Workplace Surveillance and Employee Autonomy in Modern Complex Organizations: A Study of South-South Nigeria

The study, anchored in the Sociotechnical Systems Theory, adopted a descriptive survey research design to examine the relationship between workplace surveillance and employee autonomy in modern complex organizations across South-South Nigeria. The population consisted of employees from both public and private sector organizations within the region, and a sample of 634 respondents was selected through stratified random sampling to ensure fair representation across organizational types and job hierarchies. Data was collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled “Workplace Surveillance and Employee Autonomy Questionnaire (WSEAQ),” validated through expert review and pilot testing. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a reliability index of .879, indicating high internal consistency. Descriptive statistics, including, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, were employed to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at a .05 level of significance. Additionally, qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with thirty participants and analyzed thematically, alongside comparative case studies from public, private, and tech-based institutions. Findings revealed that surveillance practices significantly affect employees' sense of autonomy and trust, with notable variations across sectors and organizational roles. The study concludes that transparent and collaborative surveillance approaches foster autonomy and trust, while excessive control undermines employee motivation and engagement in South-South Nigeria. It is recommended that leaders implement surveillance practices that prioritize transparency and open communication to foster employee trust while ensuring organizational security and productivity.