Project – THE IMPACT OF MOTIVATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN AKWA IBOM STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The impact of motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance has been widely researched, with studies emphasizing their significance in educational settings, including public schools. Motivation, defined as the internal drive that influences the energy and effort employees put into their work, is a key factor in enhancing teacher performance. According to Deci and Ryan (2000), intrinsic motivation—when individuals are driven by internal rewards such as personal growth—has a greater impact on job satisfaction and performance than extrinsic motivators like salary or promotions. In the context of public schools in Akwa Ibom State, teachers’ motivation can stem from factors such as professional development opportunities, supportive leadership, and a conducive working environment. A motivated workforce is more likely to exhibit commitment and work ethic, which positively impacts teaching quality and student performance (Adeyemo, 2005).
Job satisfaction, on the other hand, plays a crucial role in determining the extent to which teachers are engaged and effective in their work. Teachers who feel satisfied with their job are more likely to be productive and display higher levels of organizational commitment (Herzberg et al., 1959). Research by Ololube (2006) indicates that factors such as good working conditions, recognition, and positive interpersonal relationships contribute significantly to job satisfaction in Nigerian public schools. In Akwa Ibom State, however, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, insufficient salary, and lack of professional growth opportunities may undermine teachers’ job satisfaction and ultimately affect their performance. Combined, motivation and job satisfaction can enhance teacher effectiveness and improve student outcomes, yet a holistic approach that addresses both intrinsic and extrinsic factors is essential for fostering high performance in the educational sector (Akpan & Etim, 2019).
The levels of theoretical and empirical activities involving motivation which ultimately give job satisfaction to workers in formal organizations have escalated. The study of job satisfaction has become more intensified in industrial and organizational setting and more recently, in educational and psychological management. This is brought about by the contention of early human relation theorist that a happy worker is a productive worker (Rothliberger and Dickson, 1999). The need to motivate employees to enhance job performance has been emphasized by numerous researchers since the pioneering efforts of Hoppock and Houser in the 1930s.The major goal of personnel management in any organization is the production of satisfied employees who will remain on the job to contribute their best towards achieving the organizational aims and aspirations at minimum cost. Therefore, the executive of any organization or institution should be highly concerned with the need of his or her subordinates. Formal organizations have an obligation to ensure the mental health of their employees, Muskel (1990).
In the secondary school system in Nigeria, the frequent debates and write ups on what is referred to as the falling standard of education might be a pointer to the greater concern of the general public over the quality of education in our secondary schools.
In a recent West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) result released (Punch Paper of Friday August 20, 2010, page 37). The result showed a drop of 1.04 per cent when compared with previous year’s result. For those who obtained credits in five subjects including English and Mathematics, this falling standard of education has bearing on employees’ motivation and job performance (Gabadeen, 2002).
It is necessary for various government, school boards, ministries and even principals to develop ideas which will make work more attractive to employees and motivate them to give their best. It is worthwhile to note that this involves much more than increase in salary and promise of good promotion because these cannot make for dedication which is essential for the expected success in our secondary schools (Onuoha, 2006).
For any nation to be self reliant and free from poverty, there is need for advancement in her educational achievement. This is because education has been adjudged as the means by which any nation could permanently close the door to poverty and ignorance and simultaneously open the door of prosperity in term of socio economic advancement, Ajibade, (1993). As at 1969 the estimated number of studies on job satisfaction have exceeded four thousand (Grunebery, 1987:10).
Among all employees, employees are unique because they constitute a fundamental and indispensable factor in the development of an educational system. Oyedeji (1995) was of the opinion that employees’ needs and morale are very important elements which influence individuals and groups to perform in order to achieve school objectives.
Attitude to work is a critical determinant of staff level of job performance in any organization. It has to do with the feelings, habits and beliefs that affect the behaviour of staff members at work. It has been observed that the Nigerian civil servants have poor attitude to work which impinges on their job performance. This fact laid the basic fact that many employees lack appropriate training, which do not motivate staff to do well in their daily work in the schools and other organizations.
When an employer of labour, whether government or private recruits people into his/their organization, the purpose is to make them work effectively or perform their duties optimally so that the objectives of the organization can be realized. But the empoloyers’ objectives and that of the employees are usually at variance. Therefore, the employer(s) must harmonize these objectives and channel them to productive use through motivation. Motivation plays a very important role in determining the level of performance of employees, which in turn influence how effectively the organizations goals will be met.
It is the general view that no matter how well an organization is structured, it is unlikely to attain its objectives if the motivation of its employees is low or they are demotivated. If motivation is low, employees performance of their assigned job will suffer as if ability were low. It is therefore, pertinent that employers of labour and those managing the labour force on their behalf recognize this impact of motivation and then employ it so as to elicit employees’ optimal performance. Employers and managers must motivate their employees to greater effort, productivity and performance on the job. It is obvious that the motivation of civil servants especially the employees in the country has sagged so low in the last two decades as a result of unfulfilled expectations, that belonging to the system no longer confers pride and social recognition. According to Aniemeka (2003), this has lowered the morale of employees who do not see any satisfaction in the work they perform in the schools.
