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Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Winter 7-30-2022

Impact of Organizational Climate on Job Performance in Nigerian

University Libraries: Perceptions of Academic Librarians
Chinwendu C. Akpom Dr
University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, chinwendu.akpom@unn.edu.ng

Emmanuel Chukwudi Ihekwoaba Dr

University of Nigeria - Nsukka, emmanuel.ihekwoaba@unn.edu.ng

Harriet Uche Igbo Dr

University of NIgeria, Nsukka, harriet.igbo@unn.edu.ng

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Akpom, Chinwendu C. Dr; Ihekwoaba, Emmanuel Chukwudi Dr; and Igbo, Harriet Uche Dr, "Impact of
Organizational Climate on Job Performance in Nigerian University Libraries: Perceptions of Academic
Librarians" (2022). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 7178.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/7178
Impact of Organizational Climate on Job Performance in Nigerian University Libraries:
Perceptions of Academic Librarians

By

Akpom, C.C. (Ph. D, CLN)

Enugu Campus Library
University of Nigeria,
chinwendu.akpom@unn.edu.ng
+2348037370017

Ihekwoaba, E.C. (Ph. D, CLN)

Nnamdi Azikiwe Library
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
emmanuel.ihekwoaba@unn.edu.ng
+234808080260062
*Corresponding Author

&

Igbo, H.U. (Ph. D, CLN)

Nnamdi Azikiwe Library
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
harriet.igbo@unn.edu.ng
+2348038085363
Abstract

The paper examined academic librarians' perceptions of the characteristics that contribute to a
favorable organizational climate and those that negatively affect it in Nigerian university
libraries. The study concentrated on Nigeria's Southeast and South-South geopolitical zones. The
researchers adopted a descriptive survey design for the research. A structured questionnaire was
employed to collect the data from the respondents and analyzed using mean and standard
deviation. The study population consists of 143 academic librarians in university libraries in the
study area. The entire population was used as a sample because it was a manageable number.
The result demonstrates that respondents have favorable impressions of their organizational
climate. Specifically, respondents are satisfied with the communication, work environment,
leadership style, organizational structure, rewards, and teamwork. It was recommended that
although the organizational climate of the libraries studied was perceived as positive, there was a
need to periodically and constantly improve the reward system. Implementing a formal rewards
system can be a great way to motivate librarians. They can be rewarded based on measurable
performance metrics, such as a pay bonus when meeting a specific task or other forms of reward.
The study found that to keep librarians motivated, the reward system needs to be improved
without delay.

Keywords: Communication, Leadership, Librarians, Library, Organizational Climate,

Organizational Structure, University Libraries, Reward, Teamwork, Work Environment.
Introduction

Libraries must understand the elements influencing their climate and workers as they

strive to survive or gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the face of today's information

and technological explosion. Employee motivation, behavior, attitudes, and potentials are all

influenced by the climate or atmosphere in the workplace, which is projected to affect

organizational productivity (Adenike, 2011). Due to its transparent impacts and relationships to

the many services provided, the climate or the organizational environment is crucial in the

library organization's life. It has an equal impact on employee productivity, contentment, and

performance and the organization's overall success (Al-Saudi, 2012).

This has resulted in many conceptual and experimental studies on organizational climate

over the last thirty years (Kanten & Ülker, 2013). Organizational climate is defined as a set of

features that characterize a company and distinguish it from others (Farooqui, 2012). As a result,

it has an impact on how people behave in the workplace. Organizational climate research aims to

determine the factors that influence employee behavior which directly impacts job performance

and organizational productivity. The relevance of organizational climate on employees' attitudes

and behaviors has made researchers pay more attention to it in the literature on organizational

behavior (Holloway, 2012).

In the context of the library, the organizational atmosphere influences the work

performance of the staff. The library management is supposed to push librarians to achieve

adequate job performance and productivity by creating a favorable organizational climate that

encourages them to do their best work. Although the individual brings to the job the

organizational needs in terms of qualifications and skills, the library organization must provide

an enabling working environment that encourages successful job performance. It is no surprise

that organizational climate affects performance because it reflects how motivating the work

environment is for individuals (Watkin & Hubbard, 2003). There is no consensus on whether

aspects of the organizational environment should be deemed typical or ideal from the literature.

Many academics have investigated organizational climate using numerous parameters. These

factors are not always uniform across all businesses due to their diversity.

Organizational climate factors include management or leadership styles, employee

participation in decision-making, the provision of challenging jobs, the reduction of boredom and

frustration, the provision of benefits, personnel policies, the provision of good working

conditions, and the creation of a suitable career ladder (Adenike, 2011). In this study,

organizational climate refers to a set of quantitative workplace factors that affect the job

performance of librarians, directly or indirectly. Communication, working environment,

leadership style, organizational structure, rewards, and teamwork are the quantitative factors

used in this study.

