INFLUENCE OF WORKPLACE LEISURE ACTIVITIES ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY IN OIL AND GAS ENTERPRISES PORTHARCOURT, IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study explored the influence of workplace leisure activities on employee productivity in oil and gas enterprises in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria.  Specifically, the study determines the effect of availability of workplace leisure activities on employees' commitment. The study further ascertain the effect of work life balance on employee job satisfaction in oil and gas in PortHacourt Rivers State, Nigeria.. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to collect data from the respondents with the aid a structured questionnaire.  Arithmetic mean was used to analyse respondents’ responses and the hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 27). Hypothesis one revealed that there is a statistically significant positive effect of availability of workplace leisure on workforce commitment. Workplace leisure activities therefore have a substantial positive relationship (r = 0.882, n = 203, p value of 0.001 (p<0.05).  There is also a substantial positive relationship (r = 0.801, n = 203, p value of 0.000 (p<0.05) between work life balance and employee job satisfaction in Oil and Gas enterprises in PortHarcourt Rivers State, Nigeria. The study concludes that there is statistically significant positive relationship between Workplace leisure and employee productivity in Oil and Gas enterprises in PortHarcourt Rivers State, Nigeria. Based on the conclusion, the study recommended that oil and Gas enterprises should make available work leisure in their work place which improves the workforce commitment in other to achieve greater productivity.  Oil and gas companies should put in place well-planned, structured leisure programs that meet the various demands of their staff. Fitness courses, leisure sports, and team-building activities which in turn improves the physical, social, and creative activities that these programs ought to provide.