DIGITALISATION OF NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING IN NIGERIA AS A CORRELATE OF EMPLOYEES� JOB MOTIVATION AND JOB PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Digitalisation of newspaper publishing, that is, the application of new digital tools (NDTs) across newspaper departments, is a global practice meant to facilitate speed and efficiency in publishing. Studies on digitalisation have focused on its outcomes such as speed and efficiency but have neglected the correlation between it and employees� job motivation, job performance and gender. This neglect needs to be addressed given the proclivity of an unmotivated workforce to resort to unethical practices and industrial rancour. This study therefore, investigated the application of NDTs in newspaper publishing in Nigeria to determine its correlation with employees� job motivation and job performance and gender.

The Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) which explains reasons for the adoption and use of technology, the Marxist Theory of Alienation (MTA) which explains the effect of technology use on job motivation and job performance, and Hygiene Factors and Motivators theory which explains factors of motivation, served as the theoretical guide. Survey method was adopted. Through a questionnaire, data were collected from 2,669 respondents selected from all the departments of newspaper workforce in 12 national general-interest newspapers. Selection of respondents was through stratified and quota sampling techniques. Interviews were conducted with 12 senior staff of the newspaper houses. A rating scale of 0�4 was developed to measure the level of digitalisation, job motivation and job performance in the selected newspaper departments and organisations. The data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Interview data were analysed through emerging themes technique.

The IT department was the most digitalised (3.55 out of a maximum of 4); followed by Production and Editorial (3.51); Servicing departments (3.50); and Circulation (3.49). Newspaper workers used NDTs significantly in their job activities (?�=61.56; p<.05). Job performance was high (?�= 1097.08; p<.05) but job motivation was low. Digitalisation level did not correlate significantly with job motivation. This Day had the highest level of digitalisation (3.92) but not the highest level of job motivation (2.75); The Champion had the lowest level of digitalisation (1.53) but not the lowest level of motivation. The Punch and The Nation had the highest level of job motivation but not the highest level of digitalisation. Digitalisation correlated significantly with job performance (R= 0.76).There was no significant correlation between employees� gender and NDTs use. Gender and job motivation did not correlate significantly. Job motivation and job performance did not also correlate significantly. Although interviewees used NDTs as much as they wanted at work, they expressed frustration, dissatisfaction and anger with reference to their job, yet described their job performance as high.

Digitalisation is high among Nigerian newspaper workers and it positively influences job performance. Job performance is also high among the workers despite low job motivation among them. This agrees with MTA�s postulation that sophisticated technology, without adequate motivation, is capable of alienating workers by turning them into near-robots that do the work they are not enjoying. Newspaper owners should address ways of increasing job motivation beyond digitalisation.