PRESENTEEISM AND ORGANISATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE LIBRARY OF AKANU IBIAM FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, UNWANA, NIGERIA

Abstract

There are speculations that workplace presenteeism is responsible for poor productivity in libraries and other organisations. However, research investigations on the impact of presenteeism on organisations scarcely cover Nigeria. That is why this paper is designed to address the nexus between presenteeism and the productivity of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana Library with a view to proffering solutions on the management of employee presenteeism. Thirty-six out of forty employees of the library were used as population for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze data collected from the subjects through mean values. The results of the findings strikingly reveal that unlike in Europe, America and Asia where presenteeism is mainly seen as a product of poor health condition, ill health did not factor as a cause of presenteeism in the library under study. Other findings show that even though the presence of presenteeism in the library results in low productivity, there is no strategy in place to manage it. The study recommends creating awareness on the causes/dangers of workplace presenteeism, increased emphasis on output/results rather than on presence, increased motivation and boosting of employee morale, recruitment of qualified and competent employees and creating performance incentives as remedy for presenteeism menace.