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Archives of Business Research – Vol. 12, No. 12

Publication Date: December 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/abr.1212.17467.

Ogala, B. A., Igwe, N. N., Anichebe, N. A., Chukwu, C. U., Oparah, F., & Obodoagu, K. O. (2024). Performance Appraisal and Employee

Performance in National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institutes (NASENI) in South East, Nigeria. Archives of

Business Research, 12(12). 34-50.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Performance Appraisal and Employee Performance in National

Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institutes

(NASENI) in South East, Nigeria

Blessing A. Ogala

Department of Business Management,

Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria

Nick N. Igwe

Department of Business Management

Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria

Nnaemeka A. Anichebe

Department of Business Management

Evangel University, Akaeze Ebonyi State

Christian U. Chukwu

Centre for Entrepreneurship and Development

Research (CEDR) University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus

AVM (rtd) Frank Oparah

ORCID: 0009-0006-0326-6770

Department of Management Studies,

Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna

Kenneth Ogomegbunam Obodoagu

ORCID: 0009-0008-3106-2868

Department of Business Management,

Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study sets out to fulfil two objectives: to establish the association between

contextual performance in NASENI and feedback from evaluations, and the

relationship between employees’ training and counterproductive behaviour in the

surveyed organization. The theoretical underpinning used was the resource-based

view which underscored the importance of putting qualified employees in the

proper positions through periodical evaluations. This would enable the

organization acquire competitive advantages over time. The study used a

descriptive survey design to collect data. The total population of the study was 710

(seven hundred and ten respondents). Sample size determination was performed

using Yamane Formula. Instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. The

questionnaire was divided into two distinct sections: The employee bio data and the

relationship between the dependent variable and independent variables

respectively. Findings revealed that evaluation feedback significantly affects

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Ogala, B. A., Igwe, N. N., Anichebe, N. A., Chukwu, C. U., Oparah, F., & Obodoagu, K. O. (2024). Performance Appraisal and Employee Performance in

National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institutes (NASENI) in South East, Nigeria. Archives of Business Research, 12(12). 34-50.

URL: http://doi.org/10.14738/abr.1212.17467

contextual performance and that employee training significantly reduces

counterproductive behaviour in NASENI. The implication of these findings is that

evaluation feedback in performance appraisal and employee training on

counterproductive behaviour in NASENI have the capacity of increasing

performance in organizations especially in organizations where employees have

been accused of poor performance with low revenue yielding to the Federal

government.

Keywords: Performance Appraisal, Employees, Performance and Feedback.

INTRODUCTION

The most important asset in any kind of organization whether it has engaged the staff is in the

production and service delivery, not-for-profit and commercial businesses is the employees.

The effectiveness of employee incentive programmes utilized by an organization affects

employee performance (Chukwuma, 2023). In order to reward the work done and encourage

desired behaviors, incentives are provided. With the new worldwide awakening of humanism

and humanization, the implementation of human capital management ideas in organizations

has expanded. The primary goals of human resources management are the advancement of

skills that people possess, their advancement as individuals, and their improvement of the

entire organisation. According to Belete, Tariku, and Assefa (2014), in today's fiercely

competitive business environment, a company's human resources are its most valuable asset

and can have the most impact on how well it performs. For a company to survive and get better

in current worldwide competition, the task assessment method has to inspire workers

(Kumbhar, 2011). Organisations have widely embraced performance appraisals to gauge and

assess workers' efforts at all levels. Equally government as well as privately owned companies

utilise the performance appraisal system to assess their own effectiveness and that of their

personnel (Moraa and Datche, 2019). Performance evaluation is a method of assessing how

well people do their tasks in compliance to a set of criteria and then taking the necessary action

to enable them to develop on the job. In actuality, based on their specific requirements, many

firms use various names for performance assessments. Nigeria's governmental sector describes

it as a yearly appraisal of performance, abbreviated APER (Ugoani, 2020). Worker rating,

worker assessment, reviews of performance and job appraisal are a few of the phrases used by

different firms. An essential management technique for assessing an employee's present and

future contributions to a given business is the performance assessment (PA). PA highlights the

labour force's abilities and shortcomings, especially in nations with advanced economies. It is

one among the Human Resource Management Practices (HRMPs) that has undergone in-depth

research in countries that are both industrialised and developing, and it is also recognised as a

potent motivator (Sajuyigbe, 2017).

