Employees’ Participation In Decision Making And Its Impact On Workers Performance: A Case Study Of University Of Dodoma

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to examine the importance of employee’s participation in decision making and its impacts on workers performance. It was guided by three objectives namely: to examine the perception of workers towards participative decision making, to analyze the extent to which employees participate in organizational decision-making affects performance, and identifying managerial factors affecting workers participation in decision making. The study used Management by objective (MBO) theory founded by Drucker in 1954 whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundation of the modern business cooperation. Ducker model is based on assumption that, being involved in goal setting and action plans to ensure better participation and commitment among employees as well as the alignment of objectives across the organization. The study involved 66 informants where 5 informants were interviewed and 61 informants were involved in filling questionnaire. The data of the study were therefore collected through interviews and questionnaires. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

The findings of the study indicated that, most of the respondents from the CHSS and CBSL participate in decision making. Also in the case of representations, the data revealed that, there is representation of their concern in the university meeting. These forms include; workers representation on University boards, workers' councils or workers' committees, collective bargaining and individual consultation at the workplace. Furthermore, impediments which affect participation in decision making include; authoritarian approach to management, lack of interest, initiative and support of participation from the government. The manager is unwilling to share decision-making power with employees. This is to say manager hesitates to accept employees as valuable partners in making decision. The study recommends that; managers should put more efforts in encouraging their employees to contribute to decision making and incorporate them into the organizational policy, managers should allow an increased level of workers participation in decision making since they are the center of operations and can say better on issues bearing on those areas.