Impact of Motivation on Employee Performance of Selected Real Estate Firms in Abuja

: This study examined how motivation affected worker performance in selected Abuja real estate companies. The research design employed in the study is a survey and data were collected through the primary source where 66 structured questionnaires were distributed among the staff of five real estate companies in Abuja which include Osakwe & Associates and Wale Adewusi Associate. Data collected were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The findings showed that employee motivation has a favorable and significant impact on performance in terms of job efficiency in Abuja real estate. Other findings included the fact that job security has a favorable yet negligible effect on the performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate. Salary and wages also have a positive and large impact on performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate, as well as rewards, which have a favorable and big impact on both. According to the report, real estate companies in Abuja should keep up their efforts to motivate staff members by guaranteeing their jobs, paying them a living wage, and rewarding them because doing so improves productivity.


INTRODUCTION
Any firm understands that employee performance depends on motivation.Any organization's manager faces the challenging task of maximizing the use of its material and human resources in order to accomplish its purpose and vision as well as clearly stated goals and objectives.The productivity and sustainability of an organization are significantly influenced by the human resources working there.It has also been acknowledged in the literature that people are primarily motivated by circumstances that are in their best interests (Olusadum & Anulika 2018).The complexity of influences that affect a person at work to increase their desire and willingness to apply their abilities as effectively as possible in order to achieve the organization's goals is known as motivation Ekundayo (2018).This reflects motivation of employees as a vital internal audit device that encourages employee Print ISSN: 2052-6393(Print) Online ISSN: 2052-6407 (Online) Website: https://www.eajournals.org/Publication of the European Centre for Research Training and Development-UK 2 engagement, higher output, and more effectiveness.Employee job performance refers to how well they work together to accomplish the goals and the company's objectives.This can be determined by looking at factors like absence rates, arrival times, time spent on duty, and report quality Sandhu, et al (2017).
The world is a fascinating system that is constantly evolving due to technology development and changes visible in newly released products and services provided by the organization.This has made it necessary for resource management to be done effectively in order to meet corporate goals.Therefore, factors like ability, effort, skill, surroundings, and motivation influence how well an employee performs (Sarwar & Muhammad, 2021).As a result, motivation is focused on helping employees to complete their assigned responsibilities, which ultimately leads to the accomplishment of the corporate goals, which are quantifiable in terms of results.Additionally, it has been acknowledged that a positive work atmosphere, leadership style, training and growth opportunities, and a rewarding compensation system are some of the factors that encourage individuals to perform well.A worker must therefore be inspired in order to perform at their best Oleka, et al. (2017).
This study attempts to assess the effect of employee motivation on performance in a sample of Abuja Metropolis real estate enterprises.Real estate is a capital-intensive enterprise dealing with many challenges associated with the growth and competition in the sector where it requires energetic workforce to meet the goal of the top management teams of the organizations.This will help the firm in coping with challenges related to indiscipline, a negative attitude toward work, and an increasing percentage of employee absenteeism.Work efficiency, the workplace environment, training, relationships with co-workers, and motivation can all be used to gauge an employee's performance.Reward, remuneration, contentment, recognition, and interest have all been acknowledged to play a significant influence in this Kumari, et al. (2021).The key stakeholders must take aggressive steps to guarantee that the goals and objectives of the businesses are met.What part motivation plays in assuring employee success is the question this study aims to address.
The results of this study will be useful to a number of stakeholders, including Real Estate Companies and Academics.They will also add to the body of evidence and knowledge already available about the relationship between output and motivation, which will enhance companies' overall performance.This study is limited to selected Real Estate firms in Abuja metropolis.This is because of limited time available to carry out this research.The study's overarching goal is to investigate the effect of employee motivation on performance in the chosen real estate enterprises in Abuja Metropolis.The specific goals are to assess how job security affects employee productivity in the chosen real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis, to ascertain how rewards affect employee productivity in the chosen real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis, and to assess how salary and wages affect employee productivity in the chosen real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis.The study stated the hypotheses in a null format: Vol.12, No.2, pp.1-15, 2024Print ISSN: 2052-6393(Print) Online ISSN: 2052-6407 (Online) Website: https://www.eajournals.org/Publication of the European Centre for Research Training and Development-UK 3 H1: Job security has no significant impact on workers' efficiency in the selected real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis HO2: Reward has no significant impact on workers' efficiency in the selected real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis HO3: Salary and Wages has no significant impact on workers' efficiency in the selected real estate firms in Abuja Metropolis The remaining part of this study comprises of the literature review for section two, methodology for section three, findings and discussions for section four and conclusion and recommendation for section five.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The impact of employee motivation on performance is covered in this section for a few different real estate organizations.The extent to which a worker carries out his or her obligations in accordance with what is expected by the employer in line with his or her talents, experience, time, and seriousness in doing the assigned task, according to Nasution, et al (2018) is referred to as employee performance.To put it another way, employee performance can be defined as the results of an employee's labor within a time and scope that have been established by the organization Handayani (2019).Employee performance is the culmination of all of the employees' abilities, skills, and contributions to the organization's increased production and goal achievement (Idris, et al., 2018).How well an employee performs their duties and completes their tasks is a good indicator of how well they are doing their job.It speaks of the usefulness, caliber, and efficacy of their work.Employee performance is a measurement of how well an employee performs in relation to their job duties.Because of this, it must be appropriately controlled.The performance of the business can be further enhanced by giving employees good incentive (Albulena, 2021).
The idea of motivation has existed from the beginning of time.Due to people's homoeionomicus nature, motivation, whether intrinsic or external, has always had a legitimate influence on behaviour (Olusadum & Anulika, 2018).Giving people rewards that motivate them to act in desired ways is how Shala and Lima (2020) defined motivation.According to psychologists, motivation is the process of persuading someone to engage in a certain activity, stopping them from doing so, or modifying the behaviour's course (Adnan, 2021).Incentives can therefore be viewed as the desires and choices of individuals to carry out particular actions; motivation is also defined as a process in which individuals choose the necessary results and move forward with appropriate behaviours to attain the goals (Ekundayo, 2018).

