Enhancing Teaching Productivity Among University Staffers: The Influence of Organizational Commitment and Workload

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Productivity is a crucial measure of how effectively an organisation utilises its resources to accomplish its objectives.It serves as internal benchmark organisations strive to achieve to accomplish their external goals.High productivity levels are often associated with leading organisations, providing them a competitive advantage in their respective markets.Within any organization, employees play a pivotal role in the production process, making it imperative for each employee to operate at their full potential.According to Alam [1], employee productivity is influenced by three key factors: skills, effort, and work conditions.Skills encompass the knowledge, abilities, and competencies that employees bring to their roles, while effort refers to the motivation and dedication employees demonstrate in completing tasks.Additionally, the nature of work conditions significantly facilitates employee productivity by providing suitable accommodations.Understanding employee productivity helps define the behaviours contributing to effective performance [2], [3].
Productivity entails assisting employees to become more efficient, allowing them to accomplish more within a shorter timeframe and reducing stress, burnout, and turnover [4].Work productivity is influenced by technology, compensation, facilities, and workers' contributions within the university environment.The measurement of individual employee productivity holds significance from multiple perspectives.At a societal or industry level, worker productivity is among many indicators of workplace success and societal wellbeing, ultimately contributing to a safer world.However, for workers to operate at their fullest potential and showcase their capabilities, certain factors must be considered, including employee qualifications, organizational culture and structure, years of experience, reward systems, organizational commitment, and workload [5], [6].
Workload plays a crucial role in determining productivity within an organisation.Organizations often allocate heavier workloads to employees without commensurate benefits to minimize costs, increase output, and maximize profits.The workload level assigned to an employee significantly impacts their performance, particularly when the workload exceeds reasonable expectations [7]- [9].When employees perceive their workload to outweigh the rewards they receive, the intellectual effort they invest in their tasks tends to diminish, resulting in a decline in overall productivity.The workload can be understood as a mental construct encompassing the mental strain experienced when performing tasks under specific environmental and operational conditions.Additionally, workload is influenced by the individual's capacity to respond to these demands.It is important to note that workload is not only task-specific but also varies based on individual characteristics.
Organisational commitment holds significant importance within the realm of corporate life.It is regarded as a person's psychological attachment to the organization.When employees willingly maintain their association with the organization and invest substantial effort in achieving organizational goals, they are considered committed.High levels of organizational commitment are associated with increased levels of performance and effectiveness, both at the individual and organizational levels [10], [11].Organisational commitment encompasses various dimensions, including work career.Notably, developed levels of organisational commitment correspond with higher levels of productivity.Employees who experience positive social relations within their work teams are more likely to exhibit a more substantial commitment to the organization and are less inclined to express intentions of leaving.
Organisational commitment is the extent of a worker's sense of responsibility and dedication toward the organization's mission.Organizations that foster a culture of job involvement tend to have employees who exhibit higher levels of commitment, leading to increased efficiency and productivity [12], [13].It is an essential attribute commonly assessed across various types of organizations.The prediction of organisational commitment often relies on factors related to the organization itself or the employees' demographic and personal attributes.These factors may include compensation, job characteristics, supervision, promotion opportunities, work environment, and coworker relationships [11], [14].Employees possess diverse demographic attributes that can influence their commitment levels toward dimensions like pay, work, and promotion.Gender, age, educational background, job position, tenure, and marital status are critical determinants of organizational commitment [1], [15], [16].The corporate commitment of employees significantly impacts the success of an organization.It serves as a mediator between working conditions and organizational outcomes while also enhancing organizational citizenship behavior and employee well-being.Job satisfaction plays a role in employees' professional competence, as satisfied workers tend to possess a high degree of knowledge and teaching skills and feel confident in managing their classrooms [12], [17].
The absence of organizational commitment can lead to several significant outcomes, including absenteeism, turnover intentions, turnover, aggressive behavior towards colleagues, early departure from the workplace, and psychological disengagement from work [4], [18].Numerous factors have been identified as contributors to organisational commitment, such as salary structure, working conditions, job security, promotion opportunities, workload, and more [19].Employees exhibit entrepreneurial behavior within team environments, with each member striving to excel and demonstrate their capabilities.Increasing the level of employee commitment within an organization enhances overall employee performance.In the past, organisations provided job security to foster employee commitment and improve productivity.Higher levels of employee commitment have been associated with increased organisational commitment, higher productivity, reduced absenteeism, and lower turnover rates.However, the present situation is different, particularly in the context of university staff.They need help with challenges such as delayed or unpaid salaries and allowances, inadequate provision of facilities and equipment, and understaffing in various departments.These circumstances have resulted in staff members shouldering excessive workloads beyond what they can effectively manage.Consequently, there has been a decline in employee commitment, prompting the need for further investigation through this study.
This study's primary goal is to examine how workload and organisational commitment affect productivity among university personnel in Oyo and Osun.In particular, the study also proceeded to investigate the relationship pattern between workload and organisational commitment to productivity among university staff in Oyo and Osun states, as well as observed the relative contribution of the independent variables (workload and organisational commitment) to the productivity of university staff in Oyo and Osun states.