Since organizational climate encourages motivation which actuates the performance of

employees, the climate of libraries will remain a constant factor in the effective management of

libraries, which promotes institutional values and ideologies. Improving the organizational

climate for innovation/creativity can effectively promote problem-solving in a company and

thereby increase the company's productivity, competitiveness, and performance (Zagenczyk et

al., 2020). The lack of a conducive work environment and lack of management interest are

among the challenges affecting organizational climate and promoting innovation/creativity

among library and information science professionals (librarians) in Nigeria (Onuoha et al.,

2015). Given this circumstance, there is a need to ascertain organizational climatic factors

proximal to librarians' performance in university libraries in Nigeria.

 This study will highlight the relevance of global organizational climate factors and the

need to effectively structure and apply them to produce high-level professionalism and service

delivery. Another important aspect of the study is that it will assist libraries in improving the

organizational climate of their libraries. As a result, they will get the most out of their labor. The

study would help libraries reassess the needs of librarians. It will also educate library

management about the organizational climate outside their specific region and provide data to

help library and information science scholars stay up with global library trends. For librarians, it

is expected to help policy makers keep up with the re-evaluation of the organizational climate

and assist other researchers with the numerous facets available for further research. Hence, the

study is expected to provide relevant literature on the state of the organizational climate in

Nigeria's university libraries.

Problem Statement

Negative and unproductive behaviors, such as careless attitudes, laxity, lateness,

diminished devotion to work, low morale, absenteeism, and ultimately low performance and

productivity, were demonstrated through interactions and literature. This situation might have

arisen due to various organizational climate factors within the university library, which could

positively or negatively impact job performance. Hence, this study attempted to investigate the

perception of librarians on factors that contribute to their organizational climate.

Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. What are the factors that affect the current organizational climate in Nigeria's public university

libraries?

2. What are librarians' perceptions on communication, work environment, leadership style,

organizational structure, reward, and teamwork as factors that affect organizational climate in the

libraries?

Review of the Literature

The climate in the workplace

The term "organizational climate" has no commonly agreed definition. Organizational

climate as the outward manifestation of organizational culture that consists of conscious

behavior, such as feelings, perceptions, and attitudes, that individuals share in an organization at

a given time regarding the fundamental elements of the organization that can positively or

negatively influence organizational behavior (Castro & Martins, 2010). This shows that the

organizational environment is not necessarily fixed, as individuals' responses are determined by

their circumstances. According to them, the term "climate" is most usually linked with

meteorology. Its primary goal is to observe, describe, and measure numerous physical aspects of

the atmosphere, such as rainfall, temperature, and natural variations. However, it refers to the

mood or feelings existing in an organization that influences employees' perceptions in the

organizational literature (Jyoti, 2015).

Organizational climate is the air and atmosphere that employee’s sense in their

workplaces due to practice and rewards (Holloway, 2012). The phenomena of organizational

climate are characterized by a link between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Suandi et al.,

2014). It is, in their opinion, emotional manipulation of power and influence. It is the "feeling"

that comes from the organization's physical structure and how participants engage with one
another and connect with other members of the organization or outsiders (Okoseimiema &

Eketu, 2019). The organizational environment is defined by employees' descriptions of

organizational characteristics such as size, structure, policies, and leadership styles. They went

on to say that the organization's atmosphere depicts members' subjective opinions and

impressions, regardless of whether or not they are a true reflection of reality in the workplace

(Mitonga-Monga et al., 2012). Organizational climate is a force that influences employees'

emotions and conduct; a perspective shared by members of an organization that represents the

individual's norm, value, and attitude; formed through member contact; functions as a source of

influence for influencing behavior and the work environment (Tedla, 2016). In essence, a

positive and conducive organizational atmosphere leads to high motivation, job satisfaction, and

high job performance.

This is shown in a study by Sujatha, Ganesan, & Laila (2016). They used a survey of

library professionals to evaluate the current organizational climate at Mahatma Gandhi (MG)

University Library. Physical facilities, infrastructure, human connections, professional growth,

and job satisfaction were all examined in the study. It was discovered that to build a healthy

organizational climate at MG University Library, aspects such as physical facilities, professional

development measures, rewards, and transportation facilities need to be strengthened. The

majority of respondents are satisfied with their jobs, pay, working hours, job security, and work

autonomy. On the other hand, the majority of respondents were unsatisfied with promotion, job

rotation, awards, decision-making, leadership style, and transportation facilities.

More specifically, the concept is defined as a set of qualities that distinguishes one

organization from another, with the elements of the organization's internal environment resulting

from the goals, regulations, rules, procedures, and policies that are implemented in the
organization and well known to the employees (Ahmed & Razek, 2011). Just as every individual

has a personality that differentiates him from others, the employee's of well-known organization

has an organizational climate that distinguishes them from others (Vankatesh, 2015). This

impacts individual behavior and performance at work, ultimately resulting in the organization

accomplishing or failing to fulfill its objectives. This is why members of a group are more likely

to collaborate to trade and produce tacit knowledge and to improve each other's performance and

learning while working in a cooperative environment (Bonacci et al., 2020).

Similarly, firms with a positive atmosphere foster employee participation, open and

accessible information exchange (Noordin et al., 2010). This, in turn, creates space for new ideas

and innovations in the workplace. On the other hand, employees in defensive settings keep their

opinions to themselves, make only cautious utterances, and suffer from low morale and an

inferiority mentality. This is also in line with the views that in the creative organizational

atmosphere, where members face particular project obstacles, internal contact between workers

might supply appropriate answers (Kubendran et al., 2013). As a result, the workplace becomes a

happier and more creative place to work.

Studies Related to Organizational Climate

Globally, several studies have been reviewed on organizational climate in relation to

libraries and librarians. As has already been noted in preceding sections, Sujatha et al. (2016)

investigated the existing organizational climate at Mahatma Gandhi University Library by

surveying the library professionals. The study aimed to find out the current organizational

climate and the influence on the commitment of library professionals. The majority of the

respondents were satisfied with the library profession, salary, working hours, job security, and

work freedom. However, in the case of promotion, job rotation, rewards, decision making,
leadership style, and transportation facilities, the majority of the respondents showed

dissatisfaction.

Gkoutsidou (2010) carried out a study on improving the organizational climate and skill

level for Greek academic librarians. The study explored and described the performance of sixty-

one (61) Greek academic librarians and their motives for further improvement in their future

work. Variables such as gender, age, education, work experience, training issues, and policies

regarding libraries and how clear the work objective is to the employees were studied. The

majority of the respondents showed dissatisfaction with the reward system. The research also

showed that there are no personnel departments in most Greek academic libraries, so there is a

need for library directors to be more informed about the human resource techniques in order to

be able to motivate and inspire their employees effectively. This includes good communication

with employees, understanding the employment legislation and the employees' needs, providing

good working conditions and improving the existing ones, and finally providing extra training

for the librarians to transfer knowledge to users in the best possible way.

Similarly, Jahani et al. (2015) carried out a study on the regression model of the Iran

library's organizational climate. The purpose of their study was to draw a regression model of the

central organizational libraries of Iran's universities. Of the nine variables affecting

organizational climate, five variables of innovation, teamwork, customer service, psychological

safety, and deep diversity played a significant role in predicting the organizational climate of

Iran's libraries. From the study, the contribution of teamwork is more than any other variable.

This implies that the reinforcement of teamwork in university libraries can be more effective in

improving the organizational climate of libraries.

 Within Nigeria, Ibegbulam et al. (2017) focused on investigating the organizational

climate for creativity/innovation among librarians in Academic libraries in southeast Nigeria.

The study aimed to know librarian's perception of their organizational climate as it relates to

creativity. Six dimensions of organizational climate were investigated: organizational

encouragement, supervisory encouragement, workgroup support, freedom, sufficient resources,

and challenging work. The findings revealed that workgroup and organizational encouragement

were perceived to be highly favorable for creativity. Recently, Nwangwu et al. (2021) carried out

a study on organizational climate factors in job creation among public university libraries in

Anambra State. They aimed to establish the perception of librarians about their organizational

climate and whether this perception correlates with their creativity. Findings from the study

indicated that the perception of organizational climate is low among University librarians.

In a nutshell, the implication from the studies above is that management of university

libraries have a responsibility to nurture the pattern of behavior which they want and which will

drive librarians to work in the direction that will bring about the desired organizational result(s)

through providing a positive organizational climate. This can be achieved by providing the

practical tools and solutions which employers require to function maximally.

Factors affecting the organizational climate

Climate elements in organizations can be thought of as descriptions of the content of

organizational experiences. It is more or less defined as factors that an employee personally

perceives within an enterprise. Organizational climate elements are separated into structural and

contextual factors (Zahargier & Balasundaram, 2011). The internal qualities of an organization

are depicted by structural factors. They are a type of scale that can be used to assess and compare

a company. Size, technology, the surroundings, and the organization's goals are all contextual
issues. Contextual factors may be misleading since they depict the organization in a setting with

structural variables (Daoli & Mohsenvand, 2014). Organizational environment characteristics

play a critical role in influencing employees' behaviors and attitudes, both favorably and

adversely(Singh et al., 2011). According to the researchers, positive attitudes are reflected in the

quality of behavior, performance, satisfaction, excellence, job loyalty, and cooperation. On the

other hand, bad attitudes are translated into negative behaviors, resulting in job disputes and poor

performance. Communication, work environment, leadership styles, organizational structure,

reward, and teamwork are all investigated in this study as aspects of organizational climate.

