Effects of Job Design Dimensions on Organizational Performance: A Study of Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar

Study


INTRODUCTION
Job design refers to the spectrum of job factors, ranging from internal as well as external organizational factors to the way tasks are organized, that affect what people do at work and how effectively they can do it.Nwekpa (2014) defined job design as the function of specifying the work activities of an individual or group in an organizational setting in order to achieve its objectives.He further stated that the main objective of job design is to develop an intentional as well as planned job structure that will meet the requirements of the organization and its technological layout that in turn satisfies employees' requirements for attainment of effective organizational performance.Thusyanthy (2014) job design is the function of arranging tasks, duties and responsibilities into an organizational unit of work for the purpose of accomplishing the primary goal and objectives of the organization.It is concern with the process of identifying and arranging the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of the job (Nasreen & Mehmood, 2018).Job design refers to the integration of processes and contents that are dynamic into the description of a job to make it more desirable to workers in an organization (Nthiga & Ngui, 2019;Morrison, Ross, Morrison & Kalman, 2019).Workers can feel underutilized in their jobs and as such they become dissatisfied and their motivation is lowered (Nthiga & Ngui, 2019).
Job design dimensions are integral part of an organizational planning process that can lead to increase performance and productivity of public sector organizations in Nigeria.Effective and appropriate design of jobs with its core dimensions in business organizations will focus and direct employees' efforts towards producing or attaining desired results of quality performance, employees' job satisfaction as well as motivation (Teryima & Abubakar, 2018).Matilu and K'Obonyo (2018) opined that job design dimensions have become a critical study area towards organizations as well as employees' performance in today's turbulent and complex business environment which is characterized with new technology, workforce age diversity and globalization.Malkanthi and Hussain-Ali (2016) stressed that job design is an important factor that makes a significant amount of impact over organizational performance, and the more efficient job is design leads to more job satisfaction as well as good employees' performance.Job design dimensions are very important function of recruitment process and when jobs are designed properly then highly efficient managers will join the organization.Zareen, Razzaq and Mujtaba, (2013) emphasized that job design dimensions play an essential role in performance maximization of employees in an organization.A well-designed job brings involvement and satisfaction to the employees and they perform well by employing all their energies in the job.Job design has been one of the most effective tools used for optimizing an organizational performance.Job design remains a valued issue among researchers for its importance and effectiveness.Malkanthi and Hussain-Ali (2016) in their study revealed that the major factors of job design are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback as all these factors were at moderate level.Thus, the effectiveness of human resources is a function of the capability to designing the jobs based on human ability as well as its physical characteristics (Oluwatuase & Entilo, 2019).The job design dimensions in this study are skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy and job feedback are derived from job characteristics model as developed by Hackman and Oldham in 1976.The job characteristics model advocates a framework or guideline of how job design dimensions can help to improved work motivation and job satisfaction of employees thereby leading to improved organizational performance of public sector organizations in Cross River State.
Organizational performance is the total results achieved in setting goals and objectives as well as the measured of how well resources are combined and utilized to accomplish specific needed outcomes or objectives in the organization (Ele, Okongo, & Omini, 2020).Ele, Enya, Okongo, Eja and Mbam (2021) defined organizational performance as the functions of competency, skills, abilities, knowledge and other job characteristics required with the intervening variables of effective and efficient recruitment and training of employees in an organization.It served as the aggregate of achievement or the accomplishment of an organizational results over a given period of time.Job design dimensions enhances the performance of employees up to optimum level and organizational performance increases with it in planning jobs of the organization.Russo (2016) stated that jobs can be designed to encourage workers to draw on their skills and to provide them with learning opportunities in the form of complex problems to be solved and to confront workers with non-routine situations pushing them out of their comfort zone.It is necessary to state clearly that a well-designed job with its dimensions motivate employees for higher level of organizational performance.