METHOD
This study's research design is descriptive survey research, which follows a systematic and empirical inquiry approach without direct manipulation or control by the researcher, as described by Omoponle [20].The study aims to cover all federal and state universities in Oyo and Osun states, encompassing a diverse population in terms of age, which was deemed appropriate for the study.To ensure the possibility of making generalizations as regards the population, the researcher utilised a purposive sampling method to select two public universities (one federal and one state university) from each state.Subsequently, a sample size of 100 staff members, including academic and nonacademic staff, was selected from each university, resulting in a total of 400 staff members being included.
For this study, data were gathered using three reliable and standardised instruments.They consist of the Quantitative Workload Inventory was used to measure the workload of employees in this study; the (QWI) was developed by Schneider et al. [4].The QWI scale comprised five items.Each item utilized a 5-point Likert scale.The total possible scores on the (QWI) scale ranged from 5-25.The scale has Cronbach alpha reliability of between 0.72 and 0.94.
The questionnaire was used to evaluate employees' commitment toward their various organizations; the instrument is well-established.The instrument was designed by Omotunde and Alegbeleye [18]; the scale comprises twenty-nine items drawn on a fourpoint Likert scale ranging from 'Strongly Agree' to 'Strongly Disagree'.The choice that best suited each participant was to be marked.A coefficient of reliability of 0.83 applies to the scale.
The instrument was developed by Ashraf [17]; it is a subsection of the HQWP and was adapted by the researcher to measure the university worker's productivity.The adaptation was in terms of the wording of the instrument's items.This questionnaire had ten items and was graded on a Likert scale with six points: most of the time, roughly half of the time, some of the time, only occasionally, never, and do not know.Employees are required to tick the box that most accurately represents them.The dependability coefficient for the scale is equal to 0.81.Multiple regression statistical techniques, including PPMC, were used to analyze the study's data.
The following research Questions were raised and answered; 1.What is the relationship pattern between workload, organisational commitment, and productivity among university staff in Oyo and Osun? 2. What is the contribution (relative) of the IVs (workload and organisational commitment) to the productivity of university staff in the states of Oyo and Osun?

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The study examined the correlation between workload, organisational commitment, and productivity of university staff in the Oyo and Osun states.

Results
Research Question One: What is the relationship pattern between workload, organizational commitment, and productivity among university staff in Oyo and Osun?
Equations should be placed at the center of the line and provided consecutively with equation numbers in parentheses flushed to the right margin, as in (1).The use of Microsoft Equation Editor or MathType is preferred.As shown in Table 1, university staff's productivity is significantly correlated with workload (r = .039;p < .05)and organisational commitment (r = .044;p < .05).The correlations among the IVs were significant.
Research Question Two: What is the relative contribution of the independent variables (workload and organizational commitment) to the productivity of university staff in Oyo and Osun states?Table 2 demonstrates that IV significantly influenced the prediction of university staff productivity.Workload contributed the most to the forecast in terms of magnitude (Beta =.425; T = 6.015; p < 0.05), subsequently followed by organisational commitment (Beta =.284; T = 5.116; p < 0.05).

