they have a clear understanding of the direction of management. Effective employee relations focuses also on creating an open door system in the organization where employees can freely express their  grievances, initiate ideas, suggestions without fear of intimidation and suppression. Ultimately, the sense of belonging and a high self-esteem is built in the employees. According to Janssen et al. (2003) research has shown that every employee has  innate  desire  to  be  treated  with  respect,  dignity  and  with  fairness. Bhattacharya et al. (2008) posit that the expectation of employers to effectively manage employee relations is to enhance employee morale and productivity.

Background of the study

In today’s competitive world, the key to organizational success relies on employees. It is no gainsaying that the invaluable role of employees is increasingly gaining wider attention amongst employers. Steve Jobs (2008), who was the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. gave credence to innovations at Apple to employees. He asserts that innovation has nothing to do with money, but it’s about people. His recognition of the contribution of the employees in developing innovative products geared him to foster a thriving employer-employee relationship, which inspired a culture of hard work and creativity. 

Similarly, Mary Kay Ash (2008) founder of a billion dollars Cosmetics Company describes employees as an organization’s greatest assets. She opined that an organization is only good as the employee it can retain. Equally, an American Industrialist, Andrew Carnegie as quoted by Sharma M.P. Sadana B.L & Harpret K. (2013) attributed employees as the key that unlocks the doors of an organization. This indicates that employees are the resources that make the organization, and the recognition of this assertion culminates in the creation of a healthy manager employee relations. 

The existence of a healthy relationship between the employers and the employee in an organization occupies a very paramount position in the realization of organizational goals and objectives. According to Schreiner (2019), effective management of manager employee relations is vital to organizational success as healthy relationships can bring about employee engagement and even enhanced employee performance. This is important because the relationship between the employer and the employee is one of mutual reliance. The employer depends on the employee to execute their functions, to ensure the smooth running of the organization. Conversely, the employees depend upon the employer to compensate then financially and create an enabling environment that meets their psychological needs.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Employees have a very critical role to play towards the achievement of organizational goals. Scholars have argued that making employee happier and healthier increases their effort, contributions and productivity (Fisher, 2003; Harter et al, 2006; Judge, 2002) and that improving their motivation requires that workers perceive a match between their own goals and those of the organization (Kanfer, 1999).  However the process of reconciliation is often long and to date some issues related to the genocide still arise at the work place. Currently in some organisations there are some problems related to negative attitude at workplaces or conflicts, communication challenges and health and safety concerns among the employee. The issue of manager employee relations and how it relates to performance has not been given the attention it deserves by management.

Most employees at the districts do not put up their best performance because of unhealthy relationships with their employers. When an employee is not happy, then it is unlikely that they will make their clients happy. For that reason management should take care of relationships with employees. The vital determinants of work place performance are employee relationship which has been given little attention. Few organizations (if any) can survive without paying attention to their employees. To achieve strong and healthy relationships with employee a comprehensive manager employee relations program should be put in place because good relationship positively impacts on performance and organisation growth, Bratton & Gold, (2003). To achieve strong and healthy relationships between the organization and the workforce, a comprehensive manager employee relations program should be put in place.This research endeavors to find out the manager employee relations on organisational goal attainment in Lagos state.

1.3    Objective of the study

The major purpose of this study is to examine the impact of manager employee relations on organisational goal attainment in Nigeria. Other general objectives of the study are:

1. To examine the relationship between manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.
2. To assess the effects of manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.
3. To know the basic factors that enhance manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.

1.4    Research Question

The study sought to provide answers to the following research questions:

1. Is there any relationship between manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria?
2. What are the effects of manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria?
3. What are the basic factors that enhance manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria?

1.5    Research Hypothesis

The following hypotheses were raised for this research;

1. There is no significant relationship between manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.
2. There is no significant effects of manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.
3. There is no significant basic factors that enhance manager employee relations and organisational goal attainment in Nigeria.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

Certification

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Table of Contents

Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

• Background to the study
• Statement of the Problem
• Research questions
• The Objectives of the Study
• Significance of the Study
• Scope of the Study
• Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 Review of Related Literature
2.2 Empirical Studies
2.3 Theoretical Framework

2.4 Review of Relevant concept of manager employee relations
2.5 Summary of the literature

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques

3.4 Research Instrument

3.5 Validation of the Research Instrument

3.6 Reliability of the Research Instrument

3.7 Research Procedure

3.8 Methods of Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Data presentation and analysis

4.2 Testing of hypothesis

4.3 Discussion of finding

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary of Study

5.3 Summary of Major Findings

5.4 Recommendations

5.5 Limitation of the Study

5.6 Suggestions for Future Research

            References

            Appendix

List of the Tables       

4.1 Analysis of Research Questionnaire Administered            

4.1 Distribution of Respondents by Sex

4.2 Age Distribution

4.3 Marital Status Distribution

4.4 Educational Qualification Distribution

4.5 Years of Service Distribution

4.6 Research Question One

4.7 Research Question Two

4.8 Research Question three

4.9 Research Hypothesis One

4.10 Research Hypothesis Two

4.11 Research Hypothesis Three