Motivational Factors Influencing Lecturer Performance: Evidence from Universities in Ghana (Published)
Ghana’s higher education system is currently experiencing a fast and significant change, driven by a substantial increase in student enrollment as a result of the proliferation of universities and the implementation of the free senior high school policy. The purpose of the study is to examine motivational factors influencing the performance of lecturers with evidence from universities in Ghana. The study is positioned in the positivist paradigm. The study adopts a cross-sectional research design. The quantitative research approach is adopted in the study to quantitatively measure the various motivational factors that influence lecturers’ performance in Ghana. Descriptive and explanatory research designs were utilized. The study population is all 68 universities in Ghana, including both private (44) and public (24) universities. A sample size of 400 respondents was drawn using the purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Primary data for the study was collected using questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Findings from the study show a wide range of factors; salary, opportunities for promotion, social factors, a conducive learning environment, and intrinsic factors like a passion for their work, have a major impact on lecturers’ performance. Salary was found to be the most important extrinsic incentive, while intrinsic motivations like a love for one’s work were also very important for lecturer performance and satisfaction. Significant relationships between these motivational factors and lecturer performance were found in the research, highlighting the significance of these factors in creating a supportive work environment. Regarding the availability of motivational factors at their universities, lecturers’ perspectives showed a varied picture. The study recommends that universities should; (1) place a high priority on expanding grant availability, encouraging positive social interactions, and maintaining open promotion procedures, (2) prioritize competitive salaries to draw and keep proficient lecturers, and (3) conduct periodic surveys and feedback methods in order to continuously evaluate and enhance the accessibility and efficacy of motivational factors.
Keywords: Extrinsic Motivation, Motivation, intrinsic, lecturer performance
The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Workers’ Productivity: Empirical Evidence from the Construction Industry (Published)
The human resource remains the most critical productive asset of any organization as it is the human element that gives direction and dynamism to the organization. This study investigated the effect intrinsic motivations and extrinsic motivations have on employee productivity of four selected construction companies in Delta State. To achieve its objectives, the study adopted a quantitative research approach with a survey research design. From a population figure of 242 low-level permanent employees of the four selected construction companies in Delta State, 151 constituted the sample as data were collected through a structured questionnaire using the cross-sectional approach. Descriptive statistics and simple regression analysis were used to analyze the data gathered and test the study hypotheses. Findings revealed that intrinsic motivation has a significant positive effect on employee productivity and extrinsic motivation also exerts a significant positive effect on employee productivity. Also, the most effective tools of extrinsic motivation are competitive salaries, extra work bonuses, and opportunities for promotion. Based on these findings, it was concluded amongst others, that the desire to gain mastery and contributes to societal development through construction-related activities gives low-level construction workers some level of satisfaction and financial-related incentives have an immediate and powerful effect on their performance. The key recommendation of the study is that to make a foster high level of productivity from the employee, top management should adopt a performance-based payment system and sell the benefits of contributing to societal development to the construction workers, acknowledging their contribution through noble initiatives like recognition from an authority, opportunity for mentoring, participation in decision making.
Keywords: Employee Productivity, Extrinsic Motivation, Intrinsic Motivation