Motivation
This is a term that refers to the process of initiating, guiding, and maintaining goal-oriented behaviours.It involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that influence our actions and choices.Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic, depending on whether it comes from within or outside of ourselves.Intrinsic motivation is driven by personal interest, enjoyment, or satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation is driven by external rewards, such as money, praise, or recognition.Motivation is a crucial management technique that can drive employee performance.Research by Chukwuedo et al. (2018) found that motivational strategies positively influence employee commitment and job satisfaction in the Nigerian banking industry, leading to improved overall organizational performance.
One effective motivational technique for Human Resources in CBN is recognition and rewards.A study by Okoye and Ezejiofor (2020) revealed that the implementation of recognition and reward systems significantly enhances employee motivation and productivity, contributing to the bank's success.Moreover, offering career development opportunities has been shown to increase employee dedication and engagement.In a study conducted by Ibrahim and Lawal (2019), it was found that training and development programs positively impact employee performance, leading to improved organizational outcomes in the Nigerian banking sector.
Performance-based incentives are another effective strategy.According to Adeoye et al. (2019), the introduction of performance-based incentives resulted in increased employee efforts, teamwork, and overall job satisfaction, consequently boosting the performance of the Central Bank of Nigeria.Promoting work-life balance is also crucial for enhancing employee motivation.A research study by Babalola et al. (2019) demonstrated that providing flexible work arrangements and wellness programs positively influenced employee satisfaction and commitment, thereby contributing to the bank's success.Furthermore, empowering employees by involving them in decision-making processes and granting them autonomy in their roles has a significant impact on organizational performance.A study by Ojo and Oyinlola (2020) revealed that employee empowerment leads to higher job satisfaction, increased productivity, and better overall performance in the banking sector.Maintaining transparent communication channels is vital in fostering trust and engagement.Research by Akinyele and Popoola (2019) found that transparent communication between management and employees positively affects employee commitment, job satisfaction, and, subsequently, organizational success.

