Ethnicity and Workplace Behaviour: An Empirical Examination of Counterproductive Work Behaviour among Employees in Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/jbam.2621.006Keywords:
Ethnicity, Counterproductive Work Behaviour (CWB), Adaptive Performance, Social Identity Theory, Workforce Diversity, Niger State PolytechnicAbstract
This study empirically examines the relationship between ethnicity and counterproductive work behaviour among employees at Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, the research investigates how ethnic affiliations, social categorization, and group dynamics influence workplace deviance in a multicultural institutional setting. The study adopted a quantitative research design utilizing a survey method. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from a stratified random sample of 370 academic and non-academic staff. Data analysis was performed using multiple regression analysis to test the impact of ethnicity variables including ethnic background, language diversity, group effectiveness and inter-tribal cohesion on employee counterproductive work behaviour. The results indicate a high positive correlation (r = 0.716) between ethnicity variables and counterproductive work behaviour. However, the overall model generated an aggregate significance level of 0.512, leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis that ethnicity does not have a significant relationship with counterproductive work behaviour at the p < 0.05 threshold. While specific variables such as ethnic background, group effectiveness, and inter-tribal cohesion were all significant. The study concludes that ethnicity does not serve as a primary driver of counterproductive work behaviour within the institution. Instead, strong ethnic identities may foster benefits such as cultural respect and cross-ethnic evaluation, which can mitigate deviance. The study recommends that management promote institutional cohesion and discourage the use of unofficial languages during task execution to maintain professional communication and minimize potential social divisions.
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