Analysis of employees’ socioeconomic and work life-balance intricacy of job performance in selected agricultural research institutes in Oyo State

Abstract

Study analyzed effects of employees’ socioeconomic characteristic and work life-balance on employees’ job performance in Agricultural  research institutes in Southwestern Nigeria. A Multistage sampling technique was used to select 172 respondents from the study  organizations. Structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Data were analyzed with  descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that 50.9% of the respondents were males, 45.9% were below 45 years, 80.5% were  married, while 69.8% had family size of 4 to 6 persons. Results also revealed that 55.6% possesses Post Graduate degrees, 77.4 % were Christian. Mean income was ₦ 2,031,146.16/ annum, 70.1% of respondents were senior staff. Job sharing (????̅ = 4.08) and flexible timing (????̅=  4.00) constituted the most available work-life balance practice. Major factors affecting work-life balance was absence of financial benefits  (????̅ = 3.43). The results also revealed job performance of respondents to be high (84.9%) while 84.9 % fell into high work life-balance  category. Multinomial Logit results revealed significant (p<0.05) relationship between respondents age (r = 0.000), educational level (r =  0.000), work experience (r = 0.004); and job performance. Correlation results revealed significant relationship (p>0.05) between work-life  balance (r = 0.388); and job performance. Study concluded that most employees were young, male, experienced and educated.  Employees’ job performance and work life-balance were high. Work- life balance was significantly related to employees´ job performance.  The study recommended administrators to consider some socioeconomic profiles of applicants before recruitments and also practice  adequate work-life balance initiatives in the organizations.