INFLUENCE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ON EMPLOYEE EFFECTIVENESS AND PERFORMANCE IN AN ORGANIZATION: CASE STUDY OF SKYVISION, DOUALA, CAMEROON

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Employees play a pivotal role in the success and productivity of any organization, constituting a crucial component in achieving enhanced productive capacity. The term "employee relations" conceptually refers to the interactions, dynamics, and overall relationships among employees within an organization and between employees and organizational management. It encompasses various facets, including communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, and the overall workplace atmosphere (Olaolu, 2019). Employee relations is viewed as a tool for advancing and refining organizational performance, James (2016) asserting that the quality of employees' workplace relationships significantly influences motivation levels and subsequent performance.

However, the extent to which employees engage with the organization, particularly with their immediate colleagues, profoundly affects error rates, innovation, collaboration, absenteeism, and ultimately, their tenure in the job. Employee relations contributes in multiple ways, such as employee recognition, policy development, interpretation, problem-solving, and dispute resolution. It involves managing the pay–work agreement, addressing employment practices, terms and conditions, issues arising from employment, providing employees with a voice, and communication with employees (Frank & Jeffrey, 2010). Maintaining positive employee and management relationships is crucial throughout various stages, including recruitment, employment tenure, and separation (Rose, 2018).

Furthermore, organizations cannot effectively perform and achieve objectives without a positive relationship between employers and employees. Therefore, it is imperative for managers to establish and uphold positive relationships with their employees. Effective employee and management relationships are vital in the workplace, impacting performance, job satisfaction, and outcomes at the time of separation (Burns, 2017). Similarly, good relationships between employers and employees motivate better performance and results, and the application of human relations in managing human resources is deemed critical in today's competitive business environment (Christen, Iyer & Soberman, 2016). Job satisfaction is achieved through a positive working relationship between labor and management (Boyle, 2016). While organizations may have competent, qualified, and motivated employees, a lack of peace and harmony in the workplace jeopardizes their performance. In addition, establishing a positive and supportive work environment can lead to improved performance, heightened job satisfaction, and various other positive outcomes benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole. Effective employee relations are essential for fostering a harmonious and productive work environment. Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to investigate the influence of employee relations on employee effectiveness and performance in an organization.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Employee relations is a broad term that covers a variety of topics, from negotiations, collective bargaining, and employment laws to more modern issues including managing diversity, equal opportunities, and work-life balance (Armstrong & Stephens, 2016). It includes the procedures or programs put in place to guarantee the contentment and efficiency of staff members. Despite being a fundamental and crucial function of human resource management, contributing to both effective employee performance and organizational success, some organizations in Cameroon appear to neglect employee relations by not giving it the necessary attention and priority. Consequently, these organizations face challenges in establishing and maintaining effective employee relations, leading to unnecessary disputes that adversely affect their overall performance. The prevalence of poor relations between employers and employees is a notable challenge for organizations operating in both global and local markets (Kaliski, 2017). Hence, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to examine the influence  of employee relations on employee effectiveness and performance in an organization.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to find out the influence of employee relations on employee effectiveness and performance in an organization: case study of SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon. Specifically, the study will;

1.Investigate whether there is a significant relationship between employee relations and employee effectiveness and performance in SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon

2.Investigate the causes of poor employee relations in  SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon

3.Investigate the impact of adequate employee relations on the effectiveness and performance of workers in  SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

1.        Is there a significant relationship between employee relations and employee performance?

2.        What are the causes of poor employee relations in  SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon?

3.        How does adequate employee relations impact the performance of workers in  in  SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon?

1.5  Significant of the Study

This study will give employees the opportunity to state their individual perceptions toward employee relations and its effect on their effectiveness and performance in the organization. Further more, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to the Influence of employee relations on employee effectiveness and performance in an organization.

1.6 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on influence of employee relations on employee effectiveness and performance in an organization.  Empirically, this study will investigate whether there is a significant relationship between employee relations and employee performance, investigate the causes of poor employee relations, and the impact of adequate employee relations on the performance of workers.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to staff in SkyVision, Douala, Cameroon.

1.7 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed.

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

 1.8 Definition of Terms

Employee: a person employed for wages or salary,.

Performance: is the accomplishment of an employee, organization in relation to stated goals and objectives.

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