ABSTRACT

Telecom Businesses are increasingly digitalizing their operations, requiring employees who are tech-sawy and who can embrace a more collaborative and innovative way of working. The industry has undergone a remarkable evolution, marked by technological advancements that have redefined how we communicate and interact. Digital Dexterity which is the ability of employee to adopt and adapt existing and emerging digital technologies began to take on a new meaning as operators and technicians now had to navigate complex digital interfaces and protocols while doing their work. This study examined digital dexterity and employee performance of telecommunication companies in South East Nigeria; using MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria as reference point. The specific objectives are: to ascertain the influence of digital leadership on team collaboration in telecommunication companies in the South East Nigeria, effect of information communication technology proficiency on task performance in telecommunication companies in the South East Nigeria, influence of digital learning on employees’ commitment in telecommunication companies in the South East Nigeria, effect of digital creation on quality of work done in telecommunication companies in the South East Nigeria and the influence of digital collaboration and communication on service delivery in telecommunication companies in the South East Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design because primary sources of data were used to gather information from the respondents. The target population ofthe study was one thousand five hundred and twenty-four (1,524) drawn from the selected three telecommunication companies in South-East, Nigeria. The sample size for the study was three hundred and seventeen (307) which formed the copies of the questionnaire administered to the respondents from the selected service companies in South-East, Nigeria. This study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data while Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model to test the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable of the study. The findings revealed that at 1% level (Sig < .01) of significance, digital leadership had a positive and significant effect on employees’ team collaboration in MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria in the South East Nigeria, information communication technology proficiency had a positive and significant effect on task performance in MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria in the South East Nigeria, digital learning had a positive and significant effect on commitment in MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria in the South East Nigeria, digital creation and innovation had a positive and significant effect on quality of work done in MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria in the South East Nigeria while digital collaboration and communication had a positive and significant effect on service delivery in MTN Nigeria, Globacom Ltd and Airtel Nigeria in the South East Nigeria. The study concluded that digital dexterity has positive influence on employee performance of the selected telecom companies in Nigeria. The study recommended that digital leaders/management of the selected telecom companies should demonstrate effective collaboration behaviours by actively participating in online discussions, sharing insights, and providing constructive feedback.