Nigerian employees are not adequately motivated. They lack working tools and equipment. This makes the working situation to be so frustrating for the employees. It gives rise to a non-committal attitude to government programmes, apathy and low morale which leads to ineffectiveness, inefficiency and low productivity. This makes the working conditions to be so unattractive.
With regards to motivation, Herzberg identifies the factors that motivate people to be lodged in 1) the nature of work that they do, 2) the sense of achievement that they acquire from their work, 3) the recognition that they receive, 4) the responsibility that is bestowed upon them, and 5) their personal growth and advancement. The main idea behind such factors is that they may spell the difference in the perceptions that employees hold with regards to their work and their relationship with their organization of choice (Ayo, 2000). They are able to form a perception of how much their organization values them, and they are also able to assess their own self-worth. Herzberg believes that such factors are the main driving force of satisfaction and that they help boost the employee to work harder and better, due to the motivation that is brought about. Put simply, motivators are able to increase internal happiness. On the other hand, hygiene factors are only able to boost external happiness.
According to Obi (2003) the relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction by using the traditional concept and Herzberg’s Two factor theory.
Herzberg’s work has shown the world that aside from a person being satisfied from his job and being dissatisfied, the employee can also not be satisfied at all. In other words, ‘the opposite of job satisfaction is not job satisfaction, but rather, no job satisfaction.’ In addition, ‘the opposite of job dissatisfaction is not job satisfaction, but no job satisfaction.’ It must be noted that both factors (hygiene factors and motivation factors) must exist in order for the employee to be motivated in his work, in the best way that he/she possibly can. If there are missing factors (whether they may be hygiene factors or motivation factors), it is possible for the employee to be dissatisfied and not able to perform in the best way that they can. If all the hygiene factors are present and even when there is more than enough of hygiene factors present, then it is possible that the employee would still not be motivated. Thus, in order for managers to successfully motivate their employees, there is a need for them to determine the appropriate and the sufficient motivation factors to use.
It has been shown by Adamu (2005) that even though dissatisfying factors are removed, there is a possibility that the job will not make the employee satisfied. It is not uncommon to see managers committing a mistake with regards to removing a dissatisfying characteristic.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Akwa Ibom State, public schools face significant challenges in terms of employee performance, which is often influenced by factors such as motivation and job satisfaction. Despite the crucial role teachers play in shaping educational outcomes, many teachers in the state report low levels of job satisfaction, with dissatisfaction stemming from poor working conditions, inadequate compensation, and limited opportunities for professional development.
Additionally, the lack of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in the education sector may contribute to decreased teacher morale, disengagement, and reduced performance. The interplay between motivation and job satisfaction remains underexplored in the context of Akwa Ibom’s public schools, particularly regarding how these factors influence teachers’ effectiveness and overall student outcomes. Therefore, there is a need for empirical investigation to assess the extent to which motivation and job satisfaction affect the performance of teachers in public schools within Akwa Ibom State, and to identify effective strategies to enhance these factors for improved educational quality.
Many workers in Nigeria labour market, especially, the teaching profession, do not perform well at work due to lack of satisfaction in their jobs. This may be as a result of lack or inadequate rewards or motivation of the employees by their employers. For instance, the teaching profession has become all-comers job, where every Tom, Dick and Harry carries the chalk to teach in the classroom. This has made people in the society to neglect the employees who passed through the employee-education and rigorous training to acquire the teaching knowledge.
Government’s brazen neglect of the teaching profession, in the sense that remuneration is poor, condition of teaching service is poor, other worker’s rewards such as incentives and fringe benefits such as housing loans, car loans, leave allowances, hospital allowances and benefits that accrue to other workers in other public services in other professions, are non-existence in the teaching profession. Therefore, employees’ work performance is affected negatively because when they remember that their rewards for teaching is poor, coupled with the non-recognition of their profession by the society and significant others in the community, their morale is lowered, and the resultant effect is poor or dismal job performance and productivity, which is the result of low standard of education in Nigeria today.
Nigerian employees are not adequately motivated. They lack working tools and equipment. This makes the working situation to be so frustrating for the employees. It gives rise to a non-committal attitude to government programmes, apathy and low morale which leads to ineffectiveness, inefficiency and low productivity. This makes the working conditions to be so unattractive.
The above problems, gave rise to the examination of the issue of the impact of motivation and job satisfaction on employee’s performance in Public schools in Akwa Ibom State. in schools.
Project – THE IMPACT OF MOTIVATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN AKWA IBOM STATE
