Intersectionality and Employee Work Behavior in the Nigerian Banking Sector: Insights on Gender, Socio-Economic Status, and Disability

This research explores how gender, level of socioeconomic development, and disability collaborate to affect the behavior of workers in Nigerian commercial banks, which are known for their hierarchical structures and traditional gender roles. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, a census frame of 380 bank employees was targeted, with 365 valid responses analyzed from six commercial banks in Abeokuta using validated psychometric scales. The results revealed individual effects on work engagement by gender (β = 0.234, p < 0.001), motivation related to socioeconomic status (β = 0.412, p < 0.001), and productivity in relation to disability (β = -0.189, p < 0.001). More importantly, the three-way intersectional effects were substantial (F = 12.47, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.187), supporting multiplicative rather than additive models of identity intersection. Those employees possessing more than one marginalized identity experienced significantly less favorable outcomes in terms of work behavior, with the most disadvantaged group being female employees from impoverished socioeconomic backgrounds who had disabilities. The findings not only substantiate intersectionality theory but also offer practical guidance for implementing organizational systems that are beneficial to all within Nigeria.