Abstract

This study investigates the impact of flexible working hours on employee productivity at Buea General Hospital a key healthcare institution in the southwest region of Cameroon. With increasing demands on healthcare workers and the need to maintain high service delivery standards, the hospital explored flexible scheduling as a strategy to enhance staff performance and well-being.

Data used for this study were collected using questionnaires from employee of the BGH. The study used both descriptive inferential statistics through simple regression analysis. This study examine the effect of flexible working hours on employee productivity in the BGH, to evaluate the relationship between FWH, to explain the impact of part time work and to assess the influence of compress hours on employee productivity. Base on the findings, the study demands that management of the BGH should implement the different variables of flexible working hours and they should focus more on the secondary research because they have higher positive and significant effect in the hospital decision making.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study  

The 21st centuary has been unprecedented technological advances and constant changes affecting business have made productivity in the work place even more important. Employee productivity is the quantifiable pressure of an employee’s output or efficiency in completing their assigned task or responsibilities within a specific period. This can be measured in terms of its work force, even with ample business planning, the execution and innovation ultimately try to enhance worker’s productivity and enable to perform at their best (simplir,2024).

Employee productivity is crucial in an organization for several reasons. Employee productivity increase efficiency, enhances competiveness, cost savings, improve quality, Jung et al (2020). By prioritizing employee productivity, organizations can reap these benefits driving success and sustainability in an ever changing business landscape.

Many organizations are offering flexible working hours as workers are becoming more aware that having flexible working hours is crucial to getting or keeping a job, Smith, (2020). Also, having high performing and productive employees is extremely important for organizations to increase their profit and achieve their goals, Taylor and amstrong (2017). Therefore, providing flexible working hours for employee productivity must be taken in to consideration by organizations as an important factor in enhancing and increasing productivity of employee, harnessing their efforts to provide their best and this in turn will contribute to the success of the organization (Eshax et Al 2021).

The relationship between flexible working hours and employee productivity is multi-faceted. Studies have shown that, flexible working hours is positively associated with increased productivity, lower absenteeism and higher job satisfaction (Scandura and Lankau, 1997). Flexibility in working life gives employees the option to fulfill their work and non- work demands. According to Boyer, (1998) flexibility and productivity go hand in hand in work life.

Globally, flexible working has been recognized as an essential tool for improving employee productivity and organizational success. In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, organizations are constantly seeking way to improve constructive employee productivity and achieve goals (Bersin, 2016). Additionally, the global work force diversity necessitate flexibility practices that accounts for different values and motivation. Organizations in the world are now moving towards more dynamic and flexible work system that incorporates continuous feedback rather solely on the annual reviews. This shift reflects a broader understanding of employee engagement and the importance of fostering a culture of open communication where feedback is timely and constructive. Furthermore, the integration of technology in to flexible working hours is noteworthy. This approach allows more personalized feedback and development plans tailor to individual’s needs. Overall, the world’s approach to flexible working hours is evolving continuous framework to prioritized employees productivity.

In developed countries, comparative analysis of flexible working hours has been used for decades. These systems have evolved over time adapting to changing organizational needs and employees expectation. For example, the United Kingdom (UK), they use flexi time which allows employees to choose their start and finish time within a set core hour’s period. In developed economics such as the united states, Canada and the European nations, Canada labor allows employees to request flexible working hours but employers are not obligated to grant them (Atiku et al,2020).Flexible working hours in developing countries face unique challenges and opportunities. They face opportunities like; increase talent, employee engagement, business continuity, increase competitiveness. They also face challenges like; blurred boundaries, social isolation, technical challenges, distraction and lack of motivation, carrier advancement, communication and collaboration. They use methods such as flexible hours, compress hours, and part time. With these practices, Newzeland adapting to flexible work has attracted and retained top talent. Research suggests that, the flexible working hours available in developed countries may not be directly applicable in developing context necessitating the adaptation to local condition (Mishra et al, 2020).

In Cameroon, the labor code set the regulation for working hours in both public and private sector, employers have some discretion in structuring the work week. They can choose between five days’ work week with 8 hours per day or a 6 days’ work week with seven hours per day and half day on Saturday (Rivermate, 2024). Flexible working hours on employee productivity is a very critical aspect in the business world particularly in Cameroon in the general hospital Buea. To improve the effectiveness of flexible working hours in Cameroon, organization should develop and implement flexible work policies, invest in digital infrastructure, promote a culture of trust and autonomy, provide training and support.  Flexible working hours can be beneficial in hospitals, but their implementation can be complex and critical due to the nature of health care services and some challenges.

