Employee Relations and Job Satisfaction in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Nigeria

This study examined employee relations and job satisfaction in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service. The objectives of this study were to find out the employee relations practices carried out in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, assess if employee relations enhance job satisfaction in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, determine the extent to which employee relations practices influence job satisfaction in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, examine the challenges affecting effective employee relations in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, find out other factors that influence job satisfaction, and propose strategies for improving employee relations and enhance job satisfaction in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service. Survey research design was adopted for this study, with questionnaire as the major instrument for gathering data. The population of the study comprised all civil servants in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service which was 55,120. The sample size for the study was determined at 400, using Taro Yamane’s formula. Anchored on Equity Theory, and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the study revealed that majority of respondents (60%) pointed to building reputable organisational culture as employee practices implemented in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service. Furthermore, employees of Akwa Ibom State Civil Service agreed that the current employee relations practice does not enhance job satisfaction. Findings revealed that majority of respondents (78%) agreed that to a great extent employee relations influences job satisfaction. The study concludes that although Akwa Ibom State Civil Service has established employee relations structures, their implementation remains inconsistent. It was recommended that government should carry out periodic employee relations audit exercise in order to determine current employee relations practices for enhancement of job satisfaction, among other recommendations.