EFFECT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON ABSENTEE BEHAVIOUR OF EMPLOYEES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

The work environment plays a crucial role in shaping employee behaviour, well-being, and overall performance. The work environment encompasses various factors, such as physical conditions, organizational culture, interpersonal relationships, workload, and job satisfaction. Despite the importance of the work environment, there remains a gap in understanding how it impacts employee absence behaviour within tertiary institutions in Kwara State. This study thus examined the effect of the work environment on the absentee behaviour of employees in tertiary institutions in Kwara State. The study adopted a mixed method. For the quantitative method, the primary research instrument was the questionnaire, while the qualitative method was the interview guide. The study population consisted of male and female academic/non-academic staff in tertiary institutions in Kwara State. A total of nine tertiary institutions were selected for this study out of the 18 tertiary institutions in Kwara state. A purposive sampling technique was deployed to select respondents from the institutions based on their knowledge and availability. For the qualitative approach, purposive sampling (non-probability technique) was used to select nine (9) respondents. The study population consisted of nine thousand, eight hundred and ten (9810) male and female academic/non-academic, full-time/casual employees in tertiary institutions in Kwara State while the sample size was 1200. The findings from the study revealed that employees’ work environment is significantly related to job commitment. Similarly, the study found that the respondents' responses from different institutions on the relationship between a conducive working environment and level of motivation are different. The study therefore recommend that efforts should be made by concerned authorities to improve the work environment in tertiary institutions in the study area.