SSRN Id3563876

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/341407713
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION ON

ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC
ENTERPRISES; THE CASE OF ELECTRICITY COMPANY OF GHANA....
Thesis · May 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.13843.71207
CITATIONS READS
0 16,066
1 author:
Abigail Tetteh
University of Ghana
2 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by Abigail Tetteh on 15 May 2020.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION ON
ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC
ENTERPRISES; THE CASE OF ELECTRICITY COMPANY OF GHANA, LEGON
DISTRICT.
A thesis submitted to the Department of Political Studies, in partial fulfilment of the
requirement of award of Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.
BY
ABIGAIL TETTEH
MAY 2017
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that I originally undertook this thesis under my supervisor. It contains no
material previously published by another person or material which has been accepted for the
award of any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been
made in the text.
……………………………………………. ……………………
ABIGAIL TETTEH DATE
CERTIFIED BY:
………………………………… ……………………..
(DR.MOHAMMED ABDULAI KUYINI) DATE
Supervisor

DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my……………………..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I am highly indebted to the Almighty God whose divine providence has
brought me this far through the challenges of life.
I, as well, express my profound gratitude to Dr.Mohammed Abdulai Kuyini, my supervisor,
for guiding and correcting various documents of this piece with attention and care. For taking
pains to read, in between lines, through the project and made very necessary correction as and
when needed, I say bravo to him for the good done me.
To Mr. Emmanuel Acquah I say thank you for your enormous support and kind words that
have built and moulded me this far. Not forgetting Janet Osei, Zainab, Princess, Bernard,
Jemima, Alex and Emma who have always been there for me.
And to anyone who in diverse ways helped me out with this thesis, God bless you all.

ABSTRACT
The success or failure of any business as a matter of fact depends largely on its employees;
thus human resources are very essential to the organisation as they are the key stakeholders to
prosperity, productivity and performance. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of
employee motivation on organisational performance and productivity at Electricity Company
of Ghana, Legon District. The research work adopted a mixed approach of research design
and the case study method to provide answers to research questions formulated. A probability
design with the stratified sampling technique was employed to select and sample the opinions
of 80 workers of ECG, Legon District on the issue. Data obtained from the field survey was
later analysed using SPSS. The research made extensive use of both primary and secondary
data. Primary data was obtained by administering a well-structured questionnaire to
respondents and interviews were conducted with the lower level employees as categorised by
the researcher.
The study revealed that there is a relationship between motivation and performance and came
to a conclusion that management should put in great efforts to motivate members of staff to
enhance their performance.
The researcher recommends that management should consider the issue of employee
motivation very important to make ECG maintain its position as the only producer of
Electricity in Ghana.

ABBREVIATIONS
ECG – Electricity Company of Ghana
GES- Ghana Education Service
SPSS- Statistical Package for Social Sciences

Table of Content s
Contents Pages
DECLARATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
ABSTRACT v
ABBREVIATIONS vi
Table of Content vii
List of Tables ix
List of Figures x
CHAPTER ONE 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.0 Background to the Study 1
1.1 Statement of the Problem 4
1.2 Purpose of the Study 5
1.3 Objectives of the Study 5
1.4 Research Questions 6
1.5 Significance of the Study 6
1.6 Overview of Methodology 7
1.7 Limitation 8
1.8 Organisation of Study 8
CHAPTER TWO 10
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10
2.0 Introduction 10
2.1 Definition of Key Variables 10
2.1.1 Motivation 10
2.1.2 Performance 11

2.2 Features of Motivation 11
2.2.1 Motivational Factors 12
Monetary Factors include the following 12
Non-monetary Incentives including the following 12
2.3 Types of Motivation 14
2.3.1 Extrinsic Motivation 14
2.3.2 Intrinsic Motivation 14
2.4 Theoretical Framework 15
2.4.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory 15
2.4.1.1 ABRAHAM MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS 17
2.4.2 Frederick Winslow Taylor Theory of Motivation 18
2.4.3 Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation and Hygiene Factor 19
2.5 How Motivation affects Performance 21
2.6 How Employee Motivation affects Employee Performance 21
CHAPTER THREE 22
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22
3.0 Introduction 22
3.1 Research Design 22
3.2 Sample size 22
3.3 Sampling Techniques 23
3.4 Sources of Data 24
3.5 Data Analysis 24
3.6 History of Electricity Provision in Ghana 25
3.6.1 Institutional Profile (Electricity Company of Ghana) 26
3.6.2 Objective of the Company 27
3.6.3 Core Mandate 27
3.7 Summary 27
CHAPTER FOUR 28
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 28
4.0 Introduction 28
4.1 Demographic Statistics 28
4.1.1 Gender of Respondents 28
4.2 Concept of Motivation 29
4.3 Motivational Factors that Increase Performance 31

4.3.1 Recognition and Appreciation 31
4.3.2 Fat Salaries and Career Advancement 32
4.3.4 Good Working Environments 33
4.3.5 Interpersonal Relationship 35
4.4.1 Challenges in Motivating Employees 36
4.4.2 Deserving Workers 37
CHAPTER FIVE 40
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 40
5.0 Introduction
40
5.1 Summary of Findings 40
5.2 Conclusion 43
5.3 Recommendation 44
References 45
Appendix 1 47
Appendix 2 50

List of Tables
Table Page
4.1 Gender of Respondents
4.2 Good and Decent Accommodation … 31
4.3 Recognition and Appreciation
4.4 Promotion and Growth …………………………………………………………………...
4.5 Additional Responsibility…………………………………………………………….......
10

List of Figures
Figure page
4.1 Years of Work…………………………………………………………………...............
4.2 Staff Development…………………………………………………………………….....
4.3 Career Advancement …………………………………………………………………….33
4.4 Interpersonal Relationship
11

