ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of motivation on employee performance using Devere Group; an international financial consultancy group in Ghana as a case. Adopting the qualitative approach, the case study design was used. Primary data was collected through interviews and was augmented with data from secondary sources comprising a review of existing documents, reports and scholarly publications. By comparing the data from these sources, they were triangulated to ensure validity and reliability. The thematic analysis was used in analyzing the data.
Key findings of the study are that Devere Group Ghana has various kinds of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational packages for employees. They include, enhanced salary, cash incentives, travel opportunities, learning and study opportunities, career advancement opportunities, promotions, consultant training in and outside Ghana, daily quiz on product and market knowledge, selection of motivational videos for promotions, shares in the company’s products, and salary increases. These motivational incentives are not automatic but are tied to the achievement of certain targets usually assessed at the end of the week, month, or year. On the whole, employees of the company are well motivated and that propelled their performance and attainment of overall targets of the company. The motivational packages enhanced the performance of employees in several respects. These include, influencing employees to come to work early, staying on longer to complete tasks, and serving clients with delight and enthusiasm. It also led to job satisfaction, loyalty and high retention rates among employees, all of which improved their performance. On the strategies to enhance motivation to improve employee performance, suggestions that came up include; prolonging the timespan for qualifying for motivation packages, expanding the incentive base, tailoring packages to suit performance in specific departments, team building exercises, encouragement and support from management.
CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Introduction and Background
There is a continuing interest in motivation as a key driver of employee performance by Public Administration scholars and practitioners. The interest is due to the acknowledgement that employees are vital to organizations, and that the extent to which organizational goals are achieved depends on the performance of their employees, which is also linked to how well they are motivated (Ibrahim & Brobbey, 2015; Obeidat et al., 2016). In recent years, employee motivation has received more attention due to the globalised and competitive environment within which businesses are having to operate. Consequently, managers have come under pressure to initiate policies, not only to attract and retain quality employees but also drive them to give off their best towards achieving organizational goals (Baloch & Shafi, 2018; Ogunyomi, & Bruning, 2016).
Kearney (2018), contends that motivation is a force that energizes, directs and sustains a person’s effort towards the achievement of organisational goals. According to Shields et al., (2015) among the many drivers of employee performance, motivation that comes with rewards is of utmost importance. Kiruja, & Mukuru (2018), also point out that motivation is important to stimulate employees to perform at optimum levels and that, a highly motivated person will work hard towards the achievement of organizational goals. These observations make it imperative for management to administer motivational programmes which will drive employees to increase their productivity.
While it is established that motivation is a key driver of performance, the actual means by which it is achieved is still unclear. Even more importantly, there is a rising trend of employee discontent and its related issue of low performance by all classes of employees. In developing countries where working conditions are unattractive, the situation is more profound (Kuranchie-Mensah & Amponsah-Tawiah 2016). It is in this context that this study set out to investigate the motivational packages at the Devere Group Ghana and how they influence employee’s performance.
Statement of the Problem
Generally, the issue of motivation as a means of enhancing performance of employees has been well established in the literature (Armstrong 2010; Kuvaas et al., 2017). Several studies have found the achievement of organizational goals to be contingent on high employee performance, which is also linked to the extent to which employees are well motivated (Jianguo & Frimpong 2017; Kiruja, & Mukuru, 2018). However, beyond establishing this linkage, the exact manner in which motivation influences employees seems to have received minimal discussion by scholars. So far, existing research has paid minimal attention to detail how motivation drives employees to perform at their optimum levels (Baloch & Shafi, 2018; Perry & Vandenabeele, 2015).
In addition, a gleaning of the literature suggests that a rather large number of the studies on motivation and employee performance are conducted in developed country contexts, with the few studies in developing countries also focusing on public sector organisations (Aninanya et al., 2016). According to Kuranchie-Mensah & Amponsah-Tawiah (2016), this concentration has generated knowledge on employee motivation, but has also blurred the case of developing countries and private sector contexts. Given that motivational forms vary
in different contexts, it is possible that researching into motivation and performance in a private company operating in developing country could yield different results. Such a study will help generate additional insights to enhance a comprehensive understanding of the diverse influences of motivation on employee performance.
Therefore, this study investigates how motivation influences the performance of employees at the Devere Group Ghana. As an international company that is renowned for high performance and dedication by its network of seasoned professionals, the company becomes a good test case to understand how motivation influences them to perform at their optimum levels, towards the achievement of overall organizational goals. This is particularly relevant in developing countries where private organizations are noted for poor conditions of service, and the tendency of cutting back on motivation packages for employees due to the lack of financial resources (Ogunyomi & Bruning, 2016).
Research Objectives
The main objective of the study is to examine how motivation influences employee performance at the DeVere Group. This broad objective is further broken down into the following specific objectives.
- To determine the kinds of motivation available for employees at the DeVere Group
- To examine how motivation influences the performance of employees at the DeVere group.
- To explore ways of enhancing motivation to stimulate performance among staff of DeVere Group.
Research questions
To achieve the above objectives, the study is guided by the following research questions
- What kinds of motivation exist for employees at the DeVere Group?
- How do these motivation packages influence the performance of employees at the DeVere Group?
- How can motivation at the DeVere group be enhanced to stimulate performance among its employees?
Significance of the Study
The study is significant in three key areas; contribution to the literature, policy and to practice. With regard to literature, the study contributes knowledge on the influences of motivation on employee performance from a developing country context. This further enhances understanding of an important driver of performance and thereby extends the frontiers of knowledge in the field. The study also serves as a reference material for students and future researchers on Public administration and Human resource management.
With regard to policy, the study provides insights on how motivational packages drives performance of employees. This directs the attention of policy makers to incorporate such motivation packages in their human resource policies. The study provides information that helps managers and administrators identify motivational strategies to boost workers morale to perform.
With regard to practice, recommendations distilled from the study serve as input or resources to management on how to adopt a holistic approach in managing employees to perform at high levels. The suggestions on how to enhance motivation offers directions to
management to link performance of their staff to facilitators such as compensation and employee training and development. This will help managers to strategically maximize the human resource potentials of the company by providing the necessary motivation to drive performance among its employees.
Scope of the Study
This research investigated motivational influences on the performance of employees in Devere Group, a private, financial consultancy group in Ghana. It also investigated how motivation can be enhanced in the company to stimulate performance among its employees. The study is restricted to the management and employees of Devere Group Ghana.
Organization of the Study
The study is organized into five main chapters. Chapter one provides a general introduction to the study and sets the background within which the issues are situated. Issues that constitute the research problem are discussed in the chapter and subsequently formulated into research objectives and related research questions.
Chapter two reviews the literature beginning with the key concepts in the study. The concepts of motivation, performance and other empirical literature on motivation and its nexus with performance are discussed. The chapter ends with a theoretical framework to ground the study.
Chapter three presents the methodology used for conducting the research. The chapter makes a case for the appropriateness of the qualitative research approach as well as the case
study design. The chapter further discusses the sampling techniques, sample size, data collection sources, instruments and data analysis techniques.
Chapter four presents the findings and analyses. The chapter discusses the findings in terms of the literature and underlying theory and makes the necessary inferences. Chapter five sums up the study, distills the necessary conclusions and on the basis of that makes some recommendations to guide policy and practice.
