The Implications of Employee Participation in Decision-Making on Employee Productivity at the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy - Karume Campus, Zanzibar

The researchers aimed to examine the implication of employee participation in decision-making on employee productivity at the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy- Karume campus in Zanzibar. The population of the study comprised 70 academic and non-academic employees. Both probability and non-probability sampling were used to select a sample of 60 participants. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants who have managerial roles, such as Campus Directors, heads of departments, and heads of faculty while simple random sampling was used for other participants among the employees as they had an equal chance to participate in the study. The study was guided by two research objectives: to determine the extent to which employees are involved in the decision-making process and to assess the impacts of employee participation in decision-making on productivity. The study was guided by the Management by Objectives (MBO) theory which assumes that involving employees in setting goals and creating action plans leads to better participation, commitment, and alignment of objectives throughout the organisation. The study adopted a case study design. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative information and descriptive statistics was used to analyse quantitative data. The findings show that participation in decision-making creates a sense of belongingness, honesty, and commitment among employees in the organisation. Furthermore, employee participation in decision-making allows employees to share their opinions, ideas, and skills, which enhances team cooperation and collaboration, leading to more successful decision implementation. The study concludes that employee participation in decision-making leads to improved productivity levels. The study, therefore, recommends that management should assess the reasons for employees to feel isolated from decision-making processes.