Motivation and Performance

Abstract of Motivation and Performance

This research study focused on motivation and performance in the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu. The study tried to identify the following problematic issues: what are the importance of motivation and performance to the staff of ESUT? What are the factors hindering motivation and performance in ESUT? And in line with this, the researcher in the study tried to achieve the objectives of identifying the importance of motivation and performance to staff of ESUT, examining the problems hindering motivation and performance in the University. In doing this, the researcher adopted the multiple interacting factor theory by Sutermeister as the theoretical framework of this work. The following hypotheses were raised: high productivity and job satisfaction can be
achieved through motivation and performance in an organization, motivation and performance in an organization are hindered by socioeconomic factors within that organization, and motivation and performance in an organization can be boosted through training and reward system.
Questionnaire and documentations were used as the method of data collection for this work; chi-square statistical instrument, simple percentage and mean were used in analyzing the collected data. Some of the findings in ESUT are: that visions should be shared in organizations, that appropriate reward system should be attached, that training should been couraged. Finally, we can conclude that, one of the primary tasks of the authorities of ESUT is to motivate the staff to perform at high levels. This means getting them to work hard, to be at work regularly, and to make positive contribution to the University’s goals, missions and objectives.
However, to reach that higher level, the staff of the University must want to do the job (motivation) be able to do the job (ability), and have the right materials to do the job (environment). Thus tend to show that job performance depends on ability, the environment and motivation.

Chapter One of Motivation and Performance
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study

People work for a wide variety of reasons. Some want money, some want challenge, and some want security. The things that each unique individual in organizationdecides that he or she wants from work plays an
instrumental role in determining motivation to work. But some do not know what they want.
Employee motivation represents one of the largest competitive reserves and a key element for increasing competitive advantage of any organization. Motivation is a central force and strong factor in employee
performance. It is the energizing force that induces or compels and maintains behaviour. Human behaviour is motivated, it is goal directed.
It is not easy to motivate an individual, for the success of any motivational effort depends on the extent to which the motivator meets the needs of the individual employees for whom it is intended. Motivation is an internal psychological process whose presence or absence is inferred from observed performance.
According to Nwachukwu (1988:181), motivated behaviour has three
basic characteristics:
(a) It is sustained – It is maintained for a long time until satisfied.
(b) It is goal directed – It seeks to achieve an objective.
(c) It results from felt need – an urge directed towards a need!
A need creates a tension in the individual who moves in a certain
direction in order to achieve the desired objective which reduces the
tension. A satisfied need does not motivate, conversely, an unsatisfied need
motivates. Therefore, to motivate an employee in order to boost his or her
performance, management must create real or imagined need for the
employee to aspire to. A real need could be a desire to achieve through
promotion, increase in images or employment of increased organizational favours, such as company cars with a chauffeur. Imagined needs of a staff
could be an aspiration to have coffee at 10 am which is the entitlement of
successful executives, to have a secretary, have someone carry his briefcase
upstairs, have someone run into the office at the sound of the bell or
visitors fill papers before they enter into his office. Based on these, since
every employee has needs, he is capable of being motivated. The task of
management is to determine what is the valued needs that will make him
react according to organizational desires – increased productivity.
The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) is one of
the Universities in Enugu State. It was formerly called the Anambra State
University of Science and Technology (ASU TECH.) until 1991 when Enugu
State was created out Anambra State. Most of these staff contributes poorly
or at low capacity level due to the absence of motivation towards the
achievement of the goals and objectives of the University and to make the
University a force to reckon with in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole.
To that extent, it is in the light of the above that the researcher deemed
it fit to research into motivation and performance in an organization: A case
study of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).
A number of factors such as Economic, Sociological, Managerial and
Personnel’s problems have been said to militate against motivation in ESUT.

 Statement of the Problem

One of the major problems confronting the Enugu State University of
Science and Technology authority is that of motivating her workers to
perform assigned tasks to meet or surpass predetermined standards of the
University as a seat of academic heights. Harry (1973) made a very
interesting observation about an unmotivated employee and his or her level
of task performance thus:
The characteristics of a Jackass are stubbornness,
stupidity, willfulness and unwillingness to go to where
some one is driving them. These, by interesting
coincidence, are also characteristics of the unmotivated
employee.
An unmotivated employee is a threat to the organization. When an
employee fails to achieve a goal or perceive that he cannot achieve a goal,
he feels frustrated, thereby affecting his performance in the organization. It
is against this background that these questions are found relevant to guide
the present research effort.
(a) What are the importance of motivation and performance of the staff of ESUT?
(b) What are the factors hindering motivation and performance of the staff of ESUT?
(c) What are the measures to boost motivation and performance of the staff of ESUT?

 Objective of the Study

In the light of the foregoing, therefore the general objective of thisresearch study is to determine the effect of motivation on performance inESUT . The specific objectives are: