Decision-Making Mechanisms on Administrative Effectiveness in the Polytechnic of Ibadan, Nigeria
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined how governance modalities shape institutional performance at The Polytechnic of Ibadan, Nigeria, amid governance deficiency and stakeholder disaffection in post-colonial technical education. Grounded in Fiedler's Contingency Theory, it addressed the empirical gap on decision-making effectiveness within this specific institutional context. A descriptive survey design was adopted as an institutional case study. The population comprised 305 administrative and academic staff stratified into top-level administrators (n = 25), middle-level managers (n = 68), and operational-level staff (n = 212). A sample of 173 respondents was selected via stratified random sampling using Yamane's formula. Data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire measuring participatory, consultative, directive, and digital-enabled decision-making alongside administrative effectiveness dimensions. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability (α = 0.87 and 0.84). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and one-way ANOVA were applied using SPSS v.26 at p ≤ 0.05. Findings revealed strong positive associations between participatory and consultative modalities (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), inverse relationships for directive structures (r = −0.34 to −0.28, p < 0.01–0.05), and moderate technological alignment (r = 0.58–0.61, p < 0.01). Regression confirmed participatory (β = 0.298), consultative (β = 0.251), and digital (β = 0.187) mechanisms as positive predictors, with directive governance (β = −0.142) as a negative predictor, explaining 55% of the variance (R² = 0.55, F = 24.87, p < 0.001). It recommends digital literacy training for administrators, formal feedback loops, evidence-based benchmarking, integrated change management with technology deployment, and participatory governance reforms to redress hierarchical asymmetries.
Institution: University of Ibadan
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223165333