CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Any organization that wishes to succeed in achieving it aims and objectives has to maintain a good working condition so as to achieve its goals. Intrinsic factors is the incentives attached to one’s job that is what influences the manager within the job, and this include achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility promotion and possibility for personal growth, while extrinsic are the environmental condition attached to one’s work element that contribute or motivated the manger e.g. interpersonal relationship with colleagues and subordinates.

According to Armstrong (2009) well being at work exist when people are happy with their work, what they do, how they are treated and how they get on with others. The well-being of an office staff depends on the working staff depends on the working condition provided by the employers. The feeling of satisfaction and happiness arises from the work, and the work environment.

In case study reported by Ahazu (1985), it shows that when Nigeria is observed in his traditional practices, is seen to be very much committed and to be very industrious or hardworking as to when it comes to the work environment where he appears to be iron challenge or he feel highly uncommitted and is not as hand working as he normally will feel at his traditional workplace.

Noble (2003) states that more attention should be paid in identifying and dealing with working conditions because when office secretaries have Negative perception to their work environment they sometime suffer from chronic stress.

This study was guided by the end factor model advanced by Frederick Herzberg (1950s) this theory is divided into two    (motivational and maintenance factors) maintenance factor is also known as the (hygiene factor) such as working condition and job security. So working absence of maintenance bring high negative feelings and their presence on neutral state.

Working conditions are created by the interaction of office manager and include psychological as well as physical working condition.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In the world today, there are organization when debate on the right of their staff most people spend fifty percent of their lines within indoor environments, which greatly influence their mental status, actions, abilities and performance. Better outcomes and increase performance is assembled to be the result of better workplace environment. Better physical environment of office boost staffs and ultimately improve their performance. Literature pertain to the study of multiple offices and office buildings indicates that the factors such as dissatisfaction; clustered workplace and the physical environment are playing a major role in the loss of office staffs performance, (Carnesville 1992). Therefore, the problem that this study addressed is the investigation of the effect of poor working condition on the performance of an office staff.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study is to identify the level of poor working condition of office manager; the objectives of the study are as follows:

1)      To determine whether the organization has any training programme to improve the working condition of an office manager.

2)      To find out how organization improves the working condition of an office manager?

3)      To examine whether the organization has any welfare scheme for office manager?

4)      To find out how working condition affect the overall performance of an office manager in the organization?

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The outcome of this study may provide useful and tangible information for office managers on ways to improve the performance of manager.

In addition the completion of the research will also increase the volume of empirical literature in the subject area in the field of OTM in particular and management in general.

Also, the result of this study will add the managers and business organization to understand the merit and the demerit of working condition on the performance office manager. With the aid of the above, the management will be able to adopt and adapt a favourable working atmosphere which will enhance effective, efficient and increase performance which in turn will increase office managers productivity.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions are formulated to guide the researcher;

What are the training programme of the organization which will improve the working condition of an office manager? In what ways does your organization improve the working condition of an office manager? What are the welfare schemes of the organization for office manager? How does working condition affect the overall performance of an office manager in your organization?

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research is on the effect of poor working condition on the performance of an office staff. The study limits scope to top, middle and lower level management staffs (manager) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Port Harcourt.