Reward
These are benefits and incentives that employees receive from their employers in exchange for their work and performance.Rewards and compensation can be classified as financial (wages, salary, bonus, gratuity, pension, allowances, commission etc) and nonfinancial (recognition, appreciation, feedback career advancement etc).Reward systems are considered as a way to motivate employees to achieve organizational objectives.Managing human resources is one of most important tasks that get highest consideration in the organization and as a result, employees became the most valued asset of an organization (Wallace, 2021).A reward system can be narrated as a jacket of all interconnected action and mechanism that are assembled in order to ensure the betterment of an organization and also for the involved employees of that institution (Armstrong, 2008).Organizations use reward system as an essential instrument in stimulating employee's enthusiasm in the positive way to build up work turnout and also help to attain the expected organizational goals in order to work out the reward system.Reward systems are also considered as tools for raising employees' awareness and also add value to the employees work according to their position to the organization (Partheepknath, 2011).Reward systems play an indispensable performance in case of expanding the number of awards of an employee and also modify the manners of a displeased employee.It is also included that the legitimate procedures of reward system also raise high contentment of an employee towards job (Mehmood et al 2013).
According to Adamu et al. (2022), "compensation" refers to the monetary remuneration granted to employees within a corporation.Internal employees' compensation is effectively managed by the organization's pay structure, which plays a pivotal role in fostering their performance and increasing productivity (Cooke, Schuler, & Varma, 2020).The formulation of pay practices is heavily influenced by the organization's strategic objectives and commercial requirements.However, other factors, such as an individual's environmental conditions, personal needs, educational background, and social status, also exert significant influence on their incentives.Schuler and Varma (2020) emphasizes that creating and maintaining a robust compensation system is a critical organizational activity.A well-designed compensation system ensures alignment between employee performance and remuneration, leading to improved overall performance across the organization.
In conclusion, rewards is not only constitutes the monetary rewards provided to employees but also serves as a mechanism for motivating and driving enhanced performance within an organization.The interplay of various factors, as well as strategic considerations, underscores the importance of a well-structured compensation system in achieving organizational success (Adamu et al., 2022;Cooke, Schuler, & Varma, 2020;Dubrin, 2008).

Salary and Wages
Wages, salaries are part of employee benefits such as paid vacations, insurance, maternity leave, free traveling facility, retirement benefits, etc. 'Wage' is used to denote remuneration to workers doing manual or physical work.Thus, wages are given to compensate the unskilled workers for their services rendered to the organization.Wages may be based on hourly, daily, weekly or even monthly bases.Salary is defined as fixed amount of money paid to a worker usually measured monthly and on an annual basis, not hourly as opposed to wages.Wilfred, Elijah and Muturi (2016) support that salary is a fixed periodical payment for non-manual employees usually expressed in annual terms, paid per month with generally no additions for productivity.This implies that salary is the most obvious reward employee receives at work.Attractive salaries or pays are valuable tool and play an important role to increase employee's performance and also increase the productivity of an organization (Muogbo, 2018).The payment of good salaries and wages is fundamental to the prerequisite for effective performance.In order to motivate people to put maximum efforts, it is essential that their various needs, especially as it concern their wages and other fringe benefits as far as practicable are met.It is worthy to note that, employee are often motivated by money and the salary a worker is paid has great influence on his productivity in the organization

Efficiency
This is a term that is judged in relation to a particular standard, benchmark, or objective.Comparing actual efficiency levels to the anticipated norm or objective is part of the process.In order to assess changes in efficiency, the amount, quality, and level of service supplied are also measured against predetermined goals or standards.When more products of the same quality are produced of the same or fewer resources, or when the same level of production is attained with fewer resources, efficiency is improved.The ability of an organization to carry out its plans while utilizing the fewest resources is known as organizational efficiency.It is essential in establishing organizational effectiveness, which has to do with how successfully and easily an organization can accomplish its goals.The core of organizational efficiency is the optimization of processes to increase productivity while requiring fewer resources, cutting down on the time and money needed to achieve the same objectives.It is distinguished by being quantitative, time-sensitive, and effort-conscious.

Stacey Adam's Equity Theory 1968
This theory was developed by Stacey Adams in 1968.The theory states that an individual's performance is linked with the reward he hopes to get from the work he/she is doing.The relationship perceived is determined by the input/output ratio between himself/herself and someone whom she/she regards as an equal.If inequality/unfairness is perceived, it can bring about tension which can be eliminated through motivation (Belak & Dvorski, 2014).
According to John Stacey Adams' equity thesis, a person's degree of happiness is closely correlated with how much they believe justice has been served.In order to implement this concept, performance reviews for a corporation must strike a balance between evaluating an employee's commitment to his profession and evaluating the compensation and other advantages that are related to his success.In general, employees are most driven to maintain their high level of achievement on the job when they are fairly compensated and rewarded.
The equity hypothesis, introduced by Stacy Adams in 1965, was a supplement to the preexisting theories of motivation Hadebe, (2009).

