JOB AUTONOMY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES IN PRIVATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NASARAWA STATE

Abstract

This study examines the effect of job autonomy on the performance of employees in private tertiary institutions in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, focusing on decision-making autonomy and work scheduling autonomy. The study’s population comprised all academic and non-academic staff in registered private tertiary in Nasarawa State: Bingham University (New Karu), Ave Maria University (Piyanko), and Mewar International University (Masaka). The sample size was determined using Cochran’s (1963) formula, which produced 384 respondents; to account for possible non-responses, the sample was increased by 30%, resulting in a final sample of 499 respondents. A multistage sampling technique was employed, using proportionate allocation across the universities, stratified random sampling to group staff into academic and non-academic categories, and simple random sampling to select respondents from each stratum. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). This study shows that both decision-making autonomy and work scheduling autonomy had a positive and statistically significant effect on employee performance. The findings showed that both dimensions had a positively and significantly affect employee performance. Based on the findings, the study recommends that private tertiary institutions in Nasarawa State adopt policies that enhance employee participation in decision-making and provide flexible scheduling arrangements to boost motivation, engagement, and productivity.