THE IMPACT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT ON INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA
ABSTRACT
This study examines the impact of personality traits, and work environment on interpersonal relationship, Delta State University, Abraka. Since the beginning of man’s existence, there have been the need to have a good, peaceful and cordial relationship among members of every working environment, four research questions were generated, four objectives also, four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study is limited to lecturers and non-teaching staff in Delta State University Abraka. Literature that are related to this study and theoretical framework that is best use to explain the study were review for the purpose of the study; researcher used cross-sectional dwelling on exploratory method in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The total number of the population from the seven faculties was 1290 lecturers and non-teaching staff and a sample size of two hundred fifty (250) were randomly selected. Instrument for data collection for this study was a rating scale and a structured questionnaire, a pilot group made up of ten 10 lecturers of sociology and psychology of thy faculty was arranged for the reliability for this study, distribution of the questionnaire and collection of data was carried out by the researcher. Researcher analyzed data by using descriptive statistics and the plan of data analysis through the use of tables, frequencies and percentage for the data analysis of the background of the data. The results of the analysis of this study show that the deep seated animosity, rivalry and suspicion between the lecturers and non-academic staff have been the bane of organizational development in the study area and Nigeria in general, From the research analysis and the conclusion drawn, meaningful recommendations are hereby made that satisfaction can be achieved when the basic needs are first satisfied and this varies from one staff to the other.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover page i
Title page ii
Declaration iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgements vi
Abstract ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study - - - - - - 1
1.2 Statement of Research problem - - - - - 5
1.3 Objectives of the study - - - - - - 7
1.4 Research Questions - - - - - - 7
1.5 Research Hypotheses - - - - - - 7
1.6 Significance of Study - - - - - - 8
1.7 Scope of the Study - - - - - - 8
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms - - - - 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Conceptual Framework - - - - - - 10
2.2 Empirical Studies - - - - - - - 14
2.3 Theoretical Framework - - - - - - 30
2.4 Summary of Literature Review - - - - - 33
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 Research Design - - - - - - - 35
3.2 Population of the Study - - - - - - 35
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique - - - - 36
3.4 Instrument for Data Collection - - - - 36
3.5 Validation and Reliability of the Instrument - - - 37
3.7 Procedure of Data Collection - - - - - 38
3.8 Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - 38
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.1 Presentation of Data - - - - - - 39
4.2 Discussion of Findings - - - - - - 44
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary - - - - - - - - 46
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - 48
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - 49
References - - - - - - - - 52
Questionnaire - - - - - - - 57
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Since the beginning of man’s existence, there have been the need to have a good, peaceful and cordial relationship among members of every working environment, this is so necessary in order to maintain a conducive and harmonious relationship and peaceful environment for every worker. This calls for the need for relations; Sam Black sees Relations as “involving the establishment of a two – way communication to resolve conflict of interest, seeking common grounds or areas of mutual interest and establishment of understanding based on truth, knowledge and full information”. A harmonious relationship between personality traits, work environment and interpersonal relationship at work all levels is necessary with the increase in the overall population of workers; this is so because it helps to minimize or eliminate difficulties encountered by man as they relate with one another in their day to day affairs. In organizations, it is very vital that there should be that peaceful and conducive environment brought about by such interpersonal relationship, as this can serve as a good ground.
Positive interpersonal relationships at work have an advantageous impact on both organizational and individual variables. Research has demonstrated that friendships at work can improve individual staff attitudes such as job satisfaction, job commitment, engagement and perceived organizational support (Morrison, 2009; Zagenczyk, Scott, Gibney, Murrell, & Thatcher, 2010). In addition, staff’snegative work attitudes can be mitigated when peers act as confidantes to discuss bad and unpleasant work experiences (Anderson & Martin, 2015; Morrison, 2009; Song & Olshfski, 2008). Finally, valued work relationships can influence organizational outcomes by increasing institutional participation, establishing supportive and innovative climates, increasing organizational productivity and indirectly reducing the intent to turnover (Berman, West, Richter, & Maurice, 2002; Crabtree, 2004; Ellingwood, 2004; Riordan & Griffeth, 1995; Song & Olshfski, 2008).
Given that friendships at work provide valuable individual and organizational outcomes, one might ask, how can organizations generate positive interpersonal relationships? Previous research has examined contextual and demographic antecedents to workplace relationships to better understand what influences the likelihood that staffs develop positive relationships at work. In this paper, we argue that forming interpersonal connections at work has strong dispositional roots and therefore, staffs’ personality will influence their development of meaningful interpersonal ties. We also explore interpersonal citizenship behavior (OCBI) as yet another potential advantage of positive interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal citizenship behavior occurs when coworkers assist one another beyond their job requirements (Bowler & Brass, 2006, Settoon & Mossholder, 2002). Coworkers who are friends are more likely to help one another than coworkers who are not friends.
