Workplace Diversity, People Management and Performance Extent in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria: An Appraisal

Abstract

Any workplace characterised by plurality faces challenges such as those posed by diversity and poor people management. This study explores workplace diversity (WD) and people management (PM) in small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria, with a view to determining the extent to which they obtain in Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their impact on performance therein. It is anchored on Trajfel and Turner’s Social Identity Theory, which theoretically affirms the impact of WD and PM on the performance of Nigerian SMEs based on social identity factors. Questionnaire and observation constitute the primary data, while library and internet print materials constitute the secondary data. The mixed method is employed along with content analysis, systematic review, and descriptive, interpretive and statistical tools. The analysis shows that WD and PM impact positively on performance in Nigerian SMEs, as in elsewhere across the globe. Workplace diversity is found to obtain at a very high extent, while people management obtains at a low extent. The study concludes that there is a significant correlation between WD and performance on one hand and PM and performance on the other. It charges SMEs in Nigeria and other parts of the globe to imbibe and sustain positive and problem- solving PM practices and harness WD effectively for maximal performance, productivity, profitability and service delivery.

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