Work Productivity in the Period of COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown: A Developing World Perspective

Abstract

From inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a persistent public health concern at a global level. Several businesses and corporations around the world have been severely and negatively impacted by the outbreak, while nascent economies have suffered a grave setback. The effect on businesses and economies seems to influence the productivity level of workers. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on professions and professionals in developing countries,where post-COVID-19 economic distress has been felt. It utilizes data collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Snowball sampling technique was used to gather data from 466 respondents in Nigeria using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The dataset, comprising nineteen variables, was analysed with a logistic model over a wide variety of socio-demographic, productivity and economic variables. Prevalent variables with high significance on work productivity include fear, anxiety, depression, work boredom, remuneration, palliative and infrastructure availability. Findings showed that 5 out of 19 variables – work boredom (p-value < 0.0001), remuneration (p-value < 0.0001), depression (p-value = 0.0061), internet (p-value = 0.0148), fear (p-value = 0.0342) – have significant effects on work productivity. Also, with odds ratios value, the effect of these variables on productivity ranges between 68.8% and 85.9%, based on participants' responses. However, 12 out of 19 variables were insignificant to the productivity level during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The analysed result implies that the distribution of an individual’s perception of a high productivity rate with a low productivity rate is close.