Empirical review
Taiwo et al ( 2023) investigate the connection between motivational strategies and employee performance, as well as the role of employee formal recognition as a mediator between these motivational strategies and performance.Data were collected from a sample of 579 employees using a simple sampling technique, resulting in 497 usable responses and a response rate of 85.84%.Structural equation modelling (SmartPLS 4.0) was employed to analyze the relationships between the variables.Among the 10 hypothesized paths, 8 were supported.Motivational strategies (salary satisfaction, working environment, bonus and fringe benefit & training and development) except job security significantly influence employee performance; herein training and development has the greatest effect on employee performance.This study also reveals that employee formal recognition partially mediates in the link between motivational strategies and employee performance except for job security.These findings will provide valuable insights for banks and other stakeholders in understanding the importance of motivational strategies and employee formal recognition in enhancing employee performance within the banking sector.This study is one of the first of its kind to explore the mediating role of employee formal recognition in the relationship between motivationa strategies and employee performance specifically in the Nigerian banking sector.
According to Dakhoul (2018) research, motivational factors affect employee performance both descriptively and verifiably.Sabitu (2020) examined the motivational factors and their impact on employee performance in Emaar Mgf Land Ltd., Gurgaon, a well-known player in the real estate industry, and discovered that monetary rewards, career growth, power and responsibility, learning and development operations, recognition and promotion have a positive effect on employee's performance in Emaar Mgf Land.It should be highlighted how motivation affected the quantity of work done in one of the Saudi construction firms.
The results showed that money, one of the motivating factors, had the greatest influence on workers' productivity, followed by career progression.
From Jerash in Jordan, Adnan (2021) investigated how motives affected workers' performance at various governmental institutions.The findings indicated that there is a 30% larger correlation between morale motivations and job performance for government employees than there is between physical drives and that of the same personnel.Daniel and Cindy (2021) investigated the relationship between employee performance and motivation.They discovered a large and positive connection between employee performance and motivation, and that motivation affects employee performance positively.Based on Khaltumi, (2020) research on the elements impacting employee motivation in Nigeria, he discovered a strong and positive correlation between employee productivity and motivation.Additionally, it demonstrates the beneficial effects of intrinsic motivation and promotion on worker performance.In a case study in Lebanon by Naim, et al (2020) investigated the impact of motivation on teachers' and the function of governance in the intervening period.
The findings showed that the sample teachers' performance was negatively connected with their lack of motivation.Additionally, the results of the basic linear regression analysis showed that the teachers' motivation greatly predicts their performance and explains for around 97.3% of the difference in their performance.
In a business entity, whether public or private, Sabitu (2020) underlined the importance of motivation as a critical determining element for employee success.While [29] study the effects of motivation on employee performance, the findings demonstrate that motivation justifies having an impact on productivity of employees despite its association with organizational effectiveness and employee turnover.According to the results, motivational variables significantly improve employee performance.Kalpina (2021) looked at the effects of rewards and motivation on workers' performance at work.The results demonstrated that employee job performance was positively and significantly impacted by incentive and reward.Lencho, (2020) investigated the motivation of employees on their performance at work in the Fiche General hospital.According to the results of inferential statistics, all of the motivational factors under examination are favorably connected with employee job performance.The impact of motivating factors on the output of employees in construction enterprises was evaluated by Zailani (2020).The research demonstrates aspects that affect employee motivation in order to maximize productivity.

Literature Gap
In the empirical investigations (literature review), Adnan (2021) and Daniel & Cindy (2021) and others looked at the impact of motivation on workers' performance in various businesses.Few of these studies, nevertheless, employed employee work efficiency to gauge performance.Also, none of these studies used real estate firms in Abuja to study the variables; only a small number of these studies combined job security, reward, salary, and wage to measure motivation; and only a small number of these studies used structural equation modelling to analyze the parameters without including a mediating or moderating variable in the subject.