Flexible working hours on employee productivity has been a topic of debate with some arguing that that it’s a game changer for work balance and productivity while others raise concerned about it impact on team work, accountability and job security and all these could be challenging for a business (Calo Williams,2015). The general hospital is a major healthcare provider in Buea Cameroon, with a staff of over 200 employees, the hospital operates 24/7 to provide quality healthcare services to its patient. In 2020, the hospital management introduce a flexible working hours policy to improve on work life balance and staff satisfaction.

While there are clear benefits there are also some controversies to flexible work arrangements that employer should consider such as miss-opportunities for collaboration, potential negative impact on customer and loss of company culture or decrease employee engagement. Poor communication, grid would lead to poor performance and poor result if the corporate vision is not well communicated employee might be working assiduously but archiving very little (Isaak,2019).

1.2 Statement of the problem

The problem of inconsistency and unimproved employee productivity in many organizations have been attributed to the ineffectiveness of flexible working hours, which meant to be evaluate, motivate and develop employee, but instead leads to demotivation, dissatisfaction and decrease in productivity there by hindering organizational growth and success.

Globally, organization are facing challenges in improving employee productivity which is critical for achieving organizational goals and objective (Bersin, 2016).one of the key tools used to improve employee productivity is flexible working. In today’s competitive global economy, organization are increasingly focused on optimizing employee productivity to drive the overall business success. Effective human resource practices particularly communication is critical in aligning individual employee goals with organization objective. However, the effectiveness of flexible working hours in improving employee productivity is not well understood and there is also a need to investigate this relationship.

In developed countries like the United Kingdom, where the labor markets characterized flexible work in various way, studies indicate that well structure flexible work can significantly enhance employee productivity. However, there are concerns about potential negative effect of subject biases (Gloden, 2017), and the implementation of flexible work that account for individual differences and employee feedback. This raises questions of how flexible work can be optimized in developed economies.

In developing continents such as those in Africa and Asia flexible working hours is not widely used as it is in developed countries. (Morgan, P.,2011). However, growing recognition of the implementation of flexible working hour will improve employee productivity and organizational success. (Hill, E.J,2010). However, even with this recognition they still faced challenges like technological challenges, organizational challenges, managerial challenges that may affect the acceptance of flexible working hours on employee productivity is not understood, necessitating research to identify best practices that could lead to improved employee outcomes.

In Cameroon, the problem of employee productivity is a major challenge faced by many organization (Nji, 2017). Flexible working hours is not widely used in many organizations in Cameroon and there is a need for research to investigate the impact of flexible working hours on employee productivity. The rigid traditional work schedule poses significant challenges to employee work life balance, productivity and overall wellbeing. Despite the benefits of flexible working hours, it adoption in Cameroon is hindered by inadequate labor laws, cultural and societal barriers, limited technology infrastructure, economic constraints and lack of awareness.

Despite the critical role hospitals plays in promoting health care facilities and promoting poverty in Cameroon, the general hospital faces a lot of challenges in improving employee productivity.one key factor used to improve this is flexible work arrangement, however the effectiveness of this factor in driving employee productivity is often debated. This study aims to analyze the extent to which flexible work impact employee productivity in the general hospital Buea. Flexible working hours at Buea general hospital had a positive impact on employee productivity, patient satisfaction, and hospital operations. The finding suggest that flexible working hours can be an effective strategy for improving healthcare delivery and employee wellbeing. Hospitals plays an important role in providing health care services to everyone in developing countries including Cameroon. Despite their important hospital in Cameroon face numerous challenges. This study uses Buea general hospital because of their significance in Buea and in Cameroon as a whole.

Despite the critical role of flexible working hours in enhancing employee productivity there are controversies surrounding the effectiveness of flexible working hours in the general hospital have raised concern about their impact on employee productivity due to controversies that exist such as bias and discrimination, inequitable access, blurred boundaries. This research seeks to answer the following question.

1.3 Research Question

1.3.1 The Main Research Question

What is the effect of flexible working hours on employee productivity in Buea general hospital?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. How does part time work influence employee productivity in Buea general hospital?
2. How can flexible working arrangements impact employee productivity in Buea general hospital?
3. How does compress hours influence employee productivity in Buea general hospital?

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