GENDER DIVERSITY AND EMPLOYEE WORK VALUE OF SELECTED CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Critical to any organisation is her ability to achieve high level of profitability driven by committed workforce devoid of gender disparity. However, some organisations, disregard productivity level of individual employee but imbibe gender discrimination leading to little or no profitability. This study examined the effect of gender diversity on employee work value of selected consumer goods manufacturing firms in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 10,659 employees of the selected consumer goods manufacturing firms and 371 sample size determined from Raosoft sample size calculator with 30% attrition rate giving a total sample size of 482, with a response rate of 79% (379) which was finally used for the study. Primary source of data collection was adopted via a validated and reliable research instrument. Crombach’s Alpha Coefficient ranged between 0.059 to 0.856. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and tested with simple linear regression with the aid of statistical package for science solutions (SPSS) version 24.0. The result revealed that gender diversity has a positive significant effect on employee work value of selected consumer goods manufacturing firms in Lagos State, Nigeria (β = 0.289, t = 6.322, p<0.05). The study recommends that management of selected consumer goods companies should ensure equal opportunities at work to improve employee work value. Emphasis in the work place should not be on gender disparity rather on productivity level and work value as well as associated motivation to deserving employees. The study also recommends appropriate regulatory monitoring to ensure industry best practices in the consumer goods manufacturing firms.