METHODOLOGY
Regression analysis was utilized in the study to ascertain the effect of motivation on employee performance in the chosen real estate enterprises in Abuja, FCT.The study used job security (JS), rewards (RD), and salary and wages (SW) as proxies for motivation, while work efficiency (WE) was used as a proxy for employee performance.Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, was chosen since it is the industry's hub and Nigeria's capital.Because housing demands are an essential component of every society, the study used real estate firms.The population of this research consists of all 120 real estate companies in Abuja.Also, the study selected five firms such as Osakwe & Associates and Wale Adewusi Associate.The reason for using these firms is that the selected firms were established in 2007.Also, the justification for rejecting 118 firms is that these firms were established after 2007 and the firms lack data regarding the variables.The population of employees in the selected firms are 65 in FCT as indicated in the table 1:

Sample and sampling technique
Census Sampling Techniques was used to select all the population as the sample size.A well-structured questionnaire was used as the major technique of data gathering.In order to ascertain whether respondents agreed or disagreed with the question, a 5-point Likert scale was utilized (Information Technology Service, 2010).Strongly Agree (SA) is the highest score, followed by Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD) (1).Descriptive statistics and regression using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) are two of the data analytic methods used in this study.Using descriptive statistics like frequency counts and percentages, the demographic data of the respondents were evaluated.The link between the independent and dependent variables was also determined using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR).The IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.00 computer application will be used for all analyses.The independent variable is motivation represented by job security (JS), reward (RD), salary and wage (SW).
On the other hand, the dependent variable is employee performance (measured by work efficiency).This Model is stated as follows: WE= The outcome also demonstrates that job security has a favorable yet negligible effect on the performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate.Salary and wages also have a positive and large impact on performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate, as well as rewards, which have a favorable and big impact on both.Since the P-values are less than 5%, this effect is significant; but, since the p-value is greater than 5%, it is also negligible.Therefore, the study disproves the alternative hypothesis as well as the null hypothesis, and it came to the conclusion that job security affects performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate in a favorable and inconsequential manner.Salary and wages also have a positive and large influence on performance in terms of Dakhoul (2018) work effectiveness in Abuja real estate, as well as rewards, which have a favorable and big impact on both.
The study discovered that labor effectiveness in Abuja real estate is positively and significantly impacted by motivation.Other findings included the fact that employment stability has a favorable yet negligible effect on how well real estate Abuja agents perform in terms of work efficiency.Salary and wages also have a positive and large impact on performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate, as well as rewards, which have a favorable and big impact on both.The research supports the findings of Dakhoul, (2018) and Adnan, (2021), who discovered a strong and favorable impact link between the factors.The study is consistent with equity theory as well.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The study came to the conclusion that employee performance in terms of job efficiency in Abuja real estate is positively and significantly impacted by motivation.Other findings indicated that job security has a favorable and negligible effect on an employee's productivity in Abuja real estate.Salary and wage have a positive and substantial impact on performance in terms of work efficiency in Abuja real estate, just as rewards have a positive and big impact on employee performance in that regard.The study recommended that: Since it improves performance in terms of work performance, real estate companies in Abuja should continue to engage in activities that motivate employees by offering job security, salaries and wages, and rewards.The real estate companies in Abuja should reconsider their job security strategies and offer solutions like doing proper promotion to boost employee productivity.Since it improves performance in terms of work performance, Abuja real estate companies should keep rewarding their staff with monetary and nonmonetary benefits.The real estate companies in Abuja should implement a proper strategy to raise staff compensation and salaries to ensure productivity.

Fig 1
Figure 1: Motivation and job performance Theoretical Review Fig 1 above shows the relationship between the independent variable (motivation) and dependent variable employee performance).Motivation is proxied by Job Security; Reward system; and Salary and wages while employee performance proxied by work efficiency.

Table 2 : Descriptive Statistics Descriptive Statistics
The results of descriptive statistics, which included the mean, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum values of the parameters, were shown in table 2. Work efficiency (WE) is valued on average at 3.34, job security (JS) at 3.10, rewards (RD) at 3.26, and salary and wages (SW) at 3.22.The standard deviation of the parameters was also provided in the table.

Table 3 . Regression Analysis Model Summary
Constant), JS, RD, SW Since the f-statistics is significant at the 5% level of significance, the regres demonstrates that the model is appropriate for the investigation.Given that the 0.000, which is less than 5% level of significance, it is implied that the model is use in the analysis.