Statement of the problem
Government as well as management of public sector organizations in Cross River State, has neglected effective and efficient contributions of job design dimensions.And this is attributed to the ineptitude of the government and management unwillingness to structure and design the organizational jobs based on its characteristics and dimensions of skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy as well as feedback of the job perform in public sector organizations of the state.This has resulted to a drastic decline of organizational performance as well as employees' motivation of public sector organizations in the area.This is because the design of job and employee's attitude towards job design has become an issue of great consideration in the recent years among many public organizations.There is poor awareness about its consequences and its antecedent in public sector organizations.The major problem confronting most human resource managers in public sector organizations is how a job can be designed or structured based on its dimensions so that the organizational performance can be enhanced and profitability increased.
In the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar, skill variety is not considered during the design of jobs amongst workers and in the recruitment process.The different skills, abilities, aptitudes as well as proficiency are not allowed to be utilized in public sector organizations of the state.This has posed a challenge to the organizational performance.It has been observed that when only one skill is employed in performing tasks repetitively, it led to boredom, fatigue or stress, which in turn affect employees' morale and performance in the work place negatively.There is poor or inadequate recognition on skills variety of workers in the Cross River State Internal Revenue service, Calabar.
The task or job to be performed are not identify based on qualifications before the recruitment process and operational planning process are made.This have been observed to affects the organizational performance of public sector organizations in the area.In the Cross River State Board of Internal Revenue Service Calabar, workers are not given the opportunity to reach a point of an identifiable task or job.This in turn leads to reduction in organizational performance as well as a decrease in employees' motivation.Another problem is the issue of task significance.The importance of the tasks or jobs are not given due consideration before being assigned to workers in the organization.This have also created a reduction in the performance of public sector organizations in the area.
There is also problem of poor or inadequate task autonomy in public sector organizations of the state.The employees are not given freedom and opportunities to identify some related job issues in performing their assigned duties and responsibilities from the beginning to the end.Since workers are not given independence or free hand in performing their routine functions or responsibilities in the organization, it reduces employees' job performance continuously.This have also led to a drastic declined in the organizational performance of the Cross River State Board of Internal Revenue Service Calabar.The design of jobs without due autonomy leads to boredom and reduced employees' motivation, which reduce employees' performance as well as organizational performance.
Another challenge is the problem of poor job feedback loop after tasks have been haphazardly structured and assigned to workers by management or government officials.The feedback loop is not evaluated to determine whether the job was performed correctly or not.This also resulted to poor commitment as well as poor involvement of workers to their responsibilities, which in turn leads to poor organizational performance of public sector organizations in the area.The inadequate specific feedback or responses on job performance also leads to decline in employees' morale, motivation and poor organizational performance in public sector organizations of the state.

Objectives of the study
The general objective is to examine the effects of job design dimensions on organizational performance of Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.The specific objectives are: 1.
To examine the effect of skill variety on employees' motivation of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar. 2.
To determine the influence of task identity on job satisfaction of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar. 3.
To assess the effect of task significance on employees' commitment of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar. 4.
To examine the effect of task autonomy on job performance of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar. 5.
To evaluate the effect of job feedback on employees' involvement of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.

Implications of the study
This study will help human resource managers as well as job analysts in public sector organizations to design jobs based on substantial skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy and job feedback in order to enhance or increase overall employees' performance as well as organizational performance continuously.This is because, when jobs are correctly and completely divided and structured based on the skill variety, task identity, task significance with appropriate job autonomy as well as efficient job feedback will in turn improve the results and organizational performance of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This study will also help government, management as well as job analysts in public sector organizations to design jobs based on substantial dimensions of skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy and job feedback in order to enhance or increase overall employees' performance as well as organizational performance continuously.This is because, when jobs are correctly and completely divided and structured based on the skill variety, task identity, task significance with appropriate job autonomy as well as efficient job feedback will in turn improve the results and organizational performance of public sector organizations in Cross River State.The study will also help staff of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar, to understand the importance of their jobs when they are given independence or freedom in carrying out their official functions and responsibilities.

Job design dimensions
Job design dimensions are the basic activities or factors required in a job to be performed more effectively and efficiently in an organization.Hackman and Oldham (1976) elucidated that if the design of a job satisfied the core job characteristics the employee would perceive that the work was worth-while, would feel responsible for the work and would know if the work had been completed satisfactorily.The core job design dimensions of skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy as well as job feedback that are on the three critical psychology states of experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility for outcomes and knowledge of the actual results will in turn influence work outcomes such as organizational performance, job satisfaction, absenteeism and intrinsic work motivation (Steel, 2012).

