THE IMPACT OF OFFICE ERGONOMICS ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

(A CASE STUDY OF THE GHANA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (GNPC))

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Business Administration and Management Department

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ABSTRACT

Office ergonomics is a widely acceptable means of providing an enabling environment that best

facilitates employees' performance and general productivity. This study sought to find out the

impact of office ergonomics on employee performance using the Ghana National Petroleum

Corporation (GNPC) as a case study. The objectives of the study were to analyze the office

design, finishes and furnishing of the head office building of GNPC, identify ergonomic features

in the design, finishes and furnishing in terms of their suitability and comfort of the employees,

assess the impact of office ergonomics on the performance of GNPC employees at the Petroleum

House in Tema and finally propose specific ergonomically based interventions that would

address employee health, comfort and wellbeing and thereby enhance optimum performance.

The study was based on a sample of 88 GNPC staff randomly drawn from various departments

and units at the Petroleum House, as well as 10 senior managers. Data for the study obtained

mainly from the administration of questionnaires was analyzed quantitatively using the SPSS and

Microsoft Excel and presented with the aid of frequency distributions, pie charts, tables, pictures

and graphs. The research identified considerable office ergonomic deficiencies which included

uninspiring and old-fashioned office design and décor (largely cellular offices), use of dark

wooden partitions resulting in poorly illuminated offices, and continuous use of un-ergonomic

furniture at the Petroleum House. The study also confirmed that the ergonomic deficiencies have

had varying adverse effects on the performance of GNPC employees by between 20-80 percent.

The study recommends the relocation of the GNPC head office to a new modern facility

designed and furnished to suit the peculiar needs of the Corporation. The development and

operation of a Real Estate Policy that leverages on the workplace environment to attract, retain

and boost employee performance has also been recommended.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ii

ABSTRACT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . iii

DEDICATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . v

LIST OF PLATES AND TABLES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - viii

LIST OF FIGURES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. x

CHAPTER ONE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .1

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .1

1.1 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..6

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..8

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..8

1.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .9

1.6 RELEVANCE AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH - - - - - - - - - ..9

1.7 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..10

CHAPTER TWO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .11

LITERATURE REVIEW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

2.1 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .11

2.2 WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12

2.3 KEY ELEMENTS IN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT - - - - - - - - - - - 12

2.4 ERGONOMICS AND BRANCHES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14

2.5 OFFICE ERGONOMICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..17

2.5.1 DIMENSIONS OF OFFICE ERGONOMICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18

2.6 THE CONCEPT OF EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE - - - - - - - - - - - - 20

2.6.1 FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE - - - - - - - - - 21

2.7 RELEVANCE OF WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS - - - - - - - - - - - - 23

2.8 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..24

CHAPTER THREE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .26

3.1 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .26

3.2 TYPE OF RESEARCH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26

3.3 SOURCES OF DATA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .27

3.4 TARGET POPULATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..27

3.5 SAMPLING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..28

3.6 DATA COLLECTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28

3.7 DATA ANALYSIS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29

3.8 OVERVIEW OF THE GHANA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION - - - - - 29

CHAPTER FOUR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION - - - - - - - - - - - - - .31

4.1 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .31

4.2 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENTS - - - - - - - ..31

4.3 OFFICE DESIGN, FINISHES AND FURNISHING AT GNPC PETROLEUM HOUSE - - ..32

4.4 ERGONOMIC FEATURES IN THE DESIGN, FINISHES AND FURNISHING OF THE

WORKPLACE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .35

4.4.1 OFFICE DESIGN AND DÉCOR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .36

4.4.2 OFFICE FURNITURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..37

4.4.3 OFFICE ILLUMINATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..39

4.4.4 NOISE LEVEL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..40

4.4.5 ROOM TEMPERATURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .41

4.4.6 OFFICE EQUIPMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..42

4.4.7 WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..43

4.5 IMPACT OF OFFICE ERGONOMICS ON PERFORMANCE OF GNPC EMPLOYEES - - 44

4.6 ERGONOMICALLY BASED INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS EMPLOYEE HEALTH,

COMFORT, WELLBEING AND PERFORMANCE - - - - - - - - - - - - - .51

4.7 DISCUSSIONS OF FINDINGS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .52

CHAPTER FIVE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .55

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS - - - - - - .55

5.1 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .55

5.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 55

5.3 CONCLUSION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 57

5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 57

REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .60

.

📄 Pages: 76 🧠 Words: 8860 📚 Chapters: 5 🗂️️ For: PROJECT

👁️‍🗨️️️ Views: 477

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