4.5 Practise of Motivation
4.6 Deserving workers
12

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background to the Study
The success of any facet of a business in part depends on the possession of motivated
employees. This is especially true and important in today’s turbulent and often chaotic
environment where commercial success depends on employees using their full potentials and
talents. The ability to attract, retain and develop talented employees is a key feature of
increased organisational productivity and performance.
Managers are first continually challenged to motivate employees to work towards helping the
organisation achieve its goals. The second is to motivate employees to work toward achieving
their own personal goals. Meeting the needs and achieving the goals of both the employer and
the employee is often difficult for managers in all types of organisations (Shanks, 2007).
Every employee or worker has his or her own set of motivation and personal incentives that
ginger him or her to work hard or not as the case may be. Some are motivated by recognition
whilst some are motivated by cash incentives. Whatever, the form of employee motivation,
the key to promoting the motivation of an employer, is understanding the incentives (Coy
2012).
Employee incentive program goes a long way towards ensuring employees feel appreciated,
cared for and deemed worthwhile. This can go a long way to help with employee motivation
across board. The good thing about motivation is that, it is individualized and as such
programs are tailored to suit the needs and wants of individual employees. Motivation does
13

not only encourage productive performance but also show employees how much the company
cares about them. Perhaps the most vital impact of employee motivation is that of increased
productivity or performance. This according to the literature is the central aim of adopting
employee motivational programs. Thus, if you can increase employee motivation,
productivity inevitably will follow suit (Ryan).
Motivation is the act of inspiring others to take desired action. In relation to employees,
motivation is defined as the process by which managers inspire their employees to work
towards their goals and objectives. Motivation has been defined in the literature as an
individual internal process that causes a person to act in a particular manner (Pride, 2006).
Employee motivation determines an employee’s attitude towards superiors, colleagues and
the organization as a whole. A close relationship exists between employee motivation and
performance.
In a highly competitive business environment that exists for businesses today, it is critical
that organizations retain their most efficient employees in order to attain higher efficiency
and performance levels. According to one study, an organization can lose nearly $1 million
when every ten (10) managerial and professional employees leave the organization (Ramlall,
2004). Therefore, it is vital that an efficient and talented workforce is retained. One of the
effective strategies to retain employees is through employee motivation.
Research by (Drake, 2007) has suggested that motivated employees are likely to display
superior performance. Another research by (lazaroiu, 2015) has also confirmed a positive
relationship between satisfaction of employees needs and their performance in the
organization. Therefore, employee motivation and performance are directly proportional to
each other.
Employee motivation promotes workplace harmony and increased employee performance. It
14

is the key to long term benefits for the company. Motivated employees means staff retention
and company loyalty, which in the short run will give birth to growth and development of
business (Al Jishi, 2009).
Leaders should try to increase the belief that good performance will result in valued rewards.
Ways of doing so include: measure job performance accurately; describe clearly the rewards
that will result from successful performance; describe how the Employee’s rewards were
based on past performance; provide examples of other employees whose good performance
has resulted in higher rewards.
In essence, leaders should link directly the specific performance they desire to the rewards
desired by employees. It is important for employees to see clearly the reward process at work.
Concrete acts must accompany statements of intent. Compensation mechanisms can be a
powerful incentive in linking performance to rewards. Compensation systems that reward
people directly based on how well they perform their jobs are known as pay-for-performance
plans (Berg.L, 2009). These may take such forms as “commission plans” used for sales
personnel, “piece-rate systems “used for factory workers and field hands, and “incentive
stock option (ISO) plans” for executives (Dunn, 2009; Mercer, Carpenter, & Wyman, 2010)
and other employees (Baker, 2011).
However, rewards linked to performance need not be monetary. Symbolic and verbal forms
of recognition for good performance can be very effective as well (Markham, Dow, &
McKee, 2002). Leaders should try to increase the expected value of rewards resulting from
desired performance. Ways of doing this include: distribution of rewards that employee’s
value, and introduction of individualize rewards.
In conclusion, the above submissions shows that employee motivation is essential to the
15

growth, development and success of any business entity be it small or big. In the business
world or better still the workplace, human resources are the most valued and cherished
resources above all others. Employees who receive some level of motivation are productive,
happy and highly committed to their job. The results of this on organisational performance
will be increasingly high productivity levels. This is the reason why the title of this research
“and thus the research topic” an assessment of the Impact of Employee Motivation on
Organisational Performance and Productivity of Public Enterprises; The case of Electricity
Company of Ghana, Legon District”.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
It is very optimistic to assume that every organisation can compete according to their
strategies in obtaining maximum output in terms of productivity and performance. In an
industry where uncertainties are prevalent, the growth and success of businesses are
completely threatened. With the help of employees, organisations still have their option and
chance towards future success (Byham, 2005).
One of the most important instruments used by public enterprises to spur production other
than training and development is employee motivation. This tool is being used by almost all
organisations irrespective of mission, size and customers they serve. Yet there has been much
ink in the literature on how employee motivation brings about increased productivity in
private-owned enterprises rather than public ones. This study therefore seeks to assess how
public enterprises motivate their employees and the impact this has on productivity and work
performance; using Legon district of the Electricity Company of Ghana as a case.
Over the years, successive governments have used various means to motivate employees in
the various public enterprises. There is an old saying that you can take a horse to the riverside
16

but you cannot force it to drink water. It will drink only if it is thirsty. This implies that public
employees will not be motivated to produce their best if the right incentives are not identified
and applied to them. Effective performance on the part of public employees is essential for
the success of public enterprises. The improved performance will in part depend on the
knowledge and skills possessed by individual employees. But if these are not supported by a
realistic motivation strategy that takes into consideration the unique instruments that are
appropriate to the different individual employees, it is unlikely that the desired results will be
achieved. Except and till, the employees of any organisation are well motivated, the goals of
an establishment will be difficult to achieve. It may be working for most privately owned
enterprises rather than the public sector hence the need to assess how public sector employ
motivation and the impact on productivity. It is against this background that the following
objectives have been formulated.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The study seeks to examine the impact of employee motivation on organisational
performance and productivity in public enterprises.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study is to examine the impact of employee motivation on
organisational performance and productivity in public enterprises.
Specifically, the study seeks to
➢ Assess the concept of motivation in public enterprises, a case of Electricity Company
of Ghana, Legon district.
➢ Evaluate motivational tools put in place by the ECG to contribute to organisational
17