Skill variety and employees' motivation
Skill variety refers to the extent to which the employees use different skills and talents for performing different tasks for fulfilling the requirements of a job.Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) stated that skill variety is the first core job dimension which involves the number of different types of skills that are used in performing a task.Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) also pointed that when a variety of skills are used, it is necessary to complete the task faster and those skills are perceived to be of value to the organization, employees find their jobs to be more meaningful.Skill variety refers to the degree to which a job requires an employee to perform activities that challenge his or her skills and abilities in the organization.The skill variety is the degree to which workers employ several talents and proficiency in carrying out different functions and responsibilities based on the job requirements of an organization.

Task identity and job satisfaction
Task identity is when an employee reaches a point of an identifiable job which enable him to perform the job completely with meaningful results and value (Al-Azzam, 2018).Task identity is conceptualized as the degree to which the job requires completion of a whole job and identifiable piece of workthat is doing a job from the beginning to the end with a visible result (Batchelor, Abston, Lawlor & Burch, 2014).Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) task identity dimension refers to the degree of seeing the completion and the end result of the task itself.The task identity becomes relevant when a task is completed and employees can actually ascertain the quality of their efforts.Task identity refers to the degree or the extent to which the job requires completion of an identifiable piece of work.

Task significance and employees' commitment
Task significance refers to the degree to which a job has an impact on the organization or on the society.Task significance dimension focuses on how important the task is to the overall efforts of the organization or to the world at large (Salau, Adeniji & Oyewunmi, 2014).Batchelor, Abston, Lawlor and Burch (2014) task significance replicates the extent to which the job has a substantial effect on the lives or work of other people in the immediate organization or in the external environment.It can also be seen as the degree to which the job affects other people's lives.Task significance refers to the degree to which the job results or outcomes has a substantial impact on other employees' jobs.Task significance is concerned with the necessity of the job to the organizational objectives on a continuous basis.All jobs have a level of importance, but the significance of each job can be interpreted differently by each individual in an organization.

Task autonomy and job performance
Task or job autonomy means giving the employee the freedom to identify some job issues related to his job like or dislikes, how and when he/she need to carry out his job duties.Al-Azzam (2018) defined job autonomy as the freedom given to an employee in taking decisions related to his work.Autonomy is characterized as the extent to which the job provides substantial freedom, independence, as well as discretion to the employee in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in performing it job (Batchelor, Abston, Lawlor & Burch, 2014).Task autonomy refers the degree to which the job gives an employee freedom and discretion in scheduling work and determining how it is performed.Task autonomy refers to the extent to which the job provides the employees with high degree of independence or freedom in sporting out some relevant jobs' issues for the actual job to be performed more effectively.

Job Feedback and employees' involvement
Feedback is known as the direct and clear information received by an employee about the job he/she performed.It is important to distinguish between two types of feedback, the first one is related to job specifications and the second one is coming from managers in the form of written or oral feedback (Al-Azzam, 2018).Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) job feedback is a unique and very important aspect of career development which entails a regular review of the performance of employees in the organization and communicate back to the employees.Feedback is the degree to which an employee gets information or response about the effectiveness of his/her effortswith particular emphasis on feedback directly related to the work itself rather than from a third party for instance, a manager.

Organizational performance
Performance is the outcomes of task/work, since they provide the strongest linkage to the strategic goals and objectives of an organization, customers' satisfaction as well as economic contributions (Nebo et al, 2015).Jabbarzare and Shafighi (2019) defined performance as the outcomes of company's operation which eventually causes achievement of organizational goals.Performance is the final result of all activities in an organization.Performance could be viewed as results or outcomes that people accomplish on the job and what they do (their job-related behaviour) that affects their results.Inyang and Akpama (2002) performance is a cornerstone of productivity and individual performance that contributes to the accomplishment of organizational objectives.However, performance can be seen as the way of job or task is done by an individual, a group or an organization to improve its corporate objectives.
Organizational performance is the total results achieved in setting goals and objectives as well as the measured of how well resources are combined and utilized to accomplish specific needed outcomes or objectives in the organization (Ele, Okongo, & Omini, 2020).Job design dimensions enhances the performance of employees up to optimum level and organizational performance increases with it in planning jobs of the organization.Russo (2016) stated that jobs can be designed to encourage workers to draw on their skills and to provide them with learning opportunities in the form of complex problems to be solved and to confront workers with non-routine situations pushing them out of their comfort zone.