Discussion
The findings of the study revealed significant correlations between university staff's productivity and both workload (r = .039;p < .05)and organisational commitment (r = .044;p < .05).Additionally, substantial correlations were observed among the independent variables.These results align with the research by Rhodes [21] on university staff, indicating a consistent pattern across studies.In order of frequency, the following sources of work stress were found to be the most often reported: "lack of regular feedback about how well I am doing my job," "lack of promotion opportunities," "uncertainty about how amalgamations will influence me," "overwork," "being expected to do too much in too little time," and "lack of necessary equipment and infrastructure support."These findings suggest that university employees in the study experienced a moderate level of job stress.Similar results were reported by Fagbule et al. [11].
The potential for conflict and adverse stress effects among members of the profession is influenced by factors like rising class sizes, static budgets, the need to look for other types of financing for research, enforced forms of review and accountability, and an absence of tenure [12], [19].In agreement with this conclusion, several studies have shown that an unfavorable work environment and a lack of support from coworkers and managers impact employees' productivity [5], [22].Workplace stress can be caused by various factors, including competing or unclear job expectations, excessive responsibility, wearing too many "hats," being underpaid, and the prospect of layoffs [6].Other variables impacting productivity include job insecurity, a lack of opportunities for professional development, growth, or promotion, and quick changes for which employees are unprepared.Unrealistic deadlines and unpleasant or hazardous physical conditions, including crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic issues [4], are known to reduce productivity [2], [3].These results offer critical new understandings of how workload, organisational commitment, and productivity among university workers interact.The strong links show how crucial it is to solve workload concerns and foster an organisational commitment to increasing productivity.The identified sources of workplace stress highlight the importance of actions to lessen stressors and enhance working conditions in the academic setting.
The second research question examined these factors to ascertain the contributions (relative) of the IVs, particularly workload and organisational commitment, to the productivity of university personnel in Oyo and Osun.According to the analysis's findings, both independent factors had a substantial impact on forecasting the productivity of university personnel.The workload had the most significant impact in terms of the magnitude of contribution (Beta =.425; t = 6.015; p 0.05), followed by organisational commitment (Beta =.284; t = 5.116; p 0.05).These results agree with those of earlier research.A minor average connection of 0.17 was discovered in prior studies, such as that carried out by Huang [23] and Ayanwale et al. [14], between various aspects of organisational commitment and productivity at the individual level.When concentrating on overall organisational commitment, the average correlation was more excellent.Similar research was done by Olanrewaju and Omoponle [13] in Gauteng, South Africa, using a sample of working employees from diverse organizations and roles (n = 415).Their findings supported the association between organisational commitment, work engagement, and psychological meaningfulness as being good.Work engagement and psychological meaningfulness were indicators of organisational commitment.This shows businesses can obtain beneficial work outcomes, such as creative people looking for personal growth or challenges, by identifying their employees' commitment patterns and developing tactics to strengthen those related to organizational goals.
The mean (adjusted) connection between organisational commitment and productivity was 0.30 in a previous study by Riwukore [24], which included 312 samples and 54,417 observations.It should be highlighted that the failure to account for staff characteristics and establishment conditions may have impacted some of the highest estimates.For instance, highly educated workers at high-productivity facilities could also show above-average organisational dedication.If these employee traits were not considered, the relationship between organisational commitment and work performance would be biased upward.Although most studies on the relationship between organisational commitment and productivity concentrate on the personal level, this relationship may also be summed up at the institutional or business level [18].
In line with other studies, Schneider [4] and Fagbule et al. [11] discovered that the (adjusted) association between organisational commitment and business unit productivity was 0.20 in a meta-analysis of Gallup Workplace Audit studies involving 7,939 business units from 36 organizations.The connection was 0.37 using a composite performance measure that considered customer satisfaction, profitability, productivity, and turnover.The likelihood of reverse causality (i.e., good performance may lead to higher organisational commitment) or the possibility that unobservable workplace characteristics affect productivity and organisational commitment presents apparent challenges in establishing the relationship between organisational commitment and productivity [11], [25], [26].Stokes [26] stated, for instance, demonstrated a 0.20 association between return on assets (ROA) and organisational commitment in a sample of 35 businesses.However, there was a 0.50 link between organisational commitment and ROA from the prior year.Using lagged organizational commitment as an explanatory variable, fixed effects to eliminate the unobservable elements, or an instrumental variable for organizational commitment can all help to alleviate the endogeneity issue.

CONCLUSION
In this study, the productivity of university personnel in the states of Oyo and Osun was investigated concerning workload and organisational commitment.The findings indicated a strong relationship between organisational commitment and workload and the productivity of university workers.Significant correlations between the independent variables were also present.Additionally, each independent variable significantly influenced the university staff's output forecast.The most significant factor that contributed was workload in terms of magnitude.
Therefore, it is essential to know these aspects to handle the productivity challenge facing our university system and the country.Seriously, the nation's educational system needs to be on guard against the threat that an excessive workload and a lack of organisational commitment indicate.Therefore, steps should be taken to manage these issues and emphasise improving decent working conditions and welfare packages, including timely payment of university staff members' salaries and benefits.

Table 1 .
Descriptive statistics and variable-to-variable correlations

Table 2 .
Contribution (Relative) of IVs to the prediction