TECHNIQUES FOR MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES TOWARDS PEAK PERFORMANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY(A CASE STUDY OF NNPC PORT HARCOURT)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every organization and business wants to be successful and have desire to get constant progress (Nishikawa, 2006). The current era is highly competitive and organizations regardless of size, technology and market focus are facing employee retention challenges (Oloko 2003). To overcome these restraints a strong and positive relationship and bonding should be created and maintained between employees and their organizations (Oloko 2003).  Human resource or employees of any organization are the most central part so they need to be influenced and persuaded towards tasks fulfillment (Nnabuife 2009).

For achieving prosperity, organizations design different strategies to compete with the competitors and for increasing the performance   of the   organizations.   A very   few organizations believe that the human personnel and employees of any organization are its main assets which can lead them to success or if not focused well, to decline (Nishikawa, 2006). Unless and until, the employees of any organization are satisfied with it, are motivated for the tasks fulfillment and goals achievements and encouraged, none of the organization can progress or achieve success (Nnabuife 2009).

Motivation, as a process, started with a need in human being which creates a vacuum in a person. In an attempt to fill the vacuum an internal driving force is generated which starts and sustains a chain of action and reaction Kayode (2003). It is at that point that the vacuum is also filled. With this background information (Nnabuife 2009), define motivation as the internal or external driving force that produces the willingness to perform an act to a conclusive end. This first aspect of motivation we choose to describe as internal motivation because the driving force comes from within an individual. The second aspect is external motivation, is applied by the organization. This is because employees are motivated to identify with organization in order to satisfy their varied and variegates needs and desires (Oloko 2003). Until they have been identified and properly satisfied, they will never cease to impede smooth running of the organizations (Nishikawa, 2006).

One of the biggest problems facing manager in the organizations is how best to get employees committed to their work and put in their best towards the accomplishment of organization’s objectives.  Motivation is concerned with why people do what they do. It answers such questions as why do managers or worker go to work and do a good job (Nwachukwu 2004). Meyer and This tries to explain what motivates people to act the way they do, with primary focus on the work place. It is the primary task of the manager to create and maintain an environment in which employees can work efficiently and realize the objectives of the organization (Oloko 2003).

Employees differ not only in their ability to work but also in their will to do so (motivation). To motivate is to induce, persuade, stimulate, even compel, an employees to act in a manner which fulfilled the objectives of an organization (Nguyen 2005 and Egwurudi 2008).

The motivation of employees depends on the strength of their motives. Motives are need, wants, desire, or impulses within the individual and these determine human behaviour (Greene et al., 2002). Therefore, motivation is the process of arousing behaviour, sustaining behaviour progress, and channeling behaviour into a specific curse of action. Thus, motives (needs, desire) induce employees to act. Motivation  therefore  is  the  inner  state  that  energies  people,  channels  and  sustains  human behaviour (Greene et al., 2002).

Organizational performance is most often defined as (1) a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organization; (2) a willingness to exert high levels of effort on behalf of the organization; and (3) a definite belief in, and acceptance of, the values and goals of the organization.

Bettis, (1992). state that the reasons for studying organizational performance are related to “(a) employee behaviors and performance effectiveness, (b) attitudinal, affective, and cognitive behaviors and performance effectiveness,   (c) characteristics of the employee’s job and role, such as responsibility and (d) personal characteristics of the employee such as age, job .tenure” Brannemo (2006). Casale, (1996). Concludes that high organizational performance is associated with lower turnover and absence, but there is no clear link to performance. It is probably wise not to expect too much from commitment as a means of making a direct and immediate impact on’ performance.