Empirical reviews
Al-Azzam ( 2018) conducted a study on job design dimensions and its impact on knowledge sharing among employees in Jordanians hospitals in Irbid District Jordan.Job design dimensions considered in the study were task autonomy, task identity, and feedback.Survey research design was employed in the study.The sample size was 44 employees in Jordanian hospitals using random sampling technique.Cronbach Alpha was used to validate the instrument.Primary data was used in the study.The study revealed that task autonomy in work has a positive effect on motivation toward employees work and duties.The study showed a statistically significant effect of the task identity in motivating employees to share knowledge among employees.The study revealed that feedback has a significant effect on knowledge sharing among employees.The study also found that these job design dimensions' act as motivators for employees to seek knowledge sharing by themselves in order to accomplish their tasks.
Teryima and Abubakar (2018) had a study on the impact of job design attributes on performance in business organizations using a survey of deposit money banks in Nigeria. the study was 398 but 20% margin increase was added to allow for unreturned and incorrectly completed questionnaires.Quasi experimental research design method was adopted.Disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used in which banks were classed into three strata.Both primary and secondary sources of data collection were employed.For primary data source, 5 Point-Likert rating scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) were used.KMO (Kaiser-Meyer Olkin) measure for sampling adequacy with a threshold of 0.50 and a KMO value of 0.814 was obtained.Bartlett's Test of Sphericity was adopted with an acceptance threshold of p = 0.000 which indicated that factor analysis can be used for validity test while Cronbach Alpha for reliability test was performed to assess internal consistency of measurement adopting a weak threshold of 0.60.The study revealed that job design attributes such as skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback impact significantly on the performance output of deposit money banks in Nigeria.

Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework of this study was based on scientific management theory.The scientific management theory was propounded by Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1911.The job design approach was conceptualized from Frederick Winslow Taylor's scientific management theory on how jobs should be divided among workers in an organization (Inyang, 2008).The theory stresses about standardization of tasks and proper training of workers to carry out tasks for which they are responsible should be develop.This theory is an effort to develop a science for every job within an organization.The theory analyzed the inefficiencies inherent in employees' production methods and argued that a manager's job needs to be carefully planned and structure the work to be performed by employees properly (Zareen, Razzaq & Mujtaba, 2013).The assumptions of the Scientific Management Theory are based on the four (4) basic principles.These principles are Task performance methods should be scientifically studied and the best method should be adopted in order to replace the old rule of thumb guidelines.Workers should be selected, trained and developed by managers instead of leaving them to develop themselves.Managers and supervisors should cooperate with workers so that they can follow the developed methods and designs to perform the tasks.
The relevance of this theory on this study is that jobs can be divided based on its core dimensions of skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy and feedback in order to enhance employees' motivation, job satisfaction as well as organizational performance.It will also aid managers in the public sector organizations in dividing or breaking down jobs into their simplest components and assigning them to employees so that each worker will perform a selected number of tasks more effectively.

METHODOLOGY
This study adopted a survey research design.The population of the study was 400 respondents, all employees, contract staff and clients of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar, (CRIRS Personnel Record, 2021).The study employed simple random sampling technique to generate the sample size from the total population using Krejcie and Morgan Table of 1970 for sample size determination.The sample size was 196 respondents from the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.Primary source of data was employed in this study.The study adopted a structured questionnaire using 5 points Likert scale of SA (5), A (4), U (1), SD (3), D (2), and U (1) to collect data from 196 respondents from the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.A pilot test was conducted on 20 respondents from the operational unit of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar, in order to determine the reliability of the research instrument.The test-retest method was employed in testing the reliability of the instrument.The result of linear regression index of (α) of 0.86 from the pilot test sufficiently reliable for the instrument to be used.The study adopted a Simple Linear Regression Statistical Analysis Tool using

Data presentation and analysis
A total of one hundred and ninety-six (196) copies of questionnaire was produced and randomly administered to the respondents from the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.Out of the 196 copies of the questionnaire, 180 copies of the questionnaire were correctly filled and returned, representing 92%, while 16 copies of the questionnaire representing 8% were not properly filled and returned.However, since the calculated value of f-ratio of 54.817 was greater than the critical table value of 6.63, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted and concluded that Job feedback significantly affect employees' involvement of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.

