EKSU INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (IJMDS)

INFLUENCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF MTN NIGERIA

Abstract

The influence of diversity and inclusion (D&I) on organizational performance has become a critical area of study in today’s competitive and globalized business environment. This research explore the dimensions of religion and ethnicity as a measure of D &I, and employee productivity and motivation to measure organizational performance. The study adopts a quantitative approach, collecting data through structured questionnaires distributed to 225 employees from MTN Nigeria in Taraba State. Using Pearson correlation analysis, the study investigates the relationships between religion, ethnicity, and employee outcomes. The results reveal significant positive correlations between religion and employee productivity (r = 0.731, p < 0.05), as well as employee motivation (r = 0.536, p < 0.05). Similarly, ethnicity was found to have a strong positive relationship with both employee productivity (r = 0.909, p < 0.05) and motivation (r = 0.490, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that fostering diversity and inclusive policies and programs can significantly enhance organizational performance by boosting employee engagement, productivity, and motivation. The study concludes that organizations prioritizing D&I, particularly by cultivating inclusive policies, are better positioned to thrive in a dynamic market. The study therefore, recommended that government and firms should build an ethnically inclusive work culture through diversity training and cross-cultural teamwork, foster a unified organizational identity to enhance employee loyalty and reduce turnover.