performance and productivity.
➢ Identify challenges faced by ECG in motivating its employees
1.4 Research Questions
The study will be guided by the following research questions
➢ What is the understanding of employee motivation and an increased organisational
performance by public enterprises?
➢ What motivational methods or factors are being used by public enterprises to reward
its workers?
➢ What are some of the challenges faced by public enterprises in motivating sits
employees?
➢ What actions are being taken to deal with motivation challenges in Public enterprises?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study is important for the following reasons;
➢ It will contribute to the body of knowledge on employee motivation in general and
public enterprises in particular.
➢ It will highlight the gap between employee motivation and organisational
performance and productivity in public enterprises.
➢ Provoke a rethink of the motivation measures in public enterprises to inform policy
reform.
➢ Raise the awareness on how employee motivation enhances organisational
performance and productivity.
➢ At the individual level, the workers of the institution will be informed as to the
18

motivation programs available to them and how best they can effectively utilise them
for an increase in organisational performance and productivity.
➢ At the institutional level it will help the enterprise to change or review the employee
motivational policies and strategies.
➢ At the national level, critical issues of motivation are of national concern as it will
help in the retention of workers. So this study will be important for all State-owned
enterprises as it has come at the right time and at the right place to support national
policies especially the policy to make the public sector the engine of growth of the
economy of Ghana,
1.6 Overview of Methodology
The study adopted a mixed method approach of research design. The reason behind the
adoption of such an approach is that, one method can support the other in times of difficulty.
The case study design was also used because it measures and provides an in depth analysis of
every information or data obtained about the phenomenon of investigation. The study
population comprised of members of staff at the electricity Company of Ghana, Legon
District in Accra. The research adopted questionnaire and interviews as research instruments
to solicit for information from primary. Primary data was collected by administering
well-structured questionnaires to respondents and also conducting interviews with some
members of staff at the Electricity Company of Ghana, Legon District. The questionnaire was
used to solicit for information from respondents. The questionnaire was used extensively and
it comprises of open-ended and close-ended questions. Both the open-ended and close-ended
questions focused on different research questions posed. The questionnaire was used to solicit
for information from the Manager and the members of staff at the middle level of
19

management. Interviews were conducted with members of staff or employees at the lower
level.
The SPSS software was finally used to process the data and create tables and charts for easy
analysis and interpretation of the information.
1.7 Limitation
The study was limited to interviews and the use of a questionnaires with the intention of
clarifying and explaining issues that emerged during the administration of questionnaire.
Another area of constraint in carrying out this study is that results of a case study cannot be
used to generalise the entire population, nevertheless the in-depth analysis is good for
contingent generalisation measure all the issues but just a sample out of the entire population
(Public enterprises). Also, time constraints and numerous work demands on the part of some
members of staff accounted for inadequate information for me as a researcher. A final
constraint was the general apathy of the Ghanaian culture towards research work which
hindered accessibility to prospective respondents who were to provide the needed
information.
1.8 Organisation of Study
This study is structured to provide a critical review of relevant information regarding an
assessment of the impact of Employee motivation on organisational performance and
productivity. The study is comprised of five chapters and it is presented as follows;
Chapter One; deals with the introduction, giving the Background to the study, Statement of
the problem, purpose, objectives, research questions, significance, Organisation of the
research, Overview of Methodology and the Limitation to the Study.
20

Chapter Two; reviewed the literature regarding many aspects of employee motivation and its
impact on organisational performance and productivity.
Chapter Three; presented the research methodology and focused on the research design and
method as well as the justification of sampling techniques, data collection methods and data
analysis methods.
Chapter Four focused on data presentation, which was subsequently interpreted and analysed
in relation to the research objectives and questions and discussion of findings of the study.
In Chapter Five a summary of the findings, recommendations and conclusions was sketched.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction
This chapter reviews literature related to employee motivation, various theories of motivation
are critically evaluated to expose not only the strengths and weaknesses but also the gap that
need to be filled.
2.1 Definition of Key Variables
2.1.1 Motivation
(Young, 2000) Suggest that, motivation can be defined in a variety of ways, depending on
21

who you ask. Ask someone on the street, you may get a response like “it’s what drives us” or
“it’s what makes us to do the things we do.” Therefore “motivation is the force within an
individual that account for the level, direction and persistence of efforts expended at work”.
Employee motivation is a complex field which has a broad background in diverse disciplines
in academia including Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Education, and Economics.
Motivation is simply defined as “what causes people to behave as they do” (Denhardt, 2008).
Motivation is an internal state that causes people to behave in a particular way to accomplish
particular goals and purposes. It is possible to observe the outward manifestation of
motivation but not motivation itself (Denhardt, 2008).
According to Greenberg and Baron (2000, p. 190), motivation can be divided into three main
parts. The first part looks at arousal that deals with the drive or energy behind individual(s)
action. People tend to be guided by their interest in making a good impression on others
doing interesting work and being successful in what they do. The second part is referring to
the choice people make and the direction their behaviour takes. The last part deals with
maintaining behaviour clearly defining how long people have persisted in attempting to meet
their goals
For the purpose of this research work, the definition by (Denhardt, 2008)will be used as the
operational definition throughout the report; that is, Motivation is simply defined as “what
causes people to behave as they do”.
2.1.2 Performance
Employee performance fundamentally rests on many dynamics like employee motivation,
performance enhancement through training and development, performance evaluation or
appraisal, employee satisfaction, job security, job re-design, compensation, organisational
22

hierarchy and the like.
The research defined performance as a function of ability and motivation, that is,
Job performance= f (a) (m)
(Carter, 2009)
From the equation, work performance is highly dependent upon employee abilities thus, if the
employee lack the learned skills or the innate abilities (education and capacity) to do a
particular job the performance unit will be less optimal. But in a situation where the
employee has all these backed by good motivation, job performance will ultimately be at the
optimum.
2.2 Features of Motivation

