Workload pressure and employee performance at the Customs Revenue Division, Nimule Station, South Sudan. A cross-sectional study.

Authors

  • John Apoi Dhukpiu Apoi School of Graduate Studies and Research, Team University. Author
  • Dr. Sarah Kyaloba School of Graduate Studies and Research, Team University. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64792/5gmnaw63

Keywords:

Workload pressure, Employee performance, Customs Revenue Division, Nimule Station

Abstract

Background:

The scholarly interest in job stress and its link to employee performance dates back several decades and has evolved considerably across industrialised nations. The study aims to establish the relationship between workload pressure and employee performance at the Customs Revenue Division, Nimule Station, South Sudan.

 Methodology:

This study adopted a correlational survey design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study population comprised all 137 employees of the Customs Revenue Division stationed at Nimule, South Sudan. This population includes customs officers responsible for daily cargo clearance. Quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires were coded, cleaned, and entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 26) for analysis.

 Results:

High mean scores on handling large volumes of work daily (Mean = 4.24, SD = 0.900), heavy workload within limited time (Mean = 4.42, SD = 0.845), and working extra hours (Mean = 4.45, SD = 0.847) indicate that employees strongly experience excessive job demands. The high mean scores on physical exhaustion (Mean = 4.22, SD = 0.976) and mental stress (Mean = 4.56, SD = 0.695) suggest that workload pressure negatively affects employees’ physical well-being, mental health, and efficiency. Low ratings for meeting work standards (M = 2.28) and meeting daily work targets (M = 2.47) further indicate performance gaps in productivity and efficiency. Workload pressure has a weak negative relationship with employee performance (r = -0.130, p = 0.258). 77% were male, while 23% were female

 Conclusion:

Workload pressure is a key driver of job stress and negatively affects employee performance by reducing efficiency and increasing operational delays.

 Recommendations:

The Customs Revenue Division should recruit additional staff and improve workload distribution to reduce excessive pressure on employees. Automation of customs processes should also be strengthened to enhance efficiency.

Author Biographies

  • John Apoi Dhukpiu Apoi, School of Graduate Studies and Research, Team University.

    is a student of a Master's of Business Administration at Team University.

  • Dr. Sarah Kyaloba, School of Graduate Studies and Research, Team University.

     is a supervisor at Team University.

References

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Published

2026-04-30

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): April 2026 Issue

Section

Business, Economics, and Management

License

Copyright (c) 2026 John Apoi Dhukpiu Apoi, Dr. Sarah Kyaloba (Author)

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How to Cite

Workload pressure and employee performance at the Customs Revenue Division, Nimule Station, South Sudan. A cross-sectional study. (2026). East African Journal of Research and Innovation, 2(2), 12. https://doi.org/10.64792/5gmnaw63