JOB DESIGN AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN COMMERCIAL BANKS IN CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between job design and employee performance in commercial banks in Cross River State, Nigeria, with particular focus on five core dimensions of the job characteristics model: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Recognising the critical role of employee performance in the banking sector, especially in light of increasing competition, digital transformation, and regulatory demands, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Data were collected from 220 employees across three major commercial banks in Calabar, using a structured questionnaire validated through the Cronbach alpha reliability method. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to test the study’s hypotheses. The findings revealed that each of the five job design dimensions exerts a significant positive effect on employee performance. Specifically, the results demonstrate that employees perform more effectively when their roles are designed to include diverse skills, complete and meaningful tasks, decision-making autonomy, and regular feedback mechanisms. These findings substantiate the theoretical propositions of the job characteristics model and highlight the relevance of enriched job design in promoting motivation, engagement, and performance in service-intensive environments. The study concludes that optimising job design through strategic integration of its core dimensions can significantly enhance employee performance in Nigeria’s commercial banking sector. Consequently, the study recommends that commercial banks should intensify skills variety in job design by incorporating rotational assignments, cross-functional training, and project-based tasks that expose employees to diverse roles and competencies. It was also recommended that commercial banks should improve task identity by assigning employees to complete entire processes or projects, such as end-to-end customer service or full loan processing, rather than fragmented tasks, to foster greater ownership and job satisfaction, among other recommendations.