IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 7, Ver. I (July. 2014), PP 106-112 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 106 | Page An Assessment of the effects of informal groups on employee performance: A case of High Schools in Bulawayo Province. (2012-2013) Printah Nkala & Mbuyisa Barbara Abstract: The study sought to investigate the effects of workplace informal groups on employee performance in Bulawayo Province. In schools, the level of students’ academic performance has gone down, prompting the researchers to carry out the study. This is evidenced by the overall Bulawayo percentage pass rate at all of its thirty nine schools which fell from the 2012 high of 86% to 80.35%. (Zimbabwe Focus 17.02.14). The main objective of the study is to ascertain the effects of informal groupings on employee performance. A Descriptive survey design was used while a questionnaire and semi-structured face to face interview guides were conducted to collect the data. The researchers used stratified random sampling technique to select respondents and the sample size was 50 teachers and 39 head principles from 39 schools. The research findings were analysed using tables and graphs and the findings indicated that workplace informal groups significantly contribute towards students’ academic employee performance. The researchers recommended that school heads should foster good team spirit and positive relationships by turning informal groups into active organisation’s participatory groups whose main objective would be to help every member to improve students’ academic performance which enhances positive relationship amongst the employees. The study recommends that school management should identify themselves with the group’s informal leaders to gain corporation of the group. I. Background to the Study In today’s organisation, where productivity and efficiency demand collaboration within and across functional, physical and hierarchical boundaries, collaboration in employee networks has become critical to innovation, and to both individual and company performance. This does not apply to companies only but also to institutions such as schools. Executives in the Ministry of Education and Culture have invested millions of dollars on new institutional designs, cultural initiatives and technologies to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise for improved performance, yet these efforts have achieved disappointing results. According to Parker and Cross (2004), most managers have little understanding of how their employees actually interact to get work done. In fact, institutional charts fail to reveal the often hidden social networks that truly drive or hinder an individual’s performance. Most heads of schools spend little attention to support and assess linkages among employees (teachers). Educational Institutions exist in order to promote literacy nationwide and to remain result oriented. Parker and Cross (2004) observe that in achieving institutional mission and objectives, informal groups emerge within the institute which might not be organised around a set of objectives .Mullins (2010) articulates that informal groups are very powerful social net works which are constructed in response to and through actions of their members. Mullins (2010) further articulates that managers and supervisors frequently face problems due to failure to recognise that within every organisation there are often informal group pressures that influence and regulate individual behaviour. Informal groups formulate an implicit code of ethics or undesirable set of standards establishing acceptable behaviours for a group of employees, (Mullins 2010). According to Greenberg (2010), Informal groups can exist in an organisation as a result of the mutually shared interest of the individuals. The concept of informal groups in the Educational sector plays a vital role due to the nature of jobs and the working environment which needs commitment by the employees so as to keep standards. Most leaders have failed to appreciate the existence of informal groups and this calls for the leaders to investigate the reasons for their existence. Therefore, in light of the problems highlighted above, this study sought to investigate the effects of informal groups on employee performance. The study intends to contribute to the knowledge gap by examining the relationship between informal groups and employee performance. 1.2 Statement of the problem Informal groups exist in every organisation characterised by people as this is the interlocking structure that governs and influences how people interact at the work place to get the goals and the objectives of the organisation accomplished. This research is therefore investigating the effects of informal groups on employee performance.