Communication relates to how a supervisor expresses ideas or feelings while providing

information to others. Communication is critical in organizations since it involves sending and

receiving data (Ifidon & Ugwuanyi, 2013). Surprisingly, some research in this area suggests that

supervisors' capacity to provide adequate assistance and the use of appropriate communication

styles in training programs may contribute to improved levels of employee job performance

(Ismail et al., 2010). On the other hand, it was found that a lack of leadership and communication

creates uncertainty and can contribute to the failure of a good plan(Sadia et al., 2018). When

organizational leaders keep things inside or are unable to deliver a message, employees are left to

their own devices to figure out what the leaders may or may not desire. As a result,

communication is considered a critical instrument for fostering trust inside the library, which

leads to fewer disagreements and a more favorable library organizational climate.

Work Environment:

The work environment is described as a collection of pressures, actions, and other factors

that can influence an employee's activities and performance (Bushiri, 2014). The settings at one's

place of employment, includes inside, outside, at a desk, and in a cubicle (Rezaul, 2014). It can
also refer to a person's positive, negative, or friendly mental state. Members of an organization's

workforce rely on their working environment. The quality of the workplace has the most

significant influence on employee job performance and motivation (Chandrasekar, 2011). In

addition, any business has three sorts of work environments: technological, human, and

organizational (Taiwo, 2010). The human environment comprises employees' peers and

colleagues, team, workgroup, leadership, and management; the technology environment consists

of tools, equipment, infrastructure, and other technical elements. On the other hand, the

organizational environment includes systems, procedures, practices, beliefs, and philosophies.

The organizational domain is under management's control. The management implements a

measurement system in which people are paid based on their output. Individuals with varied

work values are fulfilled in various work contexts (Castro & Martins, 2010). This is because

particular combinations of climate components impact an individual's pleasure in certain aspects

of their job. As a result, when the working environment is unpleasant, these individuals establish

a culture that influences how they perceive and interpret their work experiences.

Leadership Styles:

Leadership is a method through which an executive can direct, guide, and influence the

behavior and work of others in order to achieve specific objectives in a given situation.

Subordinates might be persuaded to work with zeal and confidence by their supervisor (Iqbal et

al., 2015). Leadership allows for the formation of teams and the making of sound decisions, all

of which impact progress (Nwaigwe, 2015). As a result, management decisions have an impact

on every area of a company. Leadership style as a person's way of giving orders, motivating

others, and carrying out goals (Memon, 2014). All aspects of interacting within and outside of an

organization, handling or dealing with conflicts, assisting and guiding the workforce to achieve
and complete tasks, and appearing as a role model for all are covered by leadership styles.

Memon claims that an organization's leadership style is one aspect that influences whether or not

employees are interested in and committed to the organization.

Furthermore, there are six leadership styles, each of which has a distinct impact on the

target followers' emotions (Saxena et al., 2017). These include, innovative leadership style,

coaching style, affiliative style, democratic style, pace-setting style, and authoritative leadership

style are the ones to look for. The above authors state that any of these styles can be used by any

leader and that a good mix adapted to the situation is usually the most effective method. The

library staff can readily drive the university library's goals when the leaders and management

team members employ democratic and transformational leadership approaches. Employees will

make a significant contribution to attaining business goals when the library's management

communicates with them frequently about personal rather than official matters, they added.

However, democratic and transformational leadership styles may be effective for libraries where

employees have proved their ability to work with minimal supervision. Even if this is not the

case, the leader may employ an authoritarian leadership style to get desired results. It is

important to note that numerous leadership styles can be used in a company. Each has its own set

of advantages and disadvantages (Johnson, 2005). The emphasis is on the fact that whichever

style is used, it must be suitable for positively influencing followers' behavior in order to assist

the organization in meeting its objectives.

Structure of the organization:

This idea is described as aspects of behavior influenced by pre-existing programs and

laws in organizations (Jiang, 2011). It covers formalization, hierarchy tiers, horizontal

integration, authority centralization, and communication patterns, among other topics. It explains
how an organization's members allocate authority and responsibilities and how procedures are

carried out. The organizational structure, which depicts the levels within the official hierarchy,

determines the control area of managers and supervisors (Shoghi & Nazari, 2012). Furthermore,

organizational climate is the typical configuration among individuals and groups regarding

duties, task assignments, and power in the organization (Greenberg, 2011).