McCoy 2012 outlined in her conference paper some features of motivation;
1. It is an act of management.
2. It is a continuous process which has no end.
3. It can be positive or negative.
4. It is goal oriented and complex in nature.
5. It is an art not a science.
6. It is a system or organisational oriented.
7. It is different from job satisfaction.
2.2.1 Motivational Factors

Motivational factors are monetary and non-monetary incentives used to entice and attract
employees to work.
23

Monetary Factors include the following:
● Wages or salaries: salaries or wages is an essential motivation factor. Organisations
must pay their workers on time, while fixing salaries the organisation must consider
issues such as cost of living, company’s ability to pay employees on time and the like.
● Incentives: the organisation can also provide additional incentives such as medical
allowance, educational allowance and the like. The organisation may provide special
individual incentives. Such individual incentives must be given to deserving
employees for valuable initiatives, suggestions and very hard working employees who
contribute to the success of the organisation.
● Bonuses: refers to the entire payment to an employee over and above salary given as
an incentive. The employee must be given adequate rate of bonus.
Non-monetary Incentives including the following:
● Status or Job title: employees prefer and are often proud of higher designations.
● Appreciation and Recognition: Employees must be appreciated for their services to
the organisation. The praise should not come from immediate superiors but from
higher authorities.
● Delegation of authority: it motivates a subordinate to perform the tasks with
dedication and commitment. When authority is delegated, the subordinate know that
his superior has placed faith and trust in him.
● Job redesign: job redesign is when employers adjust the jobs performed by their
workers so that workers will be motivated on the job to work very hard because of the
changes in the work or job assignments. There are several types of job redesign,
namely; job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment, alternative job schedule and
24

the like.
● Working conditions: provision of better working conditions such as air-conditioned
rooms, proper plant layout, proper sanitation, machines, equipment and the like
motivates employees.
● Job security: guarantee of job security devoid of the fear of dismissal is another way
of motivating employees. Employees who are kept temporary for a long time can get
frustrated and leave the job.
● Good superiors.
● Cordial relationship in the organisation.
● Performance enhancement through training and development. Performance
enhancement is the practice and process of improving the performance of workers on
the job. This means if you want workers to be more productive then increase the
quality and quantity of products, pay more attention to details, and adopt best
practices in customer services. Ultimately, with performance enhancement
organisations are more concerned about what they can do to be recognised as the
leader or among the leaders in the provision of certain services or products.
2.3 Types of Motivation

Basically, there are two types of motivation, that is extrinsic motivation and intrinsic
motivation.
2.3.1 Extrinsic Motivation

In the classical literature, extrinsic motivation has been characterised as a pale and
impoverished (even if powerful) form of motivation that contrast with intrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation is a construct that pertains wherever an activity is done in other to attain
25

some separable outcome. Extrinsic motivation thus contrast with intrinsic motivation, which
refers to an activity simply for the enjoyment of the activity itself, rather than its instrumental
value.
Extrinsic motivation is related to tangible rewards such as salary and fringe benefits, security,
promotion, contract of services, the work environment and conditions of work. Such tangible
rewards are often determined at the organisational level and may be largely outside the
control of individual managers (Mullins, 2005).
2.3.2 Intrinsic Motivation

The phenomenon of intrinsic motivation was first acknowledged within experimental studies
of animal behaviour, where it was discovered that many organisms engage in exploratory,
playful and curiosity driven behaviours even in the absence of reinforcement or reward
(White, 1959). Intrinsic motivation has emerged as an important phenomenon for educators, a
natural wellspring of learning and achievement that be systematically catalysed or
undermined by parents and teacher practices ( Ryan & Stiller,1991).This is related to
psychological rewards such as the opportunity to use one’s ability. A sense of challenge and
achievement, receiving appreciation, positive recognition, and being treated in a caring and
considerate manner. Psychological rewards are those that can be usually determined by the
actions and behaviours of the individual manger (Mullins, 2008). Intrinsic motivators are
concerned with the quality of work life and are likely to have deeper and long term effect
because they are inherent in individuals and are not imposed from outside (Armstrong, 2006).
2.4 Theoretical Framework

There are several theories of motivation. In this study the research work will review
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Taylor’s theory of motivation and Herzberg’s theory of
26

motivation and hygiene factor.
2.4.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Abraham Maslow was born in April of 1908 to Jewish immigrants from Russia. Maslow
studied law at City College of New York and Cornel. After getting married he moved to
Wisconsin so he could study at the University of Wisconsin. There he studied psychology
and earned his BS, MS and PhD in 1934. Later in 1943, Maslow discovered his theory in
which he called the hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow attempted to synthesize a large
body of research related to human motivation prior to Maslow, researchers generally focused
separately on such factors such as Biology, achievement or power to explain what energizes,
directs and sustains human behaviour. Maslow posited a hierarchy of human needs, each of
these needs has been satisfied if at some future time a deficiency is detected the individual
will act to remove the deficiency (Maslow, 1954).
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory proposed that people have five dimensions or sets of
needs: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs and needs
for self-actualisation (J.E, 2008). Abraham Maslow’s theory has a central feature of
humanism and the basic needs of Maslow’s theory is the basis for motivation. Maslow’s
theory of needs postulate a hierarchy of needs from the lowest, subsistence level needs to the
highest level of self-awareness and actualisation. Once each level has been met, the theory
asserts, an individual will be motivated by and strive to progress and satisfy the next higher
level of need. The five levels of Maslow’s theory of needs are;
● Physiological needs: including food, water, sexual drive and other subsistence-related
needs.
● Safety needs: including shelter, a safe home environment, employment, a healthy safe
work environment, access to healthcare, money and other basic incentives.
27

