INADEQUATE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT AND ITS EFFECT

TO EMPLOYEES PERFORMANCE
Vivien O. de Gracia
Franchesca Mikaela D. Malacca
12 – STEM A
Bulacan State University, City of Malolos, Bulacan

ABSTRACT
The main objectives of the study are to determine the effects of performing a job with
inadequate tools and equipment of the technicians at the service department of Nissan Marilao,
and to identify the main factors, causes, or root of scarcity of tools and equipment in the work
area, to help improve the performance of the technicians and enrich the reputation of the company.
The study utilized a qualitative design in a descriptive approach and applies a survey and
observation method. A survey will be conducted to determine the factors that causes the
inadequacy of tools and equipment. Also, observation to examine the operating procedures of the
employees. The study focused on a specific branch of Nissan located at Marilao, Bulacan. The
study targets the technicians and other employees working at the service department of Nissan
Marilao. Due to this, purposive sampling is the technique that will be used because the researchers
will focus on the employees under the service department, and will apply the following methods to
observe the employees’ performance. The result of the study states that the productivity of the
employees is highly affected as well as the proper procedure of the job, length of work time, and
labor outcome if there are inadequacy of tools and equipment in the workplace. It is suggested
that the company must provide tools and equipment to their employees, also the employees must
use the proper tools and equipment that the company provided for better development of the
workplace and the company.
Keywords: inadequacy, tools and equipment, proper procedure, length of work time, labor
outcome

INTRODUCTION
A successful repair demands more than just knowledge of the procedure. Resources and
materials as well as tools and equipment are necessary in order to complete a task but regardless
of the profession, no tasks can be done well without the right tools (Vallance & Duncan, 2017).
When employees are not provided with the correct tools, they are forced to rely on what is readily
available to them, this can lead to inefficient, slow work that might also result in incorrect
completion of a task, which companies would obviously like to avoid. One of the most common
complaints of employees is that they lack the tools & resources to do their jobs effectively (Woods,
2018). The aim of the study is to know the cause and effect of inadequate tools and equipment to
the performance of the technicians in Nissan Marilao.
There are three obstacles that prevent employees from performing successfully and these
are the skills or knowledge problem, motivation problem, and for this case, workplace environment
problem (Thomas, 2018). In this obstacle, employees find it hard to meet the given expectation

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without the help of the proper tools. If a manager fails to ensure the employee’s needs, the
employee will lose its productivity. Employees might think that they spend their time dealing with
the broken system leaving them unable to bring the value they can in the company (Woods, 2018).
Knowing that managers have the most influence on their employees, the managers has a primary
function to set objectives, organize, motivate and communicate, measure, and develop people
(Foster, 2017). Also, they carry a heavy responsibility for the performance of their department
and to guide and lead to their goal. Another factor that affects the problem is that employers
budgets the resources and equipment and maximizes it to gain their goal revenue and profit. Also,
employers rely on their team and organization to perform on its best, raising the bar higher as they
go (Woods, 2018). In some studies, it states that employees and employers should have an equal
share of responsibility to broaden the array of possibilities to achieve positive organizational
outcomes and to improve productivity (Haski-Leventhal, Roza & Meijis C.P.M., 2015).
Using proper tool and equipment allows employees to complete their task efficiently,
which creates opportunities for employees to expand their range of capabilities (Weitzel, 2019).
Productivity is number one (Williams-Villano, 2015). According to Russ Coiler (2015), president
and in-house salesperson for Pittsfield, that the contractors are most looking for the profitability.
Productivity is the most affected case when proper tools were not used. Tools are designed for
specific needs and purposes. Using the right tool for the job is important to reduce the amount of
effort exerted to get the task done and avoid unnecessary damage to work surfaces and equipment
(Cutforth, 2013).
Tools and equipment requires stronger durability for the exertion of force of the employee
for it not to break or bend easily, not only for the saving of expenses of the employers. Tungsten,
molybdenum, cobalt, and vanadium are the important material properties for the hardness,
strength, temperability, thermal conductivity and grindability but for mechanical engineering,
high-alloyed materials are used more often (Jaworski & Trzepiecinski, 2016). The other reason
why there is a lack of tools and equipment in the workplace is the use of substandard tools and
equipment. Substandard tools and equipment has a shorter life span than to the standard tools and
equipment. The substandard materials do not only degenerate to losses of energy, equipment, and
revenue but sometimes it involves loss of life (Dr. Inogonum, 2018). The use of substandard tools
and equipment are unreliable in terms of heavy use. In connection to the budgeted resources and
equipment, when these tools and equipment wrecked, some employers disregard the thought of
replacing it hence leaving the employee to deal it on their own. And when the employee feels
neglected, they assume that it does not matter anymore if they continue their hard work, resulting
in minimum effort on their behalf (Thomas, 2018).
Problems surrounding lack of tools and equipment is experienced by employees every day.
Enclosed with this problem are the hazards that an individual or employee will encounter for using
the wrong equipment or an improvised tool. The researchers speculate that the productivity of the
employees are highly affected because of inadequate tools and equipment in the workplace. The
study aims to determine the causes and its effects in dealing a job with the lack of tools and
equipment. The result of the study will not only assist and improve the company’s performance
and reputation but also the workplace safety procedures and environment.
Objective of the Study
The main objectives of the study are to determine the effects of performing a job with
inadequate tools and equipment of the technicians at the service department of Nissan Marilao,
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and to identify the main factors, causes, or root of scarcity of tools and equipment in the work area,
to help improve the performance of the technicians and enrich the reputation of the company.
The researchers sought answers to the following questions:
1. What are the tools and equipment available/unavailable in the work place?
2. How does the scarceness of tools and equipment affect the following:
a. length of work time
b. proper procedure
c. labor outcome
3. How does the technician deal with the inadequate tools and equipment when performing
their job?
4. How does the inadequacy of tools and equipment affect the performance and the reputation
of the company?

METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The study utilizes a qualitative design in which the study is mainly concerned about the
employee’s performance of their task operating with an inadequate amount of tools and equipment
in their workplace. Additionally, the study applied a phenomenological approach in which focuses
in the perceptions, experiences, and occurrences of the employee dealing to their job in the
company. A written interview with open-ended questions was used to identify the factors of having
an inadequate of tools and equipment and its effect in performing a task with inadequacy of tools
and equipment within the employee’s workplace. Also, observation was conducted to determine
the operating procedures of the employee. Lastly, the gathered data was analyzed using a thematic
process.
Population and Sample
The study is focused on a specific branch of Nissan located at Marilao, Bulacan. The study
targeted the employee working under the service department of Nissan Marilao, specifically the
three service technicians and their superiors whom the parts supervisor, the service advisor, and
the foreman with a total of six respondents. Due to this, purposive sampling technique was used
because the researchers is only focuses on the employee under the aforementioned department and
applied the following methods to observe the employee’s performance.
Instrumentation
The information were collected by conducting an interview in written form to the said
sample in the Nissan Marilao. The written interview was composed of two sets, in which the first
contained 10 questions and was gathered from the service technicians while the second set of the
written interview contained five questions and was gathered from the parts supervisor, the service
advisor, and the foreman. To ensure the credibility and the accuracy of the questions asked
regarding the effects in the performance of the employee operating with an inadequate tools and
equipment and its causes, the set of questions were validated by the appropriate persons, whom is
the researchers’ adviser and an expert coming from the company where the research was
conducted.

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Assumption of the Study
The study’s assumption is that the productivity of the employees are highly affected as well
as the proper procedure of the job, length of work time, and labor outcome if there are inadequacy
of tools and equipment in the workplace.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Availability of Tools and Equipment
According to the service technicians of Nissan Marilao, socket wrench, ratchet and wrench
are the most common tools to use in performing their job. The tools mentioned above have many
uses in various parts of the vehicle from the engine, panels to the interior of the vehicle. Also, in
performing Periodic Maintenance Service (PMS) to a unit, wrenches are useful to tighten or loosen
the bolts and nuts of the unit while the socket wrench which is attached to the ratchet also helps to
tighten or loosen bolts and nuts in one direction. Chavez (2017) suggests that air conditioning
recovery machine is needed when opening an auto repair shop. Air conditioning recovery machine
facilitates in recovering, recycling, and recharging unit’s A/C system, it flushes and diagnoses the
A/C system faster and more reliable. In the case of Nissan Marilao’s casa, there is an absence of
air conditioning recovery machine, a scale for Freon liquid, and a welding machine. One of the
service technicians of Nissan Marilao mentioned that the tools and equipment needed for the basic
PMS are complete, opposing the statement of the other technicians. Equipping employees with the
right tools and equipment plays a huge role in the company, it will make their work easier, and
translates to a streamlined workflow (Albright, 2018). Every service technician at Nissan Marilao
has their own tool caddy packed with a complex set of tools. According to the Maine’s Law under
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the employer is responsible for providing proper
tools and equipment to its employees, and is also responsible for the maintenance of the tools and
the equipment. According to the statements of some of the technicians, the company of Nissan
Marilao sometimes cannot provide the proper quantity of the required tools, specifically special
tools, to the number of technicians. Therefore, borrowing of tools is inevitable inside the work
area, and this may lead to improper handling and quick deterioration of the tool.
Improvisation of Tools
Improvising is a product of creativity and desire to finish a task by doing something in a
different way, it is seen as the basis for advancements in virtually all knowledge areas (Amorim &
Pereira, 2015). Some technicians in Nissan Marilao mentioned that they have used an improvised
tool in completing their tasks, but the results of using an improvised tool were different based on
the perspectives of the technicians. Some said that using an improvised tool helped a lot in
performing their jobs, while the other one said that using an improvised tool only consumed more
time. The statement supports the idea of using the proper tools and equipment for the job is more
efficient and helps the workers maximize their time. Though using an improvised tool helps the
technicians become wiser by thinking a different way to do a job -when the proper tool goes
missing or is unavailable- than what they usually do. Each tool is precisely designed for a specific
purpose, thus using the correct tool decreases the amount of effort required to get a job done right
without causing damage (Guardian, 2017). Improper knowledge of producing improvised tools
may generate accidents within the workplace. This is why it is advised to employees to be always

