Impact of Remote Work Platform Adoption and Employee Job Performance in Polytechnics in Benue State, Nigeria: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

As workplaces are becoming more and more digital, the use of remote work platforms has also surged across organisations around the globe, including within higher education. The COVID-19 pandemic further underlined the importance of tertiary institutions' capacity to make use of digital technologies to continue their administrative and academic operations outside the traditional working environment. Notwithstanding this emerging trend, critical issues remain to be explored about the impact of remote work platforms on the job performance of employees in Nigerian Polytechnics especially in resource-limited environments like Benue State. Existing studies have been confined to teleworking in corporate organisations, online learning in Universities, and overall effects of remote working on organisational productivity, with little scholarly focus on employee job performance in polytechnics. The conceptual gap formed the basis for the present study. The research investigated the implications of the use of remote work platforms on the job performance of workers in selected polytechnics in Benue State, Nigeria, with a specific focus on Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and Federal Polytechnic Wannune. A non-empirical conceptual research design was used, which involved a systematic review and thematic analysis of relevant literature that was accessed from peer-reviewed journal articles, books, policy documents, and reports from reputable national and international organisations. The analysis was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the Job Demands–Resources Theory to explain technology adoption and employee performance within higher education institutions. The study revealed that remote work platforms offer significant potential to support employee job performance through increased communication, collaboration, flexibility, information sharing, and administrative efficiency. Most of these benefits, however, rely on the readiness of institutions, characterised by the availability of ICT infrastructure, digital competence, management support, and conducive organisational policies. The study concludes that successful implementation of the remote work platforms can enhance employees' performance in polytechnics in Benue State given the investment in digital infrastructure and employee capacity building. It also adds to the body of knowledge as it extends conceptual discussions on remote work from corporate organisations to the Nigerian polytechnic sector and offers contextual matters for policy formulation and future empirical studies.