Motivating Labour Force For Higher Productivity

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

No matter how organized a business organization is, most of the problems faced by its’ executive are the effective management of its human resources to achieve organizational goals.

This means that all those who are responsible for the management of any organization must build into the entire system factors that will induce people to contribute as effectively and efficiently as possible. A manager does this by building into every possible aspect of the organizational climate those things which will induce people to act in desired ways.

Human motives are based on needs, whether consciously or subconsciously felt. Some are primary needs, such as physiological requirement for water, air, food, sex, self esteem, status, affiliation with others, accomplishment and self assertion. As can be readily seen, these needs vary in intensity and over time with various individuals. However, motives are inner states that energize, activate, or moves (hence motivation), and that directs or channels behavior towards goals”.

In other words, “motivation” is a general term applying to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar forces. Likewise to say that managers motivate their subordinates is to say that they do these things which they hope will satisfy these drives and desires and induce the subordinates to act in a desired manner.

Motivation could be seen as those things that could be done to propel workers to put in their best to achieve organizational objectives. According to Kelly (1974) motivation “has to do with the forces that maintain and alter the direction, quality and intensity of behaviour”. It is true that people participate in an organized enterprise and in all kind of groups in order to achieve some goals that they cannot attain as individuals. But this does not mean that they will necessarily work and contribute all they can to be sure that these goals are accomplished.

Motivation is a state which drives behaviour towards some goal. In other words, motivation has three aspects:

1. A driving state within the organism that is set in motion by bodily needs, environmental stimuli, or mental events such as thoughts and memories;
2. The behaviour aroused and directed by this state; and
3. The goal towards which the behaviour is directed.

Motives as a consequence arouse behaviour and direct it towards appropriate goal(s). When we emphasize on these three aspects, motivation may be seen as the conditions, which influence the arousal, direction and maintenance of behaviours relevant in work setting.

Some employees considered job satisfaction as a result or part of motivation. Job satisfaction is the result of various attitudes possessed by an employee. In a narrow sense, these attitudes are related to the job and are concerned with such factors as wages, supervision, conditions of work, advancement opportunities, recognition of ability, fair evaluation of work, social relations on the job, prompt settlement of grievances and fair treatment by employer.

Motivation is one of the most effective tools used by management today to bring out the best in the work-force and achieve higher productivity. Motivation serves as a means of propelling the mind of an individual to direct his/her behaviour or activate towards the achievement of specific goals. The manager in an organization must manage time, money, equipment and other resource efficiently to achieve the objective of the organization. It is the effective management of the human resources that provides the harmony needed by these resources to create a viable working environment for the achievement of the corporate objectives.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Generally, the attitude of Nigerians towards work is not very encouraging. However, empirical studies of work attitudes and motivation in Nigeria have also indicated that many Nigerian workers do not perceive any satisfactory relationship between their efforts and their organization’s reward for their efforts. To this end where favouritism, nepotism, discrimination, ethnic or clannish considerations dominate the hiring and firing procedures and in the promotion and transfer exercises, motivation to perform will likely be low or non-existent. This is what contributes greatly to the low standard of living of Nigerians.

Organizations where workers are well motivated have been found to excel far better and achieving higher productivity than their counterparts who regarded motivation as a mere show off.

It is against this background that the researcher is investigating into the concept of motivating labour force for higher productivity, using Zenith Bank Plc as a case study.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

It is said that an undertaking without an objective is an attempt to pave way for unproductive venture. It is in this regard that the objectives of this study include the following:

1. To find out whether motivation can enhance productivity.
2. To find out whether lack of motivation leads to staff poor attitude to work.
3. To identity the roles of motivation in bringing out the best of labour force and how to improve workers attitudes towards work.
4. To look into the various motivational techniques, theories and their relevance to organizational productivity.
5. To look into the various management style, responsibility, authority, advancement and growth on the job.

1.4 Research Qusetions

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

1. Does motivation enhance productivity?
2. Does lack of motivation leads to staff poor attitude to work?
3. What are the roles of motivation in bringing out the best of labour force?
4. Are the various motivational techniquesand theories relevant to organizational productivity?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be validated in this study:

H1: Motivation cannot enhance productivity

H2: Lack of motivation does not lead to staff poor attitude to work

H3: Motivation does not play any significant role in bringing out the best of labour force and how to improve workers attitudes towards work

1.6 Significance of the Study

The search for solutions to the numerous difficulties confronting the workfoce of numerous establishments has nearly proved futile. As a result of these non-performance or poor productivity for workers, this study aims to contribute to the search for a solution to the problem of workforce motivation and low productivity in Nigerian workplaces. The study’s findings and recommendations will undoubtedly aid in resolving basic problems of work in Nigerian establishments. Again, the significance of the study will be appreciated once it is clear that an organization with all the trappings of efficiency and high productivity will be rendered impotent and ineffective if the individual human beings whose efforts are to be co-ordinated and harnessed towards the achievement of the organization’s goal are dissatisfied and thus unmotivated.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study will be focused on motivating the labour force for higher productivity. Specifically, this study will focus on finding out whether motivation can enhance productivity, finding out whether lack of motivation leads to staff poor attitude to work, identifying the roles of motivation in bringing out the best of labour force and how to improve workers attitudes towards work, looking into the various motivational techniques, theories and their relevance to organizational productivity and looking into the various management style, responsibility, authority, advancement and growth on the job.

Selected respondents from staff of Zenith Bank PLC, Abak Road, Akwa Ibom State will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

This study will be limited to motivating the labour force for higher productivity. Specifically, this study will be limited to finding out whether motivation can enhance productivity, finding out whether lack of motivation leads to staff poor attitude to work, identifying the roles of motivation in bringing out the best of labour force and how to improve workers attitudes towards work, looking into the various motivational techniques, theories and their relevance to organizational productivity and looking into the various management style, responsibility, authority, advancement and growth on the job.

Selected respondents from staff of Zenith Bank PLC, Abak Road, Akwa Ibom State will serve as enrolled participants for the survey of this study, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state.

1.9 Definition of Terms

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.

Labour Force:

Is the labour pool either in employment or in unemployment.

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.