Effect of participative decision-making on performance of academic staff in the Islamic university in Uganda

Abstract

The research was about the effect of participative decision making on performance of academic staff in Islamic University in Uganda. The objectives of the study were to (i) determine the effect of delegation on the performance of academic staff in IUIU (2) establish the effect of staff participation in human resource management and their performance and (3) determine the effect of academic staff participation in meetings on their performance in IUIU. A correlational research design was used in conducting this study and sample consisted of the academic staff, the Academic Registrar and University Secretary from the Islamic University in Uganda who were selected using stratified random sampling, purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The data collection tools used included questionnaire, interviews and documentary review. The methodology for data analysis involved simple and multiple regressions testing in the SPSS (20). The results of the findings showed that (1) Delegation does not have a statistically significant effect on the performance of the academic in IUIU where r2=4%, adjustedR2=2.8%, p=.074, β=.201 and t=1.813 meaning that 2.8% of the performance of the academic staff from the sample is explained by delegation activities which is 4% when generalized to the whole population. (2) There is a statistically significant effect of academic staff participation in human resource management on their performance, r=45%, r2=20.2%, adjusted R2=19.2%, p=.0001, β=.450 and t=4.445. (3) There is statistically significant effect of academic staff participation in meetings on their performance in IUIU where r=40.2%, r2=16.2%, Adjusted R=15.1%, p=.0001, β=.402 and t=3.876. The results of the multiple regressions revealed that there is a significant effect of participative decision making on the performance of the academic staff in IUIU, r=50.6%, r2=25.6%, Adjusted R2=21.6, p=.0001. The major predictors of performance in this case were staff participation in human resource management activities and academic staff participation in meetings where β=.318 and β=.240 respectively. This means that any increase or decrease in academic staff participation in human resource management and meetings can cause 31.8% and 24% increment or decrease in their performance respectively. Therefore, the researcher concluded that participative decision making affects performance of the academic staff. The study therefore recommended that IUIU should improve on the attendance of meetings ranging from departmental to the Executive Board, always follow up on decisions made to ensure that they are implemented and also encourage academic staff in human resource management. The researcher also recommended that proper procedures and principles for effective delegations should be put in place so as to benefit from this important aspect of employee participation.