Flexible Work Arrangement and Employees’ Performance during COVID-19 Era in Selected Micro-Finance Banks in Enugu State
Chikwe Goddey Chukwudi *
Department of Business Management, Evangel University, Akaeze, Nigeria.
O. Patricia Ukegbu
Department of Human Nutrition and Diatetics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.
N. Offurum Anthony
Department of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study examined Flexible Work Arrangement and Employees’ Performance in Selected Micro-Finance Banks in Enugu State. The study was guided by two objectives which were designed in consistency with the research questions and hypotheses. The study covered a population of 140 employees of the ten selected micro finance banks while its sampled size is 104. Data was collected primarily through a five point likert scale questionnaire themed; Flexible Work Arrangement and Employees’ Performance questionnaire (FWA&EPQ) after subjecting it to validity and reliability check while the data analysis was done using Simple Regression with the aid of 23.0 versions of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) The emerging public health issues coupled with rising demand for a work process that allow more time and freedom to the employees has made the rethinking of traditional work process pertinent. This study therefore concludes that in order to improve the performance of employees in the prevailing social circumstances, flexible work arrangement is a preferred option. In line with the findings and conclusion above, the following recommendations were made by the researchers; Adoption of flexible work arrangement is very key in the enhancement of employees’ performance and that Job sharing is important in fast-tracking efficiency of the employees by reducing if not eliminating job-over-load which can lead to stress and subsequently inefficiency; hence, it should be adopted by organizations
Keywords: Efficiency, employee autonomy, employee performance, FWA, job sharing, innovativeness