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attentive and careful when operating an improvised tool to prevent accidents and damage to the
unit.
Careless tool control issues cause companies thousands of dollars each year and this is due
to tools either being lost, broken or misplaced (O’Brien, 2018). Some companies have limited and
planned budget to spend on their employees, which is why when there are sudden expenses, the
company cannot immediately comply with the requests of the employees to replace the broken or
missing tools. Particularly, in Nissan Marilao misplaced tools appears to be the main reason of
inadequacy within the tools in the workplace. This affects the work process and length of work
time of the technicians. The tools and equipment found in Nissan Marilao are supplied by Nissan
Philippines Incorporated, hence the employees that works in Nissan Marilao are not allowed to
purchase tools and equipment outside the company, as stated in the company’s rules and
regulation. The workers in the service department of Nissan Marilao also mentioned that ordering
and requesting specific tools and equipment consumes a lot of time. The situation leads the
technicians to improvise or to use improper tools. Improvisation of tools requires proper
knowledge and safety, because improper handling of tools may cause accidents in the workplace
(Cutforth, 2013).
Service Technician’s Perception
Without the provision of necessary resources, tools, and equipment to perform the job, poor
work product will be inevitable (Thomas, 2018). Based from the result of the questionnaire that
the technicians answered, lack of proper tools affect the length of work time. Also based from the
experience of the researchers, there is a required allotted time for a PMS, the time changes
depending on the required tasks that will be done in the unit. When there is inadequacy within
tools and equipment, it does not only affect the overall schedule of the service area but it also has
a huge impact on the client. Besides, performing a job without using the proper tools and
equipment isn’t just difficult and dangerous, it also affects the preciseness and quality of the labor
outcome.
Effective training saves labor by reducing time spent on problem-solving and saves money
in the long run by producing a better workforce, besides well-trained workers help increase
productivity and profit within the company (Shaw, 2019). By training the company’s employees,
it reduces the duplication of effort applied on the job, the time spent in solving mistakes, and it
also avoids bad performance at work. All service technicians working in Nissan Marilao were
trained, and were taught how to handle difficult and complicated tasks in the job. However, some
employees still find it hard to accomplish their tasks because of inadequacy within the tools. For
example, a technician said that there were circumstances where it is hard to know the reason of
why the engine of a unit would not start especially because the needed equipment to know what
causes the problem is not available in the work area. The technician said that there are many
possible reasons for it, not just because there is a problem in the battery or the wires, and without
the help of the proper equipment, it may take more time to know where the main problem is.

Superior’s Perception
Performing of task with the use of improvised or improper tools and equipment are
acceptable to the superiors only if it will not damage the unit that the service technician is handling.

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Improvisation is can be seen as a basis for advancements where the necessity to overcome a barrier
or a difficulty drives the mankind to improvise, which is a natural act and a way to cope with
resource constraints leading to the continuity of work and production (Amorim & Pereira, 2015).
Furthermore, improvisation of tools and equipment are reasonably fine and much needed while
waiting for the ordered tools and equipment to arrive in the workplace. Employees should work
smart and must think outside the box all the time to continue the productivity at the workplace.
Being adaptable to the environment and maximizing the use of available tools and equipment will
ensure the success of the tasks and are necessary to move forward (Low, 2017).
As stated under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of the New Zealand
Government, the employee is responsible for maintaining and caring for tools and equipment
keeping it in good working order whether the tools and equipment were owned by employee or
the employer. Service technician’s negligence of their own tool is the reason why there is an
inadequacy of tools and equipment in their workplace. In which these tools and equipment,
sometimes, either forgot inside the unit they are handling or got broken because of mishandling.
Being sloppy in work can damage one’s person career, a team’s morale, and an organization’s
success. (Mind, 2017). Sometimes, the service technicians does not report the incident
immediately rapidly increasing the inadequate amount of tools and equipment hence delaying the
process of supplying the required tools and equipment in the workplace. Workers should address
the management with any questions or problems they encountered and work for the good of the
company (Natter, 2019). Not dealing and ignoring the current problems with the superiors inside
the workplace creates improper purchasing of excess and unnecessary tools and equipment,
spending the planed budget of the company. Nissan Marilao, being a recently open dealer that
operates merely for more than a year, that management under the service department suggested
that there are still many factors that need to be considered and to examine in order to make the
service workshop to flow smoothly.
Good communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong
working relationships at all levels of an organization (Page, 2018). Nissan Marilao’s superiors
under the service department deals with issue of having inadequate amount of tools and equipment
by conducting a meeting to talk to those people who are involved and conduct an inventory check
to each of the tool caddy of the service technicians. After determining the misplaced, lost or broken
tools and equipment, the person in-charged will report to the company to be able to order
unavailable tools. Lost or misplaced tools and equipment were will be paid by the person involved
as it is stated in the Nissan Marilao’s contract to the employees. Also, insights and concerns will
be asked in order to function properly in daily job and tasks. This shows that communicating with
colleagues regarding the issues and concerns within the organization or department will help to
resolve it early as possible. Conflicts or concerns in the workplace area all natural and ignoring
does not make it leave. Healthy conflict leads to questions and discussions and can open up new
ways of thinking and more innovative solutions to the problem (Prossack, 2018). Addressing the
issues immediately keeps the harmony inside the workplace therefore creating a good environment
where the employees are relaxed in performing their job.