Past research has focused on the formation of interpersonal relationships at work as a function of staff demographics and the work environment. Song and Olshfski (2008). proposed that who we claim as our friends is influenced by our family ties, class, ethnic background, race, gender, age, experience, interests, and geography. Many theories support the proposition that demographic characteristics impact social relationships between individuals (Sacco & Schmitt, 2005). Social categorization (Tajfel, 1981; Turner, 1987) and social identity theories (Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Turner, 1982) put forth that people categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups according to salient characteristics, including race and sex.
Individuals tend to minimize differences among in-group members and maximize perceived differences between groups. Individuals react more positively to interactions with people in the same group, even when group distinctions are arbitrary (Sacco & Schmitt, 2005; Sherif, Harvey, 2019). Similarly, the similarity-attraction paradigm (Byrne, 2015) and relational demography theory (Tsui, Egan 2017) suggest that demographic similarity leads to attraction and liking and positively impacts the social relationships between staffs. Interestingly, these theories suggest that demographic effects on workplace relationships and the consequences of such relationships may occur even without extensive staff interaction.
Igben: 2001 says interpersonal relations “it is a system development and sustained commitment by institution of individuals to a culture of goodwill, interchange of understanding in order to be accepted by the various publics within the context of social, economic, political, religions or cultural interactions”. Industrial Relation as an aspect of Interpersonal Relations is responsible for ensuring the cordial relationship and peaceful co-existence among members of an organization/firm.
Like all behaviors, deviant behavior is influenced by factors other than an individual’s personality traits. We propose that one such factor is a person’s general attitudinal evaluation of his/her work—job satisfaction. Further, in our view, staffs’ job satisfaction plays an important role in understanding counterproductive work behaviors as it partially mediates the relationship between personality characteristics and counterproductive work behaviors. That is, staffs’ reactions to work experiences and work environment features are influenced by individuals’ personality traits, which in turn influence counterproductive work behaviors. Thus, personality–Counter productive behavior linkages should be explained, in part, through attitudinal constructs that more proximally reflect individuals’ reactions to their work environment and experiences (Yesufu, 2020).
Counter productive behavior represent a class of behaviors that are discretionary. That is, individuals make conscious choices about whether to engage in behaviors such as playing mean pranks, swearing at coworkers, falsifying expense reports, and sabotaging the work of others. As such, counter productive behavior are more likely to be influenced by individuals’ personality traits than by ability factors. Indeed, previous research has demonstrated that there are meaningful linkages between staffs’ personality characteristics and deviant behavior at work (e.g., Bennett & Robinson, 2003; Dalal, 2005; Douglas & Martinko, 2001; Salgado, 2002). Thus, one major purpose of the present study is to examine further personality– Counter productive behavior linkages. As we discuss in later paragraphs, we extend previous research by examining whether there are differential relationships between personality traits and two related, but distinct, types of counter productive behavior (interpersonal and organizational). We also examine whether these relationships hold when Counter productive behavior are rated from different perspectives (self and boss).
This study tries to look at the Impact of Personality Trait and Work Environment On Interpersonal Relationship at Work Delta State University Abraka, so as to know how or if Interpersonal Relations can for tell industrial peace among the lecturers and students. Industrial relation can go a long way to affect the performance of lecturers and students and this will in the long run have a relative significance and effect on the students and the education community at large.
Some characteristics of Interpersonal relations are:
· Interpersonal relations are the relations between two parties connected with industrial/manufacturing activity, namely staff and staffs.
· Interpersonal relations concept is complex and multi-dimensional. It is also a dynamic and developing concept.
· Interpersonal relations do not function in a vacuum; the attitude and approaches of employers, teachers and students and trade unions are directly related to Industrial relations.
· Interpersonal relations lead to industrial peace or industrial unrest. Both terms are used in relation to Industrial relations.
· Cordial Interpersonal relations are always beneficial to all concerned parties whereas absences of such relations are harmful to all parties and even to the effectiveness of learning.
Functions of interpersonal relations: Generally, it ensures that work places follow federal rules on teachers and students pay and work hours under the Fair Labour Standards Act.
Advantages of industrial relations: The healthy industrial relations are key to the progress and success; their significance may be discussed as uninterrupted production, reduction in industrial disputes, high morale, mental revolution, and reduced wastage.
Also, when an employer is inflexible, this can stifle the creativity of staffs. When staffs feel as if the creativity is being squashed or that their opinions do not matter, this can cause strife between the staffs and management of the business. When creativity is squashed, they can cause the company innovation to lack, which can ultimately create an uncompetitive position for the company in the market place (Tennenbaun, 2005).
If the relationships between or among lecturer and students of university is an harmonious one, the result will be a peaceful environment for teachers and students and students to teach and learn, if it is not, the result will be various forms of strife and a breakdown of industrial peace.
