Exploring the Impact of Religious Beliefs on Job Performance in Nigeria's Construction Sector

Religious beliefs are widely recognised as shaping individuals' ethical orientations, behavioural tendencies, and interpersonal interactions. However, their specific influence on job performance within labour-intensive sectors such as construction remains insufficiently examined. This study explores the relationship between religiosity and job performance among construction site workers in selected states of Southwest Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 396 construction site managers and supervisors, resulting in 289 completed surveys (73.0% response rate). Following data cleaning, 263 valid responses (66.4%) were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Key performance indicators assessed included punctuality, quality of workmanship, safety compliance, and teamwork. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was employed to examine differences in performance outcomes across religious affiliations. Results indicated no statistically significant differences in any of the 27 performance variables across religious groups (p > 0.05), suggesting that religiosity does not serve as a determinant of job performance in this context. These findings imply that worker effectiveness in the construction sector is more closely associated with individual competencies and professional practices than with religious identity. The study underscores the value of merit-based workforce evaluation and advocates for inclusive policies that accommodate religious diversity without bias. Implications are offered for industry practitioners, policymakers, and human resource managers seeking to enhance workforce productivity and cohesion in multi-religious construction environments.