Environmental Ergonomics as Correlate of Job Performance of Employees in Selected Workplaces in Lagos, Nigeria

A factory or a workshop is often configured to maximize employees’ interaction and collaboration in order to become an integral part of every workday. It is noted that factors like office or factory design, machinery and workshop tools, workspace availability, light intensity, weather, temperature ventilation, humidity, noise, vibration, hygiene and welfare facilities which are ergonomic factors affect performance and productivity of employees. It is against this background that this research looked into the correlation between environmental ergonomics and office employees. The descriptive survey research design of ex-post facto type was used for the research. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for the study. First, a purposive sampling technique was used to select all the office staff of Winners Golden Chance Venture Limited, Sheraton Hotel Ltd, and Bradford Pharmaceutical Company all in Lagos state. Secondly, the office staffs were clustered into senior, junior and casual workers. Three hundred (300) respondents took part in the research. A questionnaire tagged “Environmental Ergonomics and Job Performance Questionnaire (EEAJPQ)” (r = 0.86) was used for data collection for the five hypotheses raised. Demographic variables were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to analyse the research hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Finding showed that there was a positive significant correlation between room temperature and job performance (r = .299, n = 300, p < 0.05); there was a positive significant correlation between indoor air quality and job performance (r = .365, n = 300, p < 0.05). It was revealed that there was a positive significant correlation between illumination and job performance (r = .526, n = 300, p < 0.05); and that there was a positive significant correlation between noise and job performance (r = .845, n = 300, p < 0.05). It also showed that there was a positive significant correlation between furniture/tools and job performance (r = .260, n = 300, p < 0.05). It was recommended that Industrial Social Workers should advocate with decision-makers in the workplace to plan new work processes with the knowledge of ergonomics principles so as to reduce or eliminate job risks in order to improve job performance and the sustenance of the workplace.