EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Employee participation is widely regarded as a key factor in enhancing organizational commitment, yet its impact varies significantly between public and private universities. This study investigates the relationship between employee participation and organizational commitment in public and private universities in Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria. The primary objective is to assess how different levels of employee involvement influence their commitment to the organization. The theoretical framework is grounded in the Social Exchange Theory which offers a comprehensive framework to understand the dynamics of employee participation and organizational commitment.  This study adopts a comparative research design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. With a sample size of 353, data were collected through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with academic university staff from selected public and private universities. A multistage sampling technique was employed to ensure a representative sample, and the data were analyzed using statistical tools, including chi-square tests. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between employee participation and organizational commitment in both public and private universities. However, the extent of participation and its impact on commitment varied between the two sectors. In private universities, higher levels of participatory practices were observed, leading to greater organizational commitment compared to their public counterparts. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of fostering participatory practices to enhance employee commitment. It recommends that public universities adopt more inclusive decision-making processes to boost employee morale and commitment.