Company
The behaviors of employees in the workplace have a direct correlation to the company’s
operations, success and reputation (McQuerrey, 2018). The company itself affects the employees’
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behavior and performance by complying and fulfilling to the needs of the employees. By doing so,
operations inside the company will continue to run smoothly. Based on the overall result of the
questionnaire, a simple misplaced or broken tool or equipment creates a domino effect to the
company. If the company does not find a way to properly provide the needs of the technicians, it
will create more damage to the productivity of the technicians and the company would have to
deal with serious problems regarding their reputation and also the employees.
In the age where internet is available across the globe, different perceptions about anything
are can be shared widely. A company with a reputation of poorly behaved employees and
associated poor service levels will be discovered and spread rapidly with the help of internet
(McQuerrey, 2018). If the service technicians are not being cautious with the application of
improper or improvised tools and equipment, this will affect the quality of service outcome of the
unit, it also results to the inefficiency of the service technician dealing with the proper procedure
of the tasks. Employee’s cohesiveness will deteriorate too by failure to meet agreed- upon time of
the offered services to the unit. In some instances, it also decomposes the progress of work and
derail the objectives of the organization. Having poor reputation puts the company at a distinct
disadvantage to its competitors. It will be difficult to keep existing clients to patronize the services
offered of the said company and more difficult to bring new one.
According to the Fair Work Commission of the government of Australia (2016), resolving
workplace issues can create strong commitment to the solution. After settling the problem of
having an inadequate amount of tools and equipment in the workplace, the company must provide,
in accordance to the OSHA’s employer’s responsibilities. The Nissan Marilao service department
management’s solution is to purchase immediately the proper and right tools and equipment that
are needed to continue the operation of the job. All tools and equipment inside the service
department of Nissan Marilao were supplied by Nissan Philippines Incorporated, therefore
purchasing tools and equipment outside are not allowed in the organization.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based from the assessment of the experts and the researcher, the study showed that
inadequate tools and equipment affect the performance of employees in their job. The study also
identified the factors that causes the inadequacy of tools and equipment within the workplace of
employees.
The study’s results also corresponded with the study’s assumption that the productivity of
the employees is highly affected as well as the proper procedure of the job, length of work time,
and labor outcome if there are inadequacy of tools and equipment in the workplace. The results
revealed that misplaced tools are the top most reason as to why there is inadequacy of tools. The
next reason is that the prices of tools and equipment are sometimes too expensive for the company
to provide. Other reasons were that the tools and equipment that the employees are using should
only come from Nissan Philippines Inc., the employees are not allowed to purchase other tools and
equipment outside of the company. These problems lead the technicians to improvise tools, they
used this technique in order for them to still finish their tasks. But improvising tools comes with
great danger. Without the right knowledge of producing an improvised tool, accidents in the
workplace may occur.

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 The result of the study proves that if a company will comply about the requests of the
employees regarding their jobs, productivity within the company will rise. The state of the
employees is the most important in a company, without a worker a company would not operate.
This is why it is important to the company to act upon the request of the employees regarding their
work areas or work tools.
With these results, it is appropriate to say that when the proper tools and equipment that
are needed for the job are provided by the company, the productivity of the workers or employees
would benefit not just themselves but also the company.
The result of the study would be of great help to the company of Nissan Marilao. This study
would help inform the employers to know the problems that the service technicians are
experiencing. Hopefully, that this study will open the minds of the company about the hardships
of the service technicians when they are performing their tasks with improper tools or equipment.
And to also inform the company that working and helping each other inside the organization will
benefit both parties.

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