Workplace Flexibility as Driver of Employees' Satisfaction: Evidence from Selected Local Governments in Delta State

Abstract

This study seeks to improve the understanding of the relationship between workplace flexibility and employees’ satisfaction in selected Local Government Councils in Delta State of Nigeria. Using the social exchange and agent-system models. this study investigated (a) if time flexibility affects employees’ satisfaction; and (b) if amount of work/workload flexibility affects employees’ satisfaction. In order to do this, questionnaire was administered to 140 employees of five (5) selected Local Government Councils in Delta State of Nigeria and the data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics(frequency counts, simple percentages, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum values and Karl Pearson correlation); post-estimation statistics (variance inflation factor and Breusch-Pagan and Cook-Weisberg), and inferential statistics(simple regression). The simple regression results indicated that workplace flexibility dimensions of time flexibility (F-ratio=14.21; p-value = 0.0000) and the amount of work/workload flexibility (F-ratio = 12.74; p-value = 0.0000) significantly and positively affect employees’ satisfaction. In line with the findings, it was recommended that the Local Government Councils’ management should strive towards ensuring a high level of flexibility in the workplace. As a matter of fact, there should be flexibilities in time and amounts of work/workload assigned to the employees in order to enhance their satisfaction