● Belonging needs: including the desire for social contact and interaction, friendship,
affection and various types of support.
● Esteem needs: including status, recognition, and positive regard.
● Self-actualisation needs; including the desire for achievements, personal growth and
development and actualisation.
The movement from one level to the next level was termed satisfactory progression by
Maslow and was assumed that overtime individuals were motivated to continually progress
upward through these levels (Shanks, 2007).
28

2.4.1.1 ABRAHAM MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
(Authors own source, May 2017)
A basic advantage of Maslow's need theory is how well it serves to interpret human
behaviour and motivation. It has relevance in modern-day applications, especially in the
world of business. Managers, for example, can benefit from understanding their employees’
basic human needs of friendship, job security, and recognition for a task well done. Creating
an environment which meets these needs will result in self-actualized team members who
operate at their full potential for the business.
One widely criticized disadvantage of the needs theory, however, is that in creating his
hierarchy, Maslow studied only a narrow segment of the human population. The terms in the
hierarchy, such as "self-esteem" and "security," have wildly different definitions in cultures
around the globe. Therefore, it is hard for researchers to measure these needs or to generalize
them across all human populations.
29

Besides cultural differences, the hierarchy also fails to take into account individual
differences. There is no evidence indicating every human being experiences the needs in the
order Maslow specified. In fact, there is little empirical evidence that supports the theory at
all (managementstudy, 2017).
2.4.2 Frederick Winslow Taylor Theory of Motivation

Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1917) put forward the idea that workers are motivated
mainly by pay. His theory of scientific Management argued the following:
Workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control. Therefore
managers should breakdown production into a series of small tasks.
Workers should be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as
possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they
produce in a set of period of time-piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work
hard and maximise their productivity.
Taylor’s methods were directly adopted as business saw the benefit of increased productivity
levels and lower unit costs. The most notable advocate was Henry Ford who used them to
design the first ever product line making ford cars. This was the start of the era of mass
production
Taylor’s approach has close links with the concept of an autocratic management style
(managers take all the decisions and simply give orders to those below them) and Me
Gregor’s Theory X approach to workers (workers are viewed as lazy and wish to avoid
responsibility).
30

However, workers soon came to dislike Taylor’s approach as they were being treated little
better than human machines. Firms could also afford to lay off workers as productivity levels
increased. This led to an increase in strikes and other forms of industrial action by
dis-satisfied workers (Taylor, 1911).
2.4.3 Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation and Hygiene Factor

Frederick Hertzberg was an American psychologist who was born in 1923 and passed away
in 2000. He completed his undergraduate degree at University of Pittsburgh. Hertzberg was a
management professor at Case Western Reserve University where he was able to create the
Department of Industrial Mental Health for the University. He was a well-known
psychologist focusing on management and wrote many books pertaining to the idea (Western
Libraries).
According to Frederick Hertzberg’s two-factor theory, some factors can lead to learning and
satisfaction, while others do not in spite of resulting in dissatisfaction if they are absent
altogether. Hertzberg was basically concerned with people well-being at work underpinning
his theories and academic teachings, he was basically attempting to bring more humanity and
caring into the workplace (BusinessBalls.com, 2010). According to BusinessBalls.com
(2010), examples of Hertzberg’s hygiene needs (or maintenance factors) in the workplace are:
● Policy
● Relationship with supervisor
● Work conditions
● Salary
● Company car
● Status
● Security
31

● Relationship with subordinates
● Personal life
Hertzberg’s research identified that true motivators were other completely different
factors, notably:
● Achievement
● Recognition
● Work itself
● Responsibility
● Advancement (BusinessBalls.com, 2010).
It is easier to actually apply Herzberg’s Theory coupled with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
This serves to strengthen Herzberg’s Theory as it simplifies its application as a strategy to
motivate employees. By identifying the needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, the hygiene and
motivation factors can be obtained and subsequently fulfilled. Herzberg recognises that true
motivation comes from within a person and not from the environment, or external factors.
However, there are a few weaknesses in Herzberg’s Theory, one of which is the standardised
scales of satisfaction. Herzberg did not take into account the various job factors that might
cause satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Some job factor scales are not purely motivation or
hygiene factors. Herzberg used a general standardised scale, which may have caused errors in
his findings. Apart from that, these unspecific job satisfaction scales are more likely to be
general morale surveys, which means that they were not based on actual job experience or
situation. The validity of the deductions drawn by Herzberg is also questionable. Herzberg
failed to recognise the existence of substantial individual differences. Different individuals
might have different needs and thus, different motivators.
32

Herzberg’s Theory can be applied by managers to motivate employees. By identifying the
hygiene factors, managers can fulfil the basic needs of employees and remove any element of
dissatisfaction. When employees have no dissatisfaction arising from the job environment,
they are in a better mode to be motivated.
By applying the theory, employees can be motivated by fulfilling their esteem and
self-actualisation needs. This includes a sense of achievement when they have performed
their jobs satisfactorily. Therefore, managers can fulfil this need by improving job content.
By improving job content, employees get a higher sense of achievement and work enjoyment.
When employees are happy with their jobs, the general mood improves and so does
productivity. Thus, the advantage of this theory is that managers are able to actually work on
basic needs, once identified, and then go to more complex needs of employees (Manap, 2012)
2.5 How Motivation affects Performance

