EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE WORK CONDITIONS ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY: A CASE STUDY OF CEMENT INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

Productivity in every enterprise or organisation is predicated on several factors which have continued to generate scholarly attention. This study examined the impact of employee work conditions on productivity in Nigeria’s cement manufacturing industry, with a view to investigating four key dimensions: physical work environment, supervisory support, corporate culture and strategies for improving work conditions. Descriptive design was used. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, which were served to 395 respondents in 3 cement manufacturing firms. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical and regression analyses, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Physical work environment significantly affected employees’ productivity. Workspace comfort had positive influence, while proximity to equipment showed negative relationship, possibly due to safety or operational stress. Interestingly, proper ventilation had no significant statistical effect. Supervisory support had perfect and direct impact on performance, particularly when managers encouraged teamwork. Corporate culture, especially when characterised by open communication from leaders, showed perfect correlation with employee motivation and output. Strategies aimed at improving work environment: enabling feedback systems and wellness initiatives had mixed effects. Opportunity for employees to share suggestions had strong positive influence, while poorly perceived wellness programs had counter intuitive negative relationship with performance. Based on these findings, both physical and non-physical aspects of work environment: supervisor behaviour and organisational culture, play critical roles in enhancing productivity, reinforcing the need for investments in ergonomic and safe workspaces, conscious attempt to strengthen leadership communication, and create inclusive feedback channels. Wellness programmes that align better with employee needs should be implemented.