AN EVALUATION EFFECT OF MOTIVATION ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY IN NIGERIAN INDUSTRY
ABSTRACT
This study examines the relationship between Motivation and Employee productivity, using First Bank Nigeria Plc. as a case study.
First Bank of Nigeria, is a Nigerian multinational bank and financial services company. It is the country’s largest financial services company serving about eight Million (8,000,000) strong customer base through over 750 nationwide branches, as well as online services, with its global reach and currently it is Nigerian’s largest bank by assets.
Just like any long standing big organization First Bank Plc. is faced with the problem of developing and sustaining staff engagement through motivation to achieve high employee and organization productivity and prevent low employee morale and low overall organizational performance, the paper aimed at identifying various strategies and motivational techniques that exist in the organization, determination of the best motivational techniques that bring the best out of employees and to determine ways of improving overall organizational performance through appropriate motivational approach.
This study was carried out among the employees of First bank Nigeria Plc. spanning through branches and the headquarter in Lagos, Nigeria.
450 well-structured questionnaire were administered on the six (6) geopolitical zones of Nigeria where First Bank Plc is evenly represented in branches with a total of 300 questionnaires received back and passed through statistical analyses.
Research questions were raised based on the research objectives and hypotheses.
Chi ( x2 = Chi-squared) statistical test was deployed to test the various hypotheses formulated in the study.
The result showed that quality of supervision has positive effect on employee motivation to work better. It was also found that workers perception on what obtained in his organization will motivate him to greater productivity. Financial motivation involving monetary rewards have greater impact on performance and organizational productivity.
INTRODUCTION
In management and other behavioural science literatures, motivation ranks among one of the
most widely and often discussed concepts. This also applies in practical organization
situation. Irrespective of this great awareness, the concept of work motivation still pose
theoretical and practical problems both to academics and practioners alike in organizational
situation. The structure of an organization designed without human activities are mere
skeletons. It is humans that breathe life into the organization and bring about its profitable
exploration of its activities (Johnnis and Nwasike, 2002). Given this therefore, it will be out
of place to say the survival or failure of an organization, though a multi variable function
depends to a great extent on the human element. If this is the case, in every organized and
formal organization, conscious and concerted efforts are made to ensure that high profile
personnel are attracted into the organization in addition to other organizational resources, in
pursuance of the organizations predetermined goals.
Motivation takes many types in respective organizations. It may be materials or immaterial. It
is material when the workers receives tangible things from management to encourage him
perform creditably. It may be end-of-year gifts or lumps sum attached to innovative ideas and
ingenuity. It is immaterial when the worker is orally appreciated and encouraged. According
to Thomas (2012), motivation whichever form it takes, the worker belongs and feels quite
part of the organization.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Workers leave organization due to the fact that they are not motivated enough, some are not
willing to leave because in terms of promotion which leads to increase in salaries and wages,
bonuses and some other incentives. Organizations must improve the work performance,
productivity, skills and ability of its employees. The problem is how to motivate workers to
achieving higher productivity in Nigerian Bottling Company and 7UP Company Enugu.
In view of the negative consequences on productivity from workers as a result of poor
motivation, the study therefore will attempt to look at the effects of motivation on employee
productivity. It is aimed at seeing how motivation could be a strategic planning tool in
achieving organizational objectives. The study will therefore provide answers to the
following research questions in an attempt to provide solution to the above problem.
i. What role does motivation play for higher yield of outcome in our organization?
ii. How does the application of motivational techniques affect organizational productivity?
iii. What kind of problem inhibits the success of employee’s motivation in an organization?
Objective of the Study
This study is aimed at understanding the effect of motivation on employee productivity.
Specially, it sought to determine the following to:
i. Determine the role motivation play for higher yield of outcome in our organization.
ii. Ascertain the application of the motivational techniques by organizations concerned.
iii. Evaluate the problem inhibiting the success of the employee’s motivation in the
organization.
Statement of Hypotheses
i. The role motivation play has positive effect for higher yield of outcome in our
organization.
ii. The application of the motivational techniques has positive effect on the organizations
concerned.
iii. The problem inhibiting the success of the employee’s motivation has positive effect on the
organization.
Conceptualization: Motivation and Employee Productivity
Motivation is a person’s internal disposition to be concerned with how to approach positive
incentives and avoid negative incentives. That is to say, it is a set of energetic force that
originate both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related
behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration (Pinder, 2008). It can be
considered a driving force; a psychological one that compels or reinforces an action towards a
desired goal. For example hunger is a motivation that elicits desires to eat. Motivation is the
purpose or psychological cause of an action, Schater and Daniel (2011).
Another interesting definition of motivation is that it is an inner drive to behave or act in a
certain manner. It’s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement
and lazing around the house all day. These inner conditions such as wishes, desires, goals,
activate to move in a particular direction in behavior. Motivator is a powerful tool in the work
environment that can lead employees working at their most efficient levels of production,
(Stermmetz 1983).
PRODUCTIVITY
Productivity is a measure relating a quantity or quality of output to the inputs required to
produce it. It is the ratio of output to inputs in production; it is an average measure of the
efficiency of production, which simply is the capability to create incomes which is measured
by the formula real output value minus real input value. Productivity is a crucial factor in
production performance of firms and nations. Increasing national productivity can raise living
standards because more real income improves people’s ability to purchase goods and
services, enjoy leisure, improve housing and education and contribute to social and
environmental programs. Productivity growth helps businesses to be more profitable.
