Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Unemployment has emerged as a critical factor shaping social cohesion across organizations operating in and around Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how unemployment relates to social cohesion has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on unemployment, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with social cohesion, particularly within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about unemployment without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect social cohesion. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Unemployment on social cohesion in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which unemployment influences social cohesion within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with unemployment in relation to social cohesion.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing unemployment in order to improve social cohesion.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of unemployment on social cohesion in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does unemployment influence social cohesion within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with unemployment in relation to social cohesion?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize unemployment in order to improve social cohesion?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of sociology, this study has practical value for management teams within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria seeking to understand how unemployment translates into measurable outcomes around social cohesion. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how unemployment relates to social cohesion within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.