Motivation is the internal process that leads to behaviour that satisfies needs. Therefore the
formula;
Performance=Ability*Motivation*Resources (2*2*2=8)
Looking at the above equation carefully it shows that workers can have as much as ability
and the necessary resources at their disposal but will still fail to perform. In other words, all
that equation is depicting is that without motivation performance is usually below potential.
(Carter& Shelton, 2009)
2.6 How Employee Motivation affects Employee Performance

According to (Kotelnikov, 2000), the extent to which employees are motivated in their work
depends on how well those employees are able to produce on the job. He goes further, to
assert that motivation is expected to have a positive effect on quality performance; employees
who are characterised by a high level of motivation will definitely show higher work and life
33

satisfaction. Having high level of motivation might affect employees negatively, the
motivation in this case will lead to higher level of initiative and creativity from the employees
and where monitoring is difficult, motivation is therefore extremely important for ensuring
high quality performance.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This section presents the research methodology or approach and the method as well as the
rationale of the choices and their uses. Additionally, the research process and design, study
population and setting, sample and sampling procedures, data collection and data analysis
methods.
3.1 Research Design

Research can be defined as an activity that involves finding out, in a more or less systematic
way, things you did not know (walliman, 2011). Research design involves a series of rational
decision making choices. The research was devised following a number of the researcher’s
decision associated with the purpose of the study. In other words, the research design is a step
aimed at designing the research study in such a way that the essential data can be gathered
and analysed to arrive at a solution (sekeran, 2003).
The research design helps the researcher to conceptualise an effective plan to undertake
various techniques and task obligation to complete the research work. It also ensures
processes are suitable to attain valid, unprejudiced and truthful answers to the research
question.
34

3.2 Sample size
A representative sample is a sample which, for a specified set of variables resembles the
population (in that) certain specific analysis (computation of means, totals, etc.) yields results
within acceptable limits set about the corresponding population values. The mere statement
or claim that a sample is representative of a population tells us nothing (McCarthy, 1968).
The questionnaire administration and the interview were the research instruments used by the
researcher to collect data from the respondents. In all a total of 80 questionnaires were
designed and self-administered. The self-administered questionnaires were used to collect
data from the employees of Electricity Company of Ghana, Legon District. The questionnaire
had five sections; the first section comprised of the background of the respondent thus;
gender, the educational level and the number of years of work at ECG, Legon District. The
second part talked about the various forms of motivation. The third part asked employees to
indicate their degree of agreement on a scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree to the
statements in understanding the various forms of motivation. The fourth part sought to
inquire about the challenges in motivating employees. The last section sought to inquire from
respondents their general view on the measures that can help improve motivation in ECG as
well as their recommendations about employee motivation. The reason for adopting
self-administered questionnaires was to give respondents the permission to answer the
questions at their spare time in their various homes to avoid fear and panic from superiors
(Sectional Heads).
Apart from questionnaires, the study made use of interviews as an instrument to collect data
from the lower level of employees (security personnel’s and Janitors). The justification for
the interview was to give the researcher the chance to make changes to some questions when
necessary, provide additional clarifications and allow respondents add more information of
35

their choice.
3.3 Sampling Techniques

The probability sampling method or design was used in this study and the stratified sampling
method was employed specifically since it is the most appropriate for a case study and it
ensures a greater level of representation of all groups and reduces sampling error.
In statistics, stratified sampling is a method of sampling from a population. In statistical
surveys, when subpopulation within an overall population vary, it is the process of dividing
members of the population into homogenous sub-groups before sampling. Stratified sampling
ensures that at least one observation is picked from each of the strata, even if probability of it
being selected is close to 0. Stratified sampling is not useful when the population cannot be
exhaustively partitioned into disjoint groups (Wikipedia, n.d.).
For the purpose of this research study, the employees or members of staff of ECG were
categorised into three sections, namely, the top level employees, middle level employees and
the Lower Level Employees. The questionnaires were administered to the top level and
middle level employees whiles the interviews were conducted with the lower level
employees.
3.4 Sources of Data

Data for the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. With respect to
this research work, primary data was obtained from the field survey conducted with the
employees of Electricity Company of Ghana, Legon District.
Secondary sources of data were obtained from books, online articles, annual reports and
newsletters from Electricity Company of Ghana and other relevant documents in relation to
the subject matter under study.
3.5 Data Analysis

Rose and Sullivan (1993) pointed out that it is not necessary to be a mathematician or
36

statistician as some people might be thinking in order to develop an understanding of
quantitative data and how they can be analysed. Data analysis is concerned with sensitizing
social researchers to the use, interpretation and evaluation of relevant data rather than with
the more formal understanding of statistics. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for
Social Scientist and the results presented in graphs and charts from which key conclusions
has been drawn.
3.6 History of Electricity Provision in Ghana

The first government-sponsored public electricity supply in the country commenced in the
year 1914 at Sekondi. It was operated by the Railway Administration which extended supply
to Takoradi in 1928.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department had commenced a limited Direct Current (DC)
supply in Accra in the year 1922, and was immediately followed by a large Alternating
Current (AC) project which commenced on 1st November, 1924.
A small plant consisting of three horizontal single cylinder oil-powdered engines was
installed in Koforidua in 1925, and inaugurated by the Honourable William Omsby-Gore on
1st April 1926. Also in 1926, work commenced on the task to provide electric lighting and
power to Kumasi. A restricted evening supply commenced in May 1927, and the Power
station was brought into full operation on 1st October, 1927.
In the same year, DC supply was installed at Winneba but this was subsequently changed to
AC by extending an existing supply from Swedru. During the period 1929-30, a limited
electricity supply was extended to Tamale until a new AC plant was installed in 1938.
The next Power Station to be established was in Cape Coast, which came into being in 1932.
Subsequent to its takeover by the Electricity Department from the Public Works and
37