Complexity, formalization, and centralization are the three components of organizational

structure (Ahmadya et al., 2016). The degree of specialization or division of labor in an

organization, some levels in the hierarchy, and the geographic dispersion of the organization all

contribute to its complexity (Robbins & Judge, 2012). Formalization is a measure of individual

control over their choices and decisions. It asserts that an individual's satisfaction with his work

is inversely proportional to the amount of behavior programming by the organization—the more

substantial the control, the lower the employees' contribution to their work. Centralization can be

defined as a process in which official authority to make discretionary decisions is concentrated

on a single person, unit, or level, allowing employees to have as little input as possible in their

jobs. When decision-making power is concentrated in a single place in an organization, it is

called high centralization.

Employees learn how much they gain by devoting their time, effort, and ability to work

through receiving rewards (Armstrong, 2010). Individuals can be motivated and satisfied by

rewards, which can help them work better. It could also be an excellent approach to keep key

employees in the company (Zabouj & Antoniades, 2015). The award might also make the

employee feel needed and valuable. Nilsson & Olve, (2013) prescribe that a company or

organization must choose the reward system that will work best for them in terms being of

benefit to the employee and the company as well as being better than other possibilities. The
outcome of the employee's activity must be better than the reward for the organization. Money

has been highlighted as a popular incentive used by firms to urge employees to share their

expertise and solve knowledge hoarding in a previous study (Hung et al., 2011). In the eyes of

some, organizational reward refers to all of the financial and non-financial rewards that an

employee receives as a result of their employment relationship with the company. Extrinsic,

intrinsic, and social rewards are the three primary types of benefits that individuals want from

their organization (Nwokocha, 2016).

Extrinsic rewards are tangible benefits provided by the organization, such as

compensation (wages and salaries), fringe benefits, advancement opportunities, recognition,

status symbols, and praise. The intrinsic incentives are those that are directly related to the work

being completed. They are self-awarded and have received payoffs in the past. A sense of

accomplishment, self-esteem, autonomy, personal progress, and self-actualization are examples

of this (Adrian et al., 2010).

Rewards are critical for job performance because they meet basic requirements while also

assisting in achieving higher-level objectives. Librarians' perceptions of their effort being

recognized and subsequently rewarded, as well as their lack of being scolded for mistakes and

poor performance, will go a long way toward enhancing their job performance (Gkoutsidou,

2010).

Teamwork:

A team is a working group that possesses all of the characteristics of a true team and

whose members are committed to each other's advancement and success (Ghorbanhosseini,

2016). This dedication frequently leads to the formation of a team. Teams are an essential aspect

of many businesses and should be included in delivering tertiary units (Truong, 2012). Troung
also divided human collaboration into three dimensions: cognitions, skills, and attitudes. The

cognitive or knowledge area includes information about the task, such as the team's mission,

objectives, norms, problem models, and resources. Teamwork skills include adaptability,

performance monitoring, leadership, communication patterns, and interpersonal coordination.

Participants' sentiments about the team are assessed by attitudes, which include team cohesion,

mutual trust, and the value of teamwork. Teamwork is a way for improving individual and

organizational performance, but it must be fostered over time (Manzoor et al., 2011). According

to them, increased productivity is one of the advantages of collaboration, especially when a

group of people is required to come up with innovative ideas for completing specific tasks to

reach overall organizational goals. When people collaborate, job effectiveness and performance

improve. Gkoutsidou did admit that the feeling of cooperation enhances employees' self-esteem

since they feel comfortable taking on a difficult task with the aid of their coworkers. They also

said that firms with teams and a high level of teamwork would be more likely to attract and

retain top talent. This will result in a high-performance organization that is adaptable, efficient,

and crucially, proof shell and cooperation. Employees' sense of belonging in the workplace is

characterized by unity, collective support, and trust. As a result, it is the organization's obligation

to provide a suitable and trustworthy environment for synergetic teamwork.

Methodology

The descriptive survey was employed as the research design in this study. The study was

focused on the Southeast and South-south regions, which are among the six geopolitical zones of

Nigeria. The two zones are eleven (11) states Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River,

Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu Imo, and Rivers. This study focused on accredited State University

libraries in the two zones. The 143 librarians working in the state public university libraries in
the study area were the target population. The population was accessible and manageable; hence,

there was no sampling. The questionnaire, titled "Organizational Climate Factors Questionnaire

(OCFQ)," was the tool used to collect pertinent data. This was broken down into three sections:

A, B, and C. Section A had three questions on respondents' bio-data, including the name of the

institution, gender, and rank.

Section B was created to gather data on the university libraries' organizational climate.