Discussion of findings
The study revealed that skill variety significantly affect employees 'motivation of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This is supported by the finding of Teryima and Abubakar (2018) which revealed that job design attribute such as skill variety has a significant impact on the performance output of deposit money banks in Nigeria.Al-Badarin and Al-Azzam (2017) also revealed that job design has a significant influence on job strain for employees in the private hospitals in Irbid.
The study revealed that task identity significantly influences job satisfaction of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This is supported by the finding of Teryima and Abubakar (2018) which revealed that job design dimension such as task identity has a significant effect on the performance output of deposit money banks in Nigeria.Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) also revealed that there is positive correlation between job depth, task identity on the job training and core job dimensions or elements of the job enrichment and workers/organizational performance while there was no correlation between motivators' elements and performance.
The study also revealed that task significance significantly affects employees' commitment of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This is supported with the assertion of Salau, Adeniji and Oyewunmi (2014) which stated that increased recognition of task significance will stimulate the employees to further raise their commitment towards the attainment and realization of the goal and objectives of institutions or organizations.Teryima and Abubakar (2018) also revealed that job design attribute such as task significance has a significant influence on the performance output of deposit money banks in Nigeria.
The study also revealed that task autonomy significantly influences job performance of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This is supported by the finding of Al-Azzam (2018) which revealed that task autonomy in work has a positive effect on motivation toward employees work and duties, in this aspect a debate is concentrated around three basic psychological needs of all employees.
The study also revealed that job feedback significantly affects employees' involvement of public sector organizations in Cross River State.This is supported by the finding of Orji, Samson, Boman and Odey (2017) which also found that work design enhances productivity in banks, increases profitability, influences behavior, staff motivation and autonomy in banks.

CONCLUSION
Job design dimensions are key determinants of organizational performance in both private and public sector organizations in Nigeria.Therefore, it was concluded that core job dimensions such as skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback have significant effect on organizational performance as well as organizational effectiveness of the organization.Job design provides the basic ingredients or elements for operating an organization in order to attain its overall objectives as well as organizational performance more effectively.Job design can be seen as the process through which job-related data are revealed and contents as well as methods of performing different tasks are specified in an organization.Approaches to job design dimensions can be achieve through core job characteristics model such as influence skill variety by providing opportunities for workers to do several jobs or tasks and combining tasks.

Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: 1.
The government and of public sector organizations should at all times design jobs based on skill variety in order to increase organizational performance continuously.2.
The government and management of public sector organizations should identify tasks before there are assign to staff for effective performance to be achieved steadily.

3.
The government and management of public sector organizations should always consider task significance in recruiting and placement of workers in order to enhance organizational performance continuously.

4.
The government and management should also be granting task autonomy to workers while performing their routine jobs and responsibilities, for this will in turn enhance employees' initiative as well as organizational performance steadily.

5.
The government and management should also develop an effective feedback loop mechanism to get results of job performance in order to encourage and motivate employees to put in more efforts in their jobs that will in turn increase organizational performance steadily.
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, to analyze and test the hypotheses formulated.
The null hypotheses formulated for the study are: Ho1.Skill variety does not significantly affect employees' motivation of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.Ho2.Task identity does not significantly influence job satisfaction of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.Ho3.Task significance does not significantly affect employees' commitment of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.Ho4.Task autonomy does not significantly influence job performance of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar.Ho5.Job feedback does not significantly affect employees' involvement of the Cross River State Board of Internal Revenue Service Calabar.
1. Does skill variety significantly affect employees' motivation of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar? 2. Does task identity significantly influence job satisfaction of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar? 3. Does task significance significantly affect employees' commitment of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar? 4. Does task autonomy significantly influence job performance of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar? 5. Does job feedback significantly affect employees' involvement of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service Calabar? Research hypotheses Website: https://bjmas.org/index.php/bjmas/indexPublished by the European Centre for Research Training and Development UK

TABLE 1
Showing the effects of the various job design dimensions on organizational performance Skill variety significantly affects employees' motivation of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.However, since the calculated value of f-ratio of 174.095 was greater than the critical table value of 6.63, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted and concluded that skill variety significantly affects employees' motivation of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar. the calculated value of f-ratio of 120.521 was greater than the critical table value of 6.63, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted and concluded that task identity significantly influences job satisfaction in the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar., since the calculated value of f-ratio of 163.968 was greater than the critical table value of 6.63, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted and concluded that task significance significantly affects employees' commitment in the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar.However, since the calculated value of f-ratio of 205.640 was greater than the critical table value of 6.63, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted and concluded that task autonomy significantly influences job performance of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Calabar. However