Railways on 1st April, a power Station at Swedru was commissioned in 1948.
This was followed by the installation of generating plants at Oda, Dunkwa and Bolgatanga in
1948. On 27th may, 1949, electricity supply was made available at Nsawam through the
building of an 11000 volt overhead transmission line from Accra. The Keta supply which was
included in the programme was delayed by challenges of human resources and was not
commissioned until 1955.
The Tema Power Station was commissioned in 1956, with a 3*650 KW generating set. The
Ho power station followed in 1957. Between 1961 and 1964, the Tema Station was extended
to a maximum capacity of 35,298 KW, thus making it probably the biggest single
diesel-powered generation station in Africa. It is also on record that in 1963, the Electricity
Division brought into operation the first 161,000 volts transmission system in Ghana, which
was used to transmit power from the Tema Power Station.
Test transmission of power from the Volta Dam at Akosombo started on 1st September, 1965,
it was during this period that the Electricity Division began receiving supply from the Volta
River Authority’s 161,000 volt transmission system.
At present the Company purchases bulk of its power requirements from the Volta River
Authority (VRA), as a major supplier, and other independent power producers (IPPs) like
Sunon Asogli Thermal Power and AMERI, Karpower, SENIT power, for distribution to its
customers (ECG, 2017).
3.6.1 Institutional Profile (Electricity Company of Ghana)

The Electricity Company of Ghana is a limited liability company wholly owned by the
Government of Ghana. The company was incorporated under the companies’ code, 1963 in
February 1997. It began as the electricity Department on 1st April 1947 and later became the
38

Electricity Division in 1962. It was subsequently converted into Electricity Corporation of
Ghana by NLC degree 125 in 1967.
In July 1987, the Volta River Authority set up the Northern Electricity Department (NED),
which took over from ECG the responsibility of the management of electric power
distribution in Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
The company is therefore responsible for the distribution of electricity in nine (9) Operational
Regions in the Southern part of Ghana namely, ACCRA EAST, ACCRA WEST, TEMA,
EASTERN, CENTRAL, VOLTA, WESTERN, ASHANTI and SUB-TRANSMISION, which
are further decentralised into eighty (80) operational Districts (ECG, Diary, 2017).
3.6.2 Objective of the Company

The primary objective of the company is to supply/distribute energy to the people of Ghana
within the Company’s operational areas. The company aims at operating on sound
commercial lines in the discharge of its duties. It also aims at a judicious supervision of rural
electrification projects on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
3.6.3 Core Mandate

1. To transmit, supply and distribute electricity.
2. To purchase electrical energy in bulk (from VRA) or any other supplier for
distribution.
3. To construct, reconstruct, install, assemble, repair, maintain, operate or remove
sub-transmission stations, electrical appliances and fittings installations.
4. To execute and supervise national electrification programmes on behalf of the
Government.
5. To carry out any other activity incidental or conductive to the attainment of the
objectives above (ECG, Diary, 2017).
39

3.7 Summary
The Chapter presented the methodology and method used in this study including information
gathering, data collection and data analysis, history of electricity provision in Ghana as well
as the Institutional Profile of the Company.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction
This chapter presents and analyses the responses from the field study. The chapter looks at
the personal information of the respondents and assesses the concept and tools of motivation.
4.1 Demographic Statistics

This section presents the key data on the background of respondents which enables the
researcher to determine how the background of respondents affects their responses.
4.1.1 Gender of Respondents

Table 4.1 Gender of Respondents
40

GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
Male 43 53.8
Female 57 46.2
(Source; field work 2017)
The frequency table above shows the gender of respondents. Most of the respondents were
males representing 53.8% with 46.2% of the responses coming from females. This can be
attributed to the technical nature of the work. It was also observed that majority of the
respondents (55%) have attained first degree with 10% having masters and above. 31.2%
have also gone through secondary education and 3.8% of the respondents having basic
education. It is not surprising that some employees with basic level of education are part of
middle level workers. They have risen through the ranks and file of the institution.
Figure 4.1 Years of Work
(Source; field
work 2017)
This result
shows that the
vast majority
of respondents have been working at ECG for a period between 5 and 10 years. Out of the
41

entire population, 32.5% of the workers have been with the organisation between 10 and 15
years, 10% have worked with ECG for more than 15 years and respondents who have worked
between 1 and 5 years represented 17.5%.
4.2 Concept of Motivation

The researcher sought to find out from respondents if they are aware of any motivational
package or structure in ECG and it was revealed that 58.8% are aware of such structure. If
was further revealed that 62.5% of the workers have been motivated before since
employment whiles 37.5% have not received any form of motivation. This concept or
structure of motivation in place is highly commendable since it puts workers on their toes and
brings out the best in them. At the Legon branch of ECG, the motivation given to employees
take various forms. These includes study leave, bonuses, Christmas package, increment in
salary, transport allowance, utility allowance, appreciation, long service award, best worker
award, monthly distribution of toiletries and maintenance allowance.
Concept of motivation as used in this study are the driving forces which induces people to act
in a way so as to ensure the fulfilment of a particular need at a time.
Trust, respect and high expectation is one of such driving forces. According to the
respondents, they feel appreciated when there are signs of trust, respect and high expectations
from superiors and colleague workers. 40% and 37.5% strongly agree and agree to this
assertion respectively. 11.3% however, were undecided and strongly disagreed.
42

Figure 4.2 Staff Development
From the figure above, staff development also plays an important role in motivation.41.3%
and 38.8% of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed respectively to staff development as
a form of motivation whiles 13.8% and 6.3% strongly disagree to the above form of
motivation.
Bonuses, good and decent accommodation and car and rental loans are also another form of
motivation. This can be associated with the strong agreement given by respondents. It is
evident that ECG workers feel motivated when they receive bonuses either monthly or
seasonally, that is, during festive occasions. Although the organisation does not accommodate
its workers, allowances are made available to deserving employees as a way of motivation.
Table 4.2 Good and Decent Accommodation
GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
Strongly Agree 35 43.8
Agree 24 30.0
43