Six characteristics were used to assess the organizational climate: communication, work

environment, leadership style, organizational structure, reward, and teamwork. Strongly Agree

(SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD) was used to rate this section on a

four-point scale (Appendix B, page 176). Section C was created to gather information on

librarians' perceptions of communication, work environment, leadership style, organizational

structure, reward, and teamwork within the library. On a four-point scale of Strongly Agree

(SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD), respondents were also asked to tick

their responses (SD). The questionnaire was filled and returned by 131 of the 143 librarians

working in the university libraries investigated, yielding a return rate of 91.6 percent. The

information gathered was analyzed using the 20th version of the Statistical Package for the

Social Sciences (SPSS), descriptive statistics of mean value, and standard deviation. The

researchers developed the analytical benchmark for this study based on the criterion mean of

2.50 (Bollen, 1989). The criterion of judgment was that any status indicator or item of the

research instrument with a mean value of 2.50+ was rated as agree. Any indicator/item with a

mean value below 2.50 was rejected.

Data Analysis/Results
Table 1: Descriptive statistics on the factors that affect organizational climate in university
libraries in Nigeria. N=131
ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
Organizational structure 3.02 0.61 3.05 0.55 3.04 0.58 A
Communication 2.99 0.61 3.07 0.65 3.03 0.63 A
Work environment 2.95 0.62 3.01 0.66 2.98 0.64 A
Teamwork 2.93 0.54 2.97 0.59 2.95 0.57 A
Leadership style 2.90 0.59 2.95 0.66 2.93 0.63 A
Reward 2.68 0.64 2.88 0.70 2.78 0.67 A
Grand mean 2.91 0.59 2.99 0.64 2.95 0.62 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision

Data in Table 1 shows that librarians perceive that all the identified factors positively impact the

organizational climate of the university libraries in Nigeria. The overall mean score of the

individual items shows that organizational structure has the most significant impact on the

organizational climate of the libraries with 3.04. Other factors include communication (3.03),

work environment (2.98), teamwork (2.95), leadership style (2.93), and reward system (2.95).
Table 2: Descriptive statistics of librarians’ perception on the impact of communication on
organizational climate in university libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
I receive useful feedback from my 3.07 0.51 3.12 0.60 3.11 0.57 A
1 University librarian or unit head on my
job performance.
I have adequate opportunity to express 3.07 0.64 3.09 0.65 3.08 0.65 A
2
my views in my unit as regards work.
Essential information flows effectively 3.05 0.49 3.09 0.62 3.08 0.58 A
2
from senior leadership to other librarians
I am adequately informed about 3.00 0.63 3.08 0.74 3.05 0.71 A
3 significant issues in the library and the
University as a whole
I receive all the information I need to 2.95 0.66 3.02 0.64 3.00 0.65 A
4
enable me carry out my work.
Staff meetings are regularly scheduled in 2.81 0.74 3.04 0.67 2.97 0.70 A
5
the library
Grand Cluster Mean 2.99 0.61 3.07 0.65 3.05 0.64 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision

Data in table 2 above reveals that the librarians have a positive perception about the effect of

communication in enhancing organizational climate in libraries. A consideration of the overall

mean scores of the individual items shows that the respondents receive helpful feedback from the

university librarians and unit heads about their job performance (3.11); the librarians have ample

opportunities to share their opinions regarding work in their units(3.08); essential information

flows successfully from senior leadership to other librarians(3.08); they are appropriately

informed on critical issues in the library and the university as a whole (3.05); they receive the

information they need to enable them to carry out their work (3.00) and a regular schedule of

staff meetings (2.97). The excellent cluster mean (3.05) and all of the components in this

construct are significantly higher than the cut-off mean of 2.50.

Table 3: Descriptive statistics of the perception of librarians on the impact of work environment
on organizational climate in university libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
The physical set up such as furniture, 3.17 0.54 3.00 0.64 3.05 0.61 A
1 lightings, air conditioners, enhances job
performance.
2 The environment is calm and noise free. 3.12 0.71 2.99 0.61 3.03 0.64 A
The quality of working tools in the 3.05 0.58 3.01 0.68 3.02 0.65 A
3
library enhances job performance.
Workspace is dusted, cleaned and 2.95 0.54 3.04 0.62 3.02 0.60 A
3
vacuumed thoroughly and regularly.
The library is committed to ensuring the 2.69 0.75 3.08 0.66 2.95 0.71 A
4
health and safety of staff
5 Working tools are always available. 2.74 0.59 2.93 0.72 2.87 0.68 A
Cluster Mean 2.95 0.62 3.01 0.66 2.99 0.65 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =

Decision

Data in table 3 above show the impact of the work environment on the organizational climate of

libraries. The result revealed that the organizational climate is influenced positively by the

available physical infrastructures such as furniture, lighting, and conditioners (3.05), tranquil and

noise-free surroundings (3.03), good quality working tools (3.02), assurance of health and safety

of employees (2.95) and consistent availability of working tools (2.87). The excellent cluster

mean of 2.99 for all the items in this construct is significantly higher than the cut-off means of

2.50, indicating that the work environment affects the organizational climate of the libraries

positively.
Table 4: Descriptive statistics on the impact of leadership style on organizational climate in
university libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
Management values the contributions of 3.17 0.49 2.98 0.64 3.04 0.60 A
1
librarians
The management is supportive of the 3.02 0.47 3.03 0.61 3.03 0.57 A
2
librarian’s work schedule
Management encourages librarian’s 2.95 0.58 2.96 0.66 2.95 0.63 A
3
participation in decision making
Management encourages librarians 2.86 0.65 2.96 0.66 2.92 0.65 A
4
career development
Librarians are provided guidance 2.74 0.67 2.94 0.57 2.88 0.61 A
5
without pressure.
Librarians need to be supervised closely 2.64 0.69 2.81 0.81 2.76 0.78 A
6
or they are not likely to do their work.
Cluster Mean 2.90 0.59 2.95 0.66 2.93 0.64 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision

Table 4 above shows descriptive statistics of the perception of librarians about the impact of

leadership styles on the organizational climate of the libraries. The respondents believed that

management recognizes the contributions of the librarians (3.04); management is supportive of

the work schedule (3.03); management encourages the librarians to participate in decision

making (2.95); librarians are giving tasks without being pressured (2.88) and librarians need to

be tightly supervised for timely completion of tasks (2.76).

Table 5: Descriptive statistics on the impact of organizational structure on organizational climate
university libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
The policies guiding the library is very 3.17 0.58 3.12 0.54 3.14 0.55 A
1
clear
Every librarian is aware of who they 3.17 0.58 3.03 0.53 3.08 0.55 A
2
report to regarding their job
3 Goals and objectives are very clear 3.02 0.56 3.06 0.55 3.05 0.55 A
There are open free flow of ideas and 3.05 0.54 3.04 0.50 3.05 0.51 A
3 respect for each other’s ideas and
expressions.
Lines of communication and supervision 2.81 0.74 3.04 0.62 2.97 0.67 A
4
are clear
New and amended rules are quickly 2.90 0.66 2.99 0.55 2.96 0.59 A
5
communicated to the librarians
Cluster Mean 3.02 0.61 3.05 0.55 3.04 0.57 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision

Table 5 shows descriptive statistics of the perception of librarians about the impact of the

structure of the organization on the organizational climate of libraries. With high mean scores in

all the items, the respondents agree that the policies guiding the libraries are evident (3.14);

every librarian knows whom to report to about their job (3.08); the library's goals and objectives

are clear (3.05); there are open and accessible flow of ideas and respect for each other's

viewpoints and expressions (3.05); lines of communication and supervision are

straightforward(2.97) and new and updated rules are immediately conveyed to librarians (2.96).

This demonstrates that respondents are extremely satisfied with the organizational structure of

the libraries.
Table 6: Descriptive statistics on the impact of reward system on organizational climate
inuniversity libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
1 Promotion system is fair to all Librarians 2.74 0.59 2.98 0.80 2.90 0.74 A
The University pay scale is competitive 2.67 0.65 2.98 0.71 2.88 0.70 A
2
with similar institutions
3 I feel a strong sense of satisfaction 2.69 0.60 2.90 0.66 2.83 0.65 A
4 Good work is recognized appropriately 2.69 0.64 2.84 0.69 2.79 0.68 A
4 I receive an appropriate salary 2.62 0.58 2.87 0.71 2.79 0.68 A
Librarians are adequately rewarded 2.69 0.78 2.71 0.66 2.70 0.70 A
5
based on job performance
Cluster Mean 2.68 0.64 2.88 0.70 2.82 0.69 A
1. R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision
Table 6 presents the descriptive statistics of the perception of librarians on the impact of the

reward system on the organizational climate of the libraries. The overall individual mean score

of the items reveals that the promotion system is fair (2.90); the university's salary scale is

competitive with similar universities (2.88); librarians have a strong sense of satisfaction (2.83);

good work is suitably appreciated (2.79). Librarians are paid appropriately (2.79), and librarians

are adequately rewarded based on job performance (2.70).

