Equitable Work Policies, Diversity Management, and Employee Productivity in Food Processing Organisations in South West Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of equitable employment practices (equitable work policies)
and diversity management on employee productivity within food processing organizations located
in South West Nigeria. The method used in this research was an explanatory cross-sectional survey
model. Data collection occurred from a stratified sample of 400 production workers, quality
control personnel, maintenance workers and first-line supervisors working in one of the five food
processing sub-sectors; data collection included equitable work policy measures (fair leave,
consistent discipline, transparent workload), diversity management measures (diversity training,
inclusive meetings and language assistance) and employee productivity measures (objective
measures of production per worker, absenteeism rates and error rates). Perceptual measures were
only employed as substitutes when objective data did not exist. Due to a large number of food
processing companies and a highly diverse workforce, South West Nigeria provides a relevant
analytical setting to examine the impact of equity and inclusion on productivity among employees.
Data were analysed using variance based structural equation modelling, and the findings indicate
that equitable work policies and diversity management exert positive and statistically significant
effects on employee productivity and jointly explain a meaningful proportion of productivity
variance. The results emphasise that productivity improvements in labour intensive manufacturing
environments can be achieved not only through technological investments but also through
deliberate attention to fairness and inclusive workforce management, with important implications
for managerial practice and industrial policy in Nigeria.