CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

An organization is effective to the degree to which it achieves its goals. An effective organization will make sure there is a spirit of cooperation, sense of commitment and satisfaction within the sphere of its influence. People are not only an indispensable component but also an integral part of the sphere of influence. To understand the critical importance of people in the organization is to recognize that the human element and the organization are synonymous. A well-managed organization usually sees an average worker as the fundamental source of its improvement (Adeyeme, 2004:89)

In recent years, there has been an increase in publications pertaining to organizational commitment and job satisfaction amongst various occupational groups. Evidence attesting to this is the vast array of literature related to antecedents and consequences of both organizational commitment and job satisfaction among employees(Aamodt, 2007:168 and Bagraim, 2006:126 ).

Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have been found to be linked to increase in productivity and organizational effectiveness (Buitendach and de Wite, 2005:27).It is further linked to have an influence on whether employees will have a propensity to remain with the organization and maintain higher levels commitment. This explains why Yousef (2008:184) notes that job satisfaction and organisational commitment are inversely related to such withdrawal behaviours as tardiness, absenteeism and staff turnover

Locke and Lathan (1999:146) see job satisfaction as pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience. Job satisfaction is as a result of employee’s perception of how well their job provides those things that be can viewed as important. In the educational sector, teachers generally cherish promotion,

 

improvement in salaries and welfare packages as well as good conditions of service. Collectively, these strengthen organizational commitment.

In Nigeria, Borishade (2004:81) argues that aforementioned conditions are rare to come by, hence, there is a problem. This problem could be traced to the transitions the educational system is undergoing. It has really passed through different periods ranging from operations of the system by British administrators to ownership of schools by religious bodies. At these two periods, teachers were held at a very high esteem, they were regularly paid, promoted, sent on training and retired with dignity. At  this period too they were conceived as role models, because of the state of the nation which was  then seen as backward, antiquity and primitive, schools were few, pupils were few and teachers were equally few and therefore management were easier. Again the missionary had direct sponsorship from their mother country, therefore provision of infrastructural facilities and maintenance of teachers was adequate. Over the years, it was obvious that the introduction of European education which carried with it the European values was relegated to the background African values and culture knowing that education is the major vehicle through which society transmits, propagates values and culture in any society.

The ownership and management still in the hands of missionaries raised a lot of agitation in the minds of Africans which led to the indigenous ownership and management of schools, that is taking away schools from the missionaries, this move intensified after the Nigerian civil war since most of the missionaries have gone, the government of the day naturally took over the ownership and management of schools both to harmonize the operation and curriculum and to achieve the expected goal. The end of Nigeria civil war there was an increase in the awareness of the need for education more children went to school, increase in the number of schools and the number of teachers, but with paucity of resources for provision of infrastructural facilities and general maintenance of schools and teachers. It was difficult to keep schools to the standard they were during the missionaries. Since the management of small unit can never be compare to management of larger unit it becomes more complex and difficult to manage and maintain teachers adequately as it was during missionary era

This state was further buttressed by Evans (2005:417) who identifies factors such as teacher’s low salaries and low status, growing class sizes and changes in the education system as causes of the endemic dissatisfaction within the profession. It is on this background that the research seeks to examine emotional intelligence and job satisfaction as predictors of organizational commitment among secondary school teachers.

   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Emotional intelligence, employee’s job satisfaction and organizational commitment have always been important issues for employers. This is so because to achieve organizational goal, the employees must be satisfied in their job in order to be committed.

Job satisfaction is a pleasurable or a positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job. It is an employee’s observation of how well their work presents those things which are important to them, which might cause an employee to have a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organization and exert high levels of effort on behalf of the organization. However teachers teaching in Enugu state secondary schools are not satisfied with their job, because their salaries are not paid as at when due, they are not adequately motivated, they lack good working environment, promotion of teachers  is  not regular and they lack government support for acquisition of new skills. Pertinent to the above the study seeks to investigate the impact of job satisfaction on organizational commitment among secondary school teacher in Enugu state.

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

             

The main objective of this study is to examine emotional intelligence and job satisfaction as predictors of organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.  The subsidiary objectives include the following:

• To analyse the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• To determine the extent to which regular payment and increase of salary affect job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• To examine the degree to which promotion impacts on organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• To evaluate the extent to which employee-employer relationship enhances job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• To examine the relationship between working environment and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu

 

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

For this study to accomplish desired objectives, some basic research questions which reflect on the objectives of the study are fielded.

1. What is the relationship between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
2. To what extent do regular payment and increase of salary affect job satisfaction among secondary teachers in Enugu State?
3. What degree of impact does promotion has on organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
4. To what extent does employee-employer relationship play role in enhancing job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
5. What is the relationship between working environment and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?

 

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Based on the research objectives, the following hypotheses were formulated for the study.

• H_O: There is no significant relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• H_O: Regular payment and increase of salary have no positive impact on job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu
• H_O: There is no significant impact of promotion on organizational commitment among secondary school teaches in Enugu
• H_O: Employee-employer relationship doesn’t play significant role in enhancing job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu

 

• H_O: There is no significant relationship between working environment and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in

Enugu State.

 

 

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study can be viewed from the following perspectives.

1. It is significant in the sense that its findings will serve as a base and framework for future researchers to carry out further studies.
2. This work is bound to create an awareness which would undoubtedly stimulate government and private schools proprietors to make policies that will enhance the standard of education in Enugu State in particular and Nigeria in general.

• This study is significant because it provides information on the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment which will be of benefit to the officials of the Ministry of Education and teachers.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on emotional intelligence, job satisfaction theories, Dimensions of job satisfaction, Determinants of job satisfaction, Model of job satisfaction, Organisational commitment, Types of employee commitment and Antecedents of organisational commitment. The study will be carried out in selected secondary schools in Enugu state.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In the process of conducting the research, the researcher was impeded by some constraints such as;

Time constraint: One of the reasons for restricting the area of the study to Enugu State is time; some of the places where data and relevant information could have been obtained were not visited.

Non-challant attitude of respondents: Another limitation in the course of carrying this study was the non -Challant attitude of the respondents in supplying the necessary information. This was probably due to their ignorance of the main purpose of this study. Also some refused to grant interviews or answer questions.