This study critically evaluates the factors affecting employees’ job performance among academics between the private and public HEIs in Nigeria. Two universities were selected as case studies one public, Delta State University Abraka (DELSU) and the other private, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO). A mixed method was adopted for this research. The samples size was 96 questionnaires that were statistically analysed using SPSS including Pearson correlation and MS-Excel. A further eight individual interviews were also conducted and thematically analysed.
The findings revealed four key factors: Firstly, Increased teaching load and the high demand on teaching has a significant effect on academic job performance. Secondly, the pressure to publish papers has an effect on academics moral. Thirdly, academics feel that the pressure to engage in third stream is eroding their profession identify. Finally, changes in government policy and lack of funding, has had a negative effect on the academic performance.