Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Staff performance appraisal and motivation are crucial aspects of managing human resources in business organizations. This research project aims to investigate the relationship between staff performance appraisal and motivation in the context of business organizations. The study will explore the various methods and tools used in staff performance appraisal, including traditional methods such as annual reviews, as well as more contemporary approaches like continuous feedback systems. The impact of these appraisal methods on employee motivation levels will be examined to determine their effectiveness in driving performance improvements. Motivation is a key factor in employee engagement and productivity, and understanding how performance appraisal practices can influence motivation is essential for organizational success. By evaluating the link between appraisal outcomes and employee motivation, this research seeks to provide insights into how businesses can design and implement appraisal systems that effectively motivate their staff. The project will also delve into the role of feedback in the appraisal process and its impact on employee motivation. Providing constructive feedback is essential for employee development and can significantly influence their motivation levels. The study will assess how feedback mechanisms within performance appraisal systems can be optimized to enhance employee motivation and drive performance. Additionally, the research will investigate the influence of recognition and rewards on staff motivation in the context of performance appraisal. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their achievements and contributions can be powerful motivators, and this study will explore how businesses can align their appraisal processes with effective recognition and reward systems to boost motivation levels. Overall, this research project aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on staff performance appraisal and motivation in business organizations. By examining the relationship between performance appraisal practices and employee motivation, the study seeks to provide practical insights for organizations looking to enhance their human resource management strategies. Ultimately, the findings of this research have the potential to inform best practices in staff performance appraisal and motivation, leading to improved employee engagement, productivity, and organizational performance.

Thesis Overview

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.

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 theworkers 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.