CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Although,
there is general agreement among psychologists that man experiences a variety
of needs, there is considerable disagreement as to what these needs are and
their relative importance (Van Rooyen, J.
2006).
One of the
basic problems in any organization is how to motivate people to work.
Motivating people to work entails, meeting their needs. This is because people
working in the organization to meet workers needs affect the satisfaction,
which the workers derive from their job.
The satisfaction that the workers derive from their
job can affect their motivation to work.
People are motivated by various
factors at different times, according to Wilkinson et al (2007) the first
factor is the combination of the individual perceptions of the expectations
other people have of them, and their own expectations of themselves. This
happens because people come into work situations with various
expectations. When they arrive at the
work place, they meet other people who also have expectations of them; positive
individual and group expectations serve as positive motivational factors for
the worker. This is why a balance must be struck as much as possible between
organizational objectives and individual aspirations (Sulcas, P. 2007).
The essence of this is to ensure a
situation where the individual is motivated while the organization is achieving
established objectives.
The second factor deals with the issue of
self-images and concepts as well as life experiences and personality.
These factors have to be positively motivated in the
worker to yield proactive behaviour. This can be achieved through a carefully
planned reward system, which is a type of reinforcement directed at modifying
people behaviour. Those who
occupy management positions in organizations encourage behaviour basically
through the means of positive reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement boosts
favourable consequences that go a long way to encourage the repetition of
particular behaviour (Adonisi, M. 2005).
It is therefore important for the management to
ensure
that they motivate their
employees to achieve the set goals and objectives of the organization. The
management of an organization can motivate its employees if it’s able to study
the characteristics of the employee and know what actually motivate them to
productivity.
It is in view of this that this study wants to look
at motivation of employees as tool for improving organizational productivity, by
using the Nigeria Bottling Company as a case study.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Organization exists for the purpose of rendering
some services. For the organization to meet its objectives, people are employed
in the organization in order to help the organization meet its objectives.
Thus, in order to ensure that people employed in the organization perform
optimally towards the realization of organizational goals, they need to be
motivated to work.
Motivating people to work entails meting their
needs. There is a great controversy over the issue of motivating people.
Some people are of the
view that such extrinsic factors like money, praise, and quality of supervision
and company’s policy can motivate people to work, while others are of the view
that such extrinsic factors like advancement quality of the job done by person,
recognition and growth can motivate workers to productivity.
It is in view of these controversies that this study
wants to look at the motivation of employees in the organization by using Nigeria
Bottling Company as a case study; and in doing this, the following questions
arise:
1.3 Research
Questions
It is in view of the above problems that the following
questions arise:
1. What are the factors that motivate employees to
perform in an organization?
2. What are the available techniques of motivating
employees for higher productivity?
3. Do motivation actually steer employees productive
capacity?
4. What are the problems militating against employees
motivation, and
5. How can these problems of employees’ motivation be
addressed in order to improve productivity in the organization?
1.4 Objectives of the Study.
This research work hopes to achieve the following
objectives:
1. To examine the factors which motivate employees to
perform in the organization
2. To look at various techniques of motivating people
to performance in the organization,
3. To ascertain the effect of motivation on workers productivity.
4. To identify the problems associated with the
motivation of workers in the organization.
5. To suggest the solutions to such problems, if any.
6. Finally, to improve people’s knowledge in this area
of organizational behaviour.
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
The
following hypotheses will be tested in this study:
1. Ho: The
quality of supervision will not motivate workers productivity.
Hi: The
quality of supervision will motivate workers productivity.
2. Ho: A worker’s
perception of what obtained in his organizational will not motivate him to greater
productivity.
Hi: A worker’s perception of what obtained in his
organizational will motivate him to greater productivity.
3. Ho: A worker’s
perception of organizational appraisal policy will motivate him to greater
productivity.
Hi: A worker’s perception of organizational
appraisal policy will not motivate him to greater productivity.
4. Ho: The worker’s
satisfaction with its fringe benefits will not motivate him to greater
productivity.
Hi: The worker’s satisfaction with its fringe
benefits will motivate him to greater productivity.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
This
study will educate the management of the organization (especially the
organization under study, Nigeria bottling company) on how to motivate their
workers to productivity.
The findings of this study will generate people’s
interest in researching into other areas of motivation in the organization will
enrich the literature on motivation as a phenomenon.
Finally,
the study hopes to enrich people’s knowledge in this area of organizational
behaviour and management of people in the organization.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
This
study is on impact of motivation on organizational productivity. The study will
also covers the various techniques of motivation and theories of motivation as
they impact on employees productivity in an organization. The study will cover
a period of ten (10) years of organizational performance.
1.8 Limitation
of Study
The study is limited to the employees’
motivational factors,
and
its effect of organizational productivity. The study does not consider other
variables and as such is limited to only those areas specified above. Also, it
does not cover all sectors of the Nigerian economy. The Power Holding Company
of Nigeria is only one area of the economy that is responsible for power
generation and distribution in Nigeria, and as such the study does not look
into how these motivational factors work or influence productivity across other
sectors.
1.9 Organization
of Study
For
an orderly presentation of this study, this research essay has been divided
into five (5) chapter; the first gives an introduction of the study, chapter
two focuses on literature review, chapter three talk about the methodology,
chapter four is the analysis and presentation of data for this study, and the
last chapter summarizes the study and gives useful recommendations.
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
The
following terms were defined as used in this study:
Productivity:
Is the ratio of output or production capacity of the workers in an organization.
It is the relationship between the amount of one or more inputs and the amount
of outputs from a clearly identified process.
Employees:
are the workers in an organization,
working for the accomplishment of the organizational goals. In this study, the
employees are those staffs of the organization, PHCN.
Motivation:
Motivation is a decision-making process, through which the individual chooses
the desired outcomes and sets in motion the behaviour appropriate to
them".
Adequate Motivation: These are factors (familiarity, concern and
driving force), which exist or are provided in a work situation either
physically or psychologically which determine the input and productivity level
of the worker.
Intimacy: Intimacy or Familiarity could be described as
the feeling of warmth and friendliness based on interpersonal relationship
among people.
Consideration:
Consideration or Concern refers to a situation where both their colleagues and
managers treat staffs with understanding. In this case, there is both a
personal and human touch in dealing with workers.
Morale: Moral refers to staff emotional and mental
level of zeal.