The above definition is two-tie. The first involves a set of result or performance. Performing or accomplishing a set of result refers to the effectiveness in reaching a mission, a planned achievement or a needed value without serious regard for the cost incurred in the process. Certainly, accomplishing a set  of  result  is  by  far  the  most  important  focus  of  the productive concept because without it there is no productivity. The second part involves consuming resources without which achievements are not likely to happen and productivity cannot exist. It specifies the number type and level of resources needed, e.g. plant capacity, cost, raw materials, personnel, facilities, capital, technology. How well these resources are brought together refers to the efficiency of achieving results with minimum exposure of the resources. High productivity suggests minimum use of resources.

From the foregoing therefore, the study is intended to examine the techniques of motivating employees towards peak performance in the 21st century with special references to NNPC Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Good remuneration has been found over the years to be one of the policies the organization can adopt to increase their workers performance and thereby increase the organizational productivity.

Workers leave organization due to the fact that they are not motivated enough. Some are not willing to leave because they are enjoying some benefit in terms of promotion, which leads to increase in salaries and wages, bonus and some other incentives.

Workers prefer financial incentives to non-financial incentives, more especially the junior workers, due to the fact that such incentives are not used as a motivational technique, the company have the problem and challenges of retention of their employees. Hence low performance and productivity becomes the end result and finally work dissatisfaction. In the next segment objectives of the study will be discussed.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to examine techniques for motivating employees towards peak performance in the 21st century. The specific objectives are as follows:

1. To examine the relationship between reward and employee performance.
2. To examine the relationship between job enrichment and employee performance.

iii.    To examine the relationship between promotion and employee performance.

1. To examine the relationship between organizational culture and employee performance.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Does reward associate with employee performance?
2. Does job enrichment associate with employee performance?

iii.    Does promotion associate with employee performance?

1. To what extent does organizational culture influence employee performance?

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will serve as guide to the management of NNPC in particular and the Nigerian managers as a whole in determining the best way of getting the best output from their employees who are presently  demoralized  in  the  face  of  the prevailing socio-economic hardship.

The study is also aimed at contributing to the literature in Motivation particularly with reference to organizational productivity. Also, this work on completion will broaden the essence for application of modern motivational techniques for both public and private sectors respectively.

1.6    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is delimited under the following heading: content scope, geographical scope and unit of analysis.

The content scope of this study involves on investigation to ascertain the relationship between Motivation and organizational Reliance. The dependent variable is organizational productivity, measures by Goal achievement, effectiveness, efficiency and market share. While independent variable is motivation measure by Reward, Job enrichment and Promotion.

This study is delimited in Port Harcourt Metropolis with special reference to NNPC, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The unit of analysis in this research involves the individuals at the time of carrying out the study. The scope of this study is to ascertain the relationship between motivation and organizational resilience.

1.7     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In carrying out an investigation of this native the researcher must of necessity be faced the following constraint.

Firstly, the time constraint’s the time frame provision for this study was short.

Secondly, financial constraints. Usually, a study of this nature involved some level of expenditure therefore, finance was also a limiting factor.

Thirdly, poor response from the respondent and inability to access the entire population of the study. Lastly, poor measurement instrument.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

Employees: Employees would refer generally to members of staff of an organization, both management and non-management and would be used interchangeably with workers.

Employee’s Needs: This refers to basic wants of employees, the desire to satisfy which activates their energy to satisfy and the fulfillment of which engenders positive work attitudes.  In the study these needs are categorized into three: Existence, Relatedness and growth needs.

Motivation:  Motivation would be seen as that energizing force consciously applied through skillful appeal to employees basic needs to compel positive work attitude to achieve organizational goal.

Promotion: Elevation of an employee to a better job, better in terms of greater responsibilities, enhanced   authority more prestige   or status greater skill increased remuneration and fringe benefits.

Work Attitude: This would refer to employee’s state of mind as expressed in concrete action behaviour or their manner of performing their duties.

Organization:  An organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department.

Organizational: Is a combination of people or individuals efforts working together in purse of common goals. They are made of people, purpose, structure; they utilize technology, common values systems operate in the context of internal and external environment, leadership styles.

Performance: Is an act of performing carrying into executive or action, achievement accomplishment representation by action.