The goal of performance reviews is to increase the efficiency of organizations. It is crucial and

delicate in managing human resources and will enable organizations to evaluate the output of

their organization's employees. The claim is that worker output affects how well an

organisation performs. Important to note is that some managers use this to downplay or

disregard the efforts of workers whose preferences differ from their own. As a result, the

workplace is united by a tried-and-true evaluation method and the workforce, showing the staff

what is expected of them and how they may effectively add to the business. It is used in

conjunction with performance to determine a staff member's chances for advancement, rating

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Archives of Business Research (ABR) Vol. 12, Issue 12, December-2024

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

towards other higher levels of workplaces, and promotion (Mandare, et al., 2019). Chemeda

(2012) asserts that in order to sustain the efficacy and productivity of the employees,

organisations must regularly carry out employee performance reviews in order to keep their

employees under checks while taking any other actions required, which includes displacing,

encouraging, or retaining them. This will guarantee increased performance from the workforce

(Chemeda, 2012). Any organization's achievement, their existence and subsequent

development are largely dependent on employee performance (Sajuyigbe, 2017). However,

employee performance issues result in the corporation's overall achievement being

substandard (Sajuyigbe, 2017). Poor prioritizing, lateness to work, nonchalant work attitude,

absenteeism and failure to meet basic job requirements are performance issues that arise due

to lack of proper motivation (Sajuyigbe, 2017). Globally, the issue of employee performance is

important to organizations that seek effective work performance. Organisations frequently

take steps to make sure that their staff do their duties as effectively as possible which will often

lead to organizational success (Ackah, 2014).

Statement of the Problem

The Federal Government of Nigeria's manufacturing companies, particularly National Agency

for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institutes (NASENI), appear to be significantly less

profitable and less productive than many of their counterparts in other regions of the nation.

The absence of a dependable framework for performance evaluation, an absence of employee

development opportunities, and a poor implementation of performance appraisal

methodologies for assessing staff performance are a few variables that contribute to this low

productivity and profitability. Others include the management's incapacity to make rational

decisions on the encouragement of employees to the support of outstanding excellent

achievers; the company's disregard for the challenges confronted by workers with regard to

performance reviews; etc. These issues could obstruct production, lead to suboptimal customer

service, and cause manufacturers to lose market share to rival companies. In Nigeria

manufacturing organizations especially, those owned by Federal Government, has been

observed that assessment procedures are fraught with issues: from dishonest in the way of

human resource practices to political meddling/interference. Thus, if the current trend

continues unabated staff turnover could rise and worker engagement will plummet. This

ultimately will lead to a back lash of the industry to fail due to inadequate productivity and

diminished managerial efficiency. A work atmosphere that is vulnerable to conflict is in large

part caused by some manufacturing business managers incapacity to offer an opportunity for

management and staff members to participate in performance reviews (Ikupolati, Adelabu, &

Andow, 2017). Many organizations struggle with insufficient feedback and lack of involvement

in coaching, dialogues, and performance reviews, which leads to worker dissatisfaction on the

one hand and misinformation mills on the other. These significantly would lower the likelihood

of higher revenue and profitability while also affecting organizational culture and

consciousness. Low organizational performance is the final outcome. In today's corporate

world, retraining is the most crucial element given that it enhances the effectiveness and

efficiency of the organization's staff as well as its individual workers. Sadly, it requires quite a

lot to train employees. Even while internal instruction is frequently free, occasionally higher- level training is necessary; this more frequently has a price tag. The goal of most organisations

is to enhance their manufacturing procedure with minimal or no awareness for human efforts.

Rather than viewing their staff as their greatest asset, most organisation management pays