1.2 Statement of Research Problem
Interpersonal relationships are very vital aspects in every workplace because it tends to give the much needed peaceful environment which is important to the overall output of workers in an organization. Living in harmony or having a harmonious co-existence among worker and their teachers and students is thus an issue that should not be taken for granted at any time, if workers, performance or productivity must be rightly tapped.
This is not enough to say that, it is only the type of relationship in an institution that motivates workers, of course, there are well other factors such as the salaries/wages among others that can motivate workers. However, the relationship that exist among workers in an institution and their employers is a major motivator of staff in the workplace. A lot of factors come into play, for interpersonal relationship to be achieved in the workplace.
In the Nigerian Educational Sector especially the university, the lecturer and non-academic staff are the major workers that are involved in the university. The fact that their job involves the impartation of knowledge to student at the basic levels makes it necessary for them to be well motivated to give their best; as the saying goes “To whom much is given, much is expected”.
The kind of relationship that exists between them and their colleagues or employer or the government can have an impact in their workplace environment either positively or adversely and this can affect performance. All these explain the need for harmonious relationship in the workplace, which can only possibly be achieved through effective industrial relations. There have been a relatively low degree of industrial harmony among lecturer and non-academic staff in Delta State University, Abraka which could have culminated from a lot of factors, and have resulted to a quite number of adverse effects on the teachers and students, students and the society at large.
This is not to say that industrial peace is lacking among the lecturer and non-academic staff, but it presence is relative minimal. This study therefore sought to find out, why this is so, if maximum interpersonal relationship among lecturers and non-academic staff of the institution, can be achieved, whether public relations is a major factor in achieving industrial harmony.
The research questions that would guide this study are:-
1. What are the impact of Interpersonal Relations in the industrial harmony among lecturers and non-academic staff?
2. Does Interpersonal Relations foretell the industrial harmony amongst the lecturers and non-academic staff?
3. What are the advantages of Interpersonal Relationship among the lecturers and non-academic staff?
4. Is Interpersonal Relations a Predictor of Industrial relation among the lecturers and non-academic staff?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The purpose of this study is to find out The Impact of Personality Trait and Work Environment on Interpersonal Relationship at Work Delta State University Abraka, specifically the study sought to find out how interpersonal relationship at work anticipates harmony and peace among members of Delta State University Abraka. The specific objectives are to:
1. Find out the impact of Interpersonal Relationship in the industrial harmony among lecturers and non-academic staff.
2. Determine if Interpersonal Relationship foretells the industrial harmony amongst the lecturers and non-academic staff.
3. Examine the advantages of Interpersonal Relationship among the lecturers and non-academic staff.
4. Determine Interpersonal Relationship a Predictor of Industrial relation among the lecturers and non-academic staff.
1.4 Research Hypotheses
In order to guide and direct this study, four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.
1. There is no significant difference in the Interpersonal Relations and industrial harmony among lecturers and non-academic staff.
2. There is no significant difference in the Interpersonal Relationship and lecturers and non-academic staff.
3. There is no significant difference in the Interpersonal Relations a Predictor and the lecturers and non-academic staff.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The significance of this study is to highlight the importance of The Impact of Personality Trait and Work Environment on Interpersonal Relationship at Work Delta State University Abraka.
It is expected that findings from this study will be valuable to students of Sociology and psychology, Lecturers and non-academic staff, Nigeria Union of Teacher, Government Parents and other Stakeholders.
The research is to enable the researcher to have an in-depth knowledge on the Impact of Personality Trait and Work Environment on Interpersonal Relationship at Work (Delta State University Abraka) therefore enabling to offer useful suggestions and contributions in solving these problems.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research work focuses on the Impact of Personality Trait and Work Environment on Interpersonal Relationship at Work Delta State University Abraka, Nigeria. The study is limited to lecturers and non-teaching staff in Delta State University Abraka.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
For the purpose of further clarification, the following terms will be operationally defined so that their application in this study will not be subject to unintended interpretation.
Impact: The striking of one body against another.
Interpersonal Relations: The relationship between management and staff or workers in a working environment.
Peace: A state in relations in which both employer and teachers and students abstain from action, such as strike and lockouts.
Harmony: It is a station where the lecturers and non-academic staff and management co-operate willingly for the University commercial objectives. This creates a high level of staff satisfaction.
Personal Relations: The Personal Relations Society of America (PRSA) says “Personal relations is concerned with or devoted to creating mutual understanding among groups and institutions.” The PRSA recognizes the place of groups and institutions in the personal relations process. It admits that these entities have interests that must be protected. It also presupposes a streamlining of these benefits for mutual good. The concept of mutuality in this definition makes you as a personal relations man or woman an intermediary between your institution and its publics. This implies that you should be able to align the interests of these two parties for their mutual advantage. You do this by convincing your institution that personal relations attempts to put the broad interest of the person first before the special interest of the organization. By doing this, the institution is indirectly serving its own interest; hence PR has what is called “enlightened self-interest”.
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