Table 7: Descriptive statistics on the impact of teamwork on organizational climate in university
libraries in Nigeria. N=131
R ITEMS South East South- The Dec.
(SE), N = South (SS) Overall
42 N =89 (SE & SS),
N =131
X SD X SD X SD
My unit collaborates well with other 3.02 0.56 3.15 0.56 3.11 0.56 A
1
units
I have a positive relationship with my 3.00 0.44 3.16 0.54 3.11 0.52 A
1
co-workers.
There is a caring and cooperative spirit 2.95 0.44 2.94 0.59 2.95 0.55 A
2
in my library
I do not feel that the pressure of work is 2.93 0.51 2.90 0.52 2.91 0.52 A
3
excessive
I am rarely put under work pressure by 2.88 0.59 2.85 0.67 2.86 0.64 A
4 my University librarian/immediate head
of unit
Work rarely piles up faster than I can 2.79 0.68 2.83 0.66 2.82 0.67 A
5
complete it
Cluster Mean 2.93 0.54 2.97 0.59 2.96 0.57 A
R = Ranking, X = Mean, SD = Standard Deviations, N = Population, A = Agree, Dec. =
Decision

Table 7 shows the descriptive statistics of the perception of librarians on the impact of teamwork
on the organizational climate of the libraries. |The result reveals that all the constructs in this
component yielded positive mean ratings. The respondents agree that there is a collaboration
among units in the libraries (3.11); positive relationship exist among workers (3.11); the libraries
have a caring and cooperative atmosphere (2.95); job pressure is not excessive(2.91); librarians
are rarely put under work pressure by their university librarian/immediate head of unit(2.86).
With a mean score of 2.82 0.67 and a standard deviation of 2.82 0.67, and rarely work piles up
faster than it can be completed (2.82). According to the result above, respondents have a
favorable opinion and are extremely satisfied with this factor.
Discussion

According to the study's findings, the grand mean and standard deviation of the

organizational environment of public university libraries in South-South Nigeria are slightly

higher (2.99), according to the study's findings than the grand mean and SD for the southeast
zone (2.91). The differences in work environments are explained by the mean evaluations of

respondents in the two geopolitical zones. Individuals with varied work values are contained in

various work situations (Castro & Martins, 2010). This is because people's satisfaction with

various aspects of their jobs is dependent on specific combinations of climate factors. The

findings of this study tend to contradict the findings of

Sujatha evaluated the current organizational climate at Mahatma Gandhi University

Library and found out that most respondents were dissatisfied with the reward system,

promotion, job rotation, and leadership styles.

The study's findings show that librarians have a satisfactory level of communication; as a result,

employees believe that information on changes and plans is readily available and disseminated

by management. This supports the assertion that libraries with supportive environments can

stimulate active involvement, healthy information sharing, and constructive dispute resolution

(Noordin et al., 2010). Furthermore, the organizational structure, work atmosphere, leadership

style, and remuneration were all viewed favorably. This supports the assertion that businesses

who pay attention to all the aspects that affect their employees' well-being are more likely to

keep their best employees, save money, and increase productivity (Kampert, 2008).

The findings on teamwork show healthy collaboration among the librarians and the

sections/units, which makes for a healthy organizational climate. This is in line with

Gkoutsidou's ideas, who believe that partnership allows employees to feel comfortable taking on

challenging jobs with the help of their coworkers. These findings suggest that if university

officials continue to assess and enhance these elements, librarians will have a high level of job

satisfaction and perform efficiently. If these criteria are ignored, however, librarians'

performance may suffer.

Recommendations

Every library needs positive reinforcement in order for librarians to be motivated to fulfill

their daily activities. One of the most effective strategies to improve the climate in the library is

to identify and reinforce these components. Realistic goals, effective lines of communication, a

clear workplace structure, and a sense that their manager values their abilities and personal traits

are all factors that help inspire librarians.

Public university libraries' working environments should be regularly upgraded. If librarians are

forced to work in a crowded setting, they feel suffocated. There should be enough room to work

without being disturbed by noise or dust.

The library's administration must ensure that the workstation, equipment, and furnishings,

among other things, are suitable and welcoming. When librarians work in a pleasant setting, they

are less stressed, sad, creative, content with their careers, and capable of meeting job objectives.

Management should provide and employ internal measures that can provide information

anonymously, such as suggestion boxes.

Despite the positive perception of the organizational climate, there is a need to update the

reward system regularly. Using a formal rewards system to incentivize librarians can be highly

effective. They can be compensated based on measurable performance measures, such as a pay

bonus if a specific assignment is completed. Other incentives could include additional vacation

days or a thoughtful gift. Praise can also be used as an informal prize to show librarians that

management appreciates their efforts.

Conclusion

This study has tried to identify the factors that affect organizational climate for optimum

performance of librarians that culminate in achieving goals of the public university libraries in
Nigeria. It has established that job satisfaction, performance, and productivity are dependent on a

positive organizational climate, which is subject to effective communication, sound

organizational structure, work environment, team spirit, leadership style, and reward system
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