The Effect of Remote Work on Employee Performance in Nigerian Banks

This study examines the effect of remote work on employee performance in Nigerian banks, a sector where service delivery and efficiency are critical to competitiveness. Although remote work is widely practiced in developed economies, its impact in developing contexts such as Nigeria remains underexplored, particularly given infrastructural limitations and cultural preferences for direct supervision. Using a survey of 50 employees across five major banks, First Bank, GTBank, Access Bank, UBA, and Zenith Bank, the study employed stratified random sampling and structured questionnaires to gather data. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression techniques in SPSS.
The findings reveal that remote work positively influences employee performance, especially by enhancing productivity, job satisfaction, and efficiency. Approximately 66% of respondents agreed that remote work improved overall performance, while 72% reported higher job satisfaction and efficiency. However, challenges such as weak internet connectivity, unstable electricity supply, and reduced teamwork were identified as barriers to optimal outcomes. Notably, only 40% of respondents felt that remote work supported effective teamwork, highlighting collaboration gaps in virtual environments.
The study concludes that while remote work offers significant individual benefits, it also presents systemic challenges that limit collective performance in the Nigerian banking sector. A hybrid work model, coupled with infrastructural support, digital training, and clear performance frameworks, is recommended to optimize outcomes. These findings contribute to theoretical debates on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and offer practical insights for banks and policymakers aiming to balance flexibility with organizational efficiency in Nigeria’s evolving work landscape.

employee performance; hybrid work model; infrastructure challenges; job demands–resources (jd-r) model

1. Adekoya, A. A. (2021). Remote work adoption in Nigerian organizations: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. African Journal of Management Studies, 15(2), 55–68. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Adekoya, A. A., & Fapohunda, T. M. (2021). ICT adoption and remote work challenges in Nigeria. Journal of African Business, 22(3), 310–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2020.1855761 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Allen, T. D., Golden, T. D., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615593273 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Amankwah-Amoah, J., Khan, Z., Wood, G., & Knight, G. (2021). Remote working and employee productivity during COVID-19: Insights from emerging economies. International Business Review, 30(5), 101830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101830 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Armstrong, M. (2017). Armstrong’s handbook of performance management: An evidence-based guide to delivering high performance (6th ed.). Kogan Page. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bailey, D. E., & Kurland, N. B. (2002). A review of telework research: Findings, new directions, and lessons for the study of modern work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(4), 383–400. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.144 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Belzunegui-Eraso, A., & Erro-Garcés, A. (2020). Teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Sustainability, 12(9), 3662. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093662 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., & Ying, Z. J. (2015). Does working from home work? Evidence from a Chinese experiment. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(1), 165–218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1997). Task performance and contextual performance: The meaning for personnel selection research. Human Performance, 10(2), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1002_3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Choudhury, P., Foroughi, C., & Larson, B. Z. (2021). Work-from-anywhere: The productivity effects of geographic flexibility. Strategic Management Journal, 42(4), 655–683. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3251 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Choudhury, P., Foroughi, C., & Larson, B. Z. (2020). Is it time to let employees work from anywhere? Harvard Business Review, 98(2), 50–57. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). (2022). Financial stability report. CBN. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The Job Demands–Resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Eze, C. (2021). Digital banking adoption and remote work in Nigeria: Opportunities and challenges. Nigerian Journal of Business and Economics, 5(1), 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Fadare, O. A., & Tijani, A. A. (2020). Employee performance and customer satisfaction in Nigerian banks. Journal of Banking and Finance, 12(2), 99–110. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Gajendran, R. S., & Harrison, D. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: Meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1524–1541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1985.4277352 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Hill, E. J., Ferris, M., & Märtinson, V. (2003). Does it matter where you work? A comparison of how three work venues influence aspects of work and personal/family life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(2), 220–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(03)00042-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. International Labour Organization (ILO). (2022). Working from home: From invisibility to decent work. ILO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Kothari, C. R. (2014). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (3rd ed.). New Age International. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Kossek, E. E., Lautsch, B. A., & Eaton, S. C. (2006). Telecommuting, control, and boundary management: Correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work–family effectiveness. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(2), 347–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.07.002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297–1349). Rand McNally. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Messenger, J. C., & Gschwind, L. (2016). Three generations of telework: New ICTs and the (r)evolution from home office to virtual office. New Technology, Work and Employment, 31(3), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12073 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Nwaocha, V. O., & Atayero, A. A. (2020). Infrastructural barriers to remote work in Nigeria. International Journal of ICT Research, 9(4), 55–70. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Obi-Anike, H. O., & Ekwe, M. C. (2014). Impact of training and development on organizational effectiveness: Evidence from selected banks in Nigeria. European Journal of Business and Management, 6(29), 66–75. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Ojo, O. (2019). Supervisory culture and employee accountability in Nigerian organizations. Management in Nigeria, 55(1), 45–56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Okoye, V. (2021). Remote work adoption in Nigerian banking: Policy and practice. African Journal of Human Resource Management, 9(2), 44–59. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Okoye, V., & Ezejiofor, R. (2020). Information technology adoption and employee performance in Nigerian banks. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(6), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i6/7342 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2019). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (8th ed.). Wiley. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. SAGE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. World Bank. (2021). Digital economy for Africa initiative: Country diagnostic for Nigeria. World Bank. https://documents.worldbank.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Is Strike Relevant in the Modern Era? Evidence from Indian Manufacturing, IT/Ites, FMCG, Electronics and Emerging Sectors
• A Qualitative Exploration of Work-Life Balance Among Private Universities Lecturers in Klang Valley
• Leadership Styles and Employee Motivation: Examining the Impact on Job Satisfaction and Turnover
• Human Resource Management, Organizational Culture, and Good Governance Practices: A Structural Equation Model on Service Orientation among Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation in Davao Region
• Cost of Silence: Exploring the Impact of Organisational Silence on Employee Engagement