Organisational Psychological Capital and Employee Productivity in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector: Evidence from Port Harcourt Companies

Psychological capital, comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism, has emerged as a critical individual-level resource predicting employee productivity and well-being in organisational contexts. In Nigeria's oil and gas sector in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where performance demands and occupational hazards are uniquely high, the relationship between psychological capital and employee productivity has not been empirically examined. This study investigates the relationship between psychological capital and employee productivity among workers in oil and gas companies in Port Harcourt. A cross-sectional survey is applied to 280 employees from five oil service companies, selected through stratified random sampling. The Psychological Capital Questionnaire and the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire are administered alongside a demographic questionnaire capturing job tenure, educational level, and supervisory responsibility. Multiple regression and path analysis are performed in SPSS and AMOS. Available organisational psychology literature from Nigeria's oil sector identifies resilience and self-efficacy as the psychological capital dimensions most strongly associated with task performance, with hope linked to contextual performance in safety-critical roles. Luthans's Psychological Capital Theory and the Conservation of Resources Theory provide the theoretical framework. Findings will inform talent management and employee development strategies at oil sector HR departments in Rivers State. Keywords: psychological capital, employee productivity, oil and gas sector, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.