Importance of Motivation for Employee
Motivation is very important for an organization because of the following benefits it
provides: These can be brought together into the following headings, putting human
resources into action. Improves level of efficiency of employees, leads to achievement of
organizational goals, building friendly relationship and finally leads to stability of workforce.
APPLICATIONS OF MOTIVATION
Organizational reward systems
Rewards can be either tangible or intangible. Organizational reward system has a significant
impact on employees’ level of motivation. Various forms of pay, such as salary,
commissions, bonuses, employee ownership programs and various types of profit or gain
sharing programs, are tangible reward (Streelton, Hugh, Orchard Lionel 1994). Praise and
recognition are intangible rewards. It has the greatest impact when they soon follow the
desired behavior are closely tied to the performance. Moreover, other forms of intangible
performance include status symbols, such as corner office and increased autonomy and
freedom. Increased autonomy demonstrates trust in an employee, may decrease stress and
improve job satisfaction and also improve retention
Motivation through design of work
There are multiple ways an organization can leverage job design principles to increase
motivation; they include humanistic approach, the job characteristics approach, and the
interdisciplinary approach (Streethon, Hugh, Orchard Lionel 1994). In humanistic approach,
job rotation and job enrichment are used. Job rotation allows employees to switch to different
jobs which allow them to learn new skills and provides them with greater variety. According
to Jex and Brit in Streeton, Hugh, orchard, Lionel 1994), they said that job rotation would be
most effective for simple jobs that can become mundane and boring over time. While job
enrichment is focused on leveraging those aspects of jobs that are labeled motivators, such as
control, intellectual challenge, and creativity.
TYPES OF MOTIVATION
There are many different forms of motivation each one influences behavior in its own unique
way. As earlier stated, that no single type of motivation works for everyone.
Incentive: A form of motivation that involves rewards both money and non-monetary is
often called incentive motivation. Bonuses and promotions are good example of incentive
motivation.
Fear: This type of motivation is often used when incentive motivation fails. In business style
of motivation often referred to as the “Carrot and Stick,” incentive is the carrot and fear is the
stick.
FACTORS THAT AFFECTS PRODUCTIVELY
The factors affecting labour productivity or the performance of individual work roles are
broadly the same type of those that affect the performance of manufacturing firms as a whole.
They include: (1) physical organic, location and technological factors (2) cultural belief –
value and individual attitudinal, motivational and behavioral factors. (3) International
influences e.g. levels of innovativeness and efficiency on the part of the owners and managers
of inward investing foreign companies. (4) Managerial – organizational and wider economic
and political – legal environments.
DECISION RULE
If the f-calculated is greater than the f-tabulated {f-cal > f-tab} reject the null hypothesis
{H0} that the overall estimate is not significant and if otherwise conclude that the overall
estimate is statistically significant.
DECISION
From the result, f-calculated {128.480} is greater that the f-tabulated {2.7858}, that is, f-cal >
f-tab. Hence, we reject the null hypothesis {H0} and accept Alternative hypothesis which
means that the overall estimate has a good fit which also implies that our independent
variables are simultaneously significant. We now conclude from the analysis that there is
significant effect of the problem that inhibits the success of employee’s motivation in an
organizational productivity in our organizations.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
From the above analysis, following are discussed:
From the result of hypothesis one, f-calculated {193.978} is greater that the f-tabulated
{2.7858}, that is, f-cal > f-tab. Hence, we reject the null hypothesis {H0} and accept
Alternative hypothesis which means that the overall estimate has a good fit which also
implies that our independent variables are simultaneously significant. We now conclude from
the analysis that there is positive effect of motivation play for higher yield of outcome in our
organization. Motivation is the force that energizes behavior, gives direction to behavior, and
underlies the teaching to persist. Actual performance is a function of ability and working
conditions, as well as motivation. Efforts to understand the motivational approaches have
centered on several major elements: need based, cognitive process, behavioural and job based
issues. From the result hypothesis two, f-calculated {172.061} is greater that the f-tabulated {2.7858}, that is, f-cal > f-tab. Hence, we reject the null hypothesis {H0} and accept Alternative hypothesis which means that the overall estimate has a good fit which also implies that our independent variables are simultaneously significant. We now conclude from the analysis that there is positive effect of motivational techniques on organizational productivity in the organizations. Thus, employee motivation is an important task for manager, because a well-paid motivated worker improves his or her production capacity. However, business now needs employees to have greater motivation and have a stake in the company for which they work. So managers and staff have to take share and a greater interest
CONCLUSION
There are no two opinions that it is only motivated employees who can do wonders for the
organization. Moreover a motivated employee has also a sense of belongingness and
ownership for the company. He or she would be proud to see his company grow and
prosper. Employer motivation is the key to any growth of any organization. In an
environment of business, the motivation of the workers concerns management very much. So
in the Nigeria Bottling Company and 7UP, employee motivation immediately affects the
work output of the organization.
RECOMMENDATION
In the light of this seminar, it is quite imperative to make the following recommendation with
a view of enhancing employee productivity.
i) Understanding of motivation help us to try and increase our own and others
motivation. Motivation is an important factor in any kind of interaction or transaction. It
helps employee to take the next step and compute their tasks successfully.
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