The Introduction of The Paperless System And its Impact on Employee Performance: A Study of TEMA Port

ABSTRACT

Governments are leveraging on the capabilities of information and communication technologies to deliver better services to citizens which break bureaucratic barriers, reduce corruption and equip staff with the right technological tools to enhance their performance. One of such innovations is the paperless port system. In recent years, port operations have evolved from the use of push trucks in the carriage of goods to advanced mechanization and computerization which has improved service delivery. Previous studies have examined port technologies and port performance with little focus on employee performance. In effect, little is known about the impact of port technologies on employees at the port. This study examines the impact of the paperless port system on employee performance at the Tema port. The study adopted the quantitative research methodology to show the influence of the paperless port system on performance of employees in Tema port. Based on the objectives of the study, questionnaires were used to collect data from 85 employees through purposive sampling. The study found that the factors that influence employee performance are IT infrastructure and employee training. The other two factors, knowledge of the paperless port system and computer self-efficacy were not found to influence employee performance. Also, the findings revealed that network and internet issues, stakeholders’ understanding of the paperless processing, coordination between customs, GRA, banks, and other stakeholders, integration of processes, support/training for staff and clients, security issues, and complicated procedures and document requirements are the challenges of the paperless port system that constrain employee performance. The study recommends that stakeholders of the port should develop strategies for adopting information technology successfully and set standards that should work towards improvement of service delivery. The human resource teams and policy makers should also formulate viable policy documents that will effectively boost productivity and operation efficiency with regards to the use of technology in the discharging of employee duties.