Undecided 6 7.5
Strongly disagree 8 10.0
Disagree 7 8.8
From Table 4.2, it can be inferred that good and decent accommodation as a concept of
motivation was strongly agreed and agreed by 43.8% and 30% respectively with the rest,
been in disagreement.
4.3 Motivational Factors that Increase Performance

Employee performance fundamentally rests on many dynamics like employee motivation,
performance enhancements, through training and developments, performance evaluation and
appraisal, employee satisfaction, job security, job-redesign, compensation, organisational
hierarchy and the like ( Carter, 2009).
Many theories such as the Maslow Hierarchy of needs theory, Hertzberg two factor theory
and Fredrick Winslow Taylor theory of motivation assert to the fact that motivating
employees goes a long way to affect their performance.
4.3.1 Recognition and Appreciation

Respondents when interrogated on whether recognition and appreciation for a good work by
management enhances performance, majority thus 56.3% strongly agreed that after putting in
much effort at the workplace, they expect management to at least applaud, recognise and
appreciate what they do as these little things can go a long way to shoot them to do more.
However, rewards linked to performance need not be monetary. Symbolic and verbal forms
of recognition for good performance can be very effective as well (Markham, Dow, &
McKee, 2002). The opinion was shared by 33.8% who agreed, 3.8% who were not certain
about this issue whiles 5% and 1.3% strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively to the
44

view that recognition and appreciation can bring about an increase in performance. Naturally,
workers feel good when certain appreciative words are used to encourage them. This
motivates them to even work harder as evidenced by the responses in table 4.3. This confirms
Herzberg’s theory of motivation, which asserts that true motivation comes from within a
person and not from the environment or external factors.
Table 4.3 Recognition and Appreciation

RECOGNITION AND FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
APPRECIATION
Agree 27 33.8
Undecided 3 3.8
Disagree 1 1.3
4.3.2 Fat Salaries and Career Advancement

Salaries of workers are usually by the payment policy of the organisation. However,
outstanding workers are motivated with fat salaries as a result of their performance. Taylor
(Taylor, 1911) opined that the most important motivator of workers is salary when he said
that” non-incentive wage system encourages low productivity”. He said that, if employees
receive the same wage irrespective of their individual contribution to the goal, that they will
work less than and that employees think working at a high rate means fewer employees may
be needed which discourages employees to work more. All these analogies affected the
45

“unskilled” and “unmotivated” workers at the Midvale Steel Company where Taylor worked
as a manager. The results obtained from the survey however shows that 17.5% strongly
agreed to fat salaries enhancing performance whiles 46.3% agreed to fat salaries enhancing
motivation. Some respondents who were undecided were 16.3%, 15.0% strongly disagreed
and 5% totally disagreed that fat salaries can bring about an increase in performance.
Frederick Winslow Taylor in his Scientific Management Theory (Taylor, 1911), proposed
that workers cannot work without pay and as such organisations must do well to pay their
workers well with bonuses and fat salaries. This results have proven that the staff of ECG,
Legon District agrees that fat salaries can also bring about an increase in performance. The
inference to be drawn from this is that, fat salaries should be available to members of staff,
even if they will be in lower quantities.
Employees of the Electricity Company of Ghana believes in Career advancement and this can
be proven from the field survey by the majority of respondents, that is, 50% of the
population strongly agreed to this assertion, 33% of the respondents also agreed and the rest
disagreed. Some of the career advancement initiatives are workshops and various forms of
trainings.
46

Figure 4.3 Career Advancement
Besides the workshops and the various forms of trainings, outside seminars are mostly used
as a motivating factor. Outside Seminars simply implies the organisation sponsoring an
employee to attend a seminar with respect to the work he/she is doing either home or abroad.
Most organisations prefer on-site seminars to outside seminars because of the cost efficiency
involved in it. This connotes that the workers of ECG agrees to in-house trainings and
seminars but outside seminars serves as a source of motivation for their performance. It gives
them the platform to interact with colleagues with the same level of intellect and share
objectives in life and also have travel experience. From the survey, 38.8% and 33.8% of the
respondents strongly agree and agree respectively, 23.8% of the respondents were undecided,
1.3% strongly disagreed and 2.5% disagreed to the claim that outside seminars is a
motivating factor which can led to an increase in performance. This is in line with Frederick
Winslow Taylor’s theory of Scientific Management (Taylor, 1911) which proposes that,
workers should be given appropriate training and tools so that they can work as efficient as
47

possible on one set task.
4.3.4 Good Working Environments
Recent studies have shown that, employees have now become more particular about the
environment in which they work. This reflected in the data collected during the field survey,
when 55% of the total respondents strongly agree to the fact that a good working
environment enhances performance of employees. The remaining 38.8% agreed, 5% were
undecided and 1.3% disagreed with this view. It is amazing to note that none of the
employees strongly disagreed to this fact. This is in line with theory as propounded by
Maslow (Maslow, 1954).
Employees of ECG believes that promotion and growth can lead to an increased
organisational performance and this is revealed in the survey. Generally, about 53% of the
total respondents surveyed on the scenario promotion and growth as a motivational factor
enhances employee performance, had a considerable number of them representing 41.3%
strongly agreed with the researcher indicating that money is not the ultimate but promotion is
the outcome of one’s hard work at the work place. A minority of 5% were undecided about
this view. It is important to note that none of the respondents strongly disagree and disagree
to promotion and growth as a factor to bring about an increase in performance. Promotion
and growth also motivate lackadaisical workers to work hard and to merit from being
promoted.
Table 4.4 Promotion and Growth

PROMOTION AND FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
GROWTH
48

Agree 33 41.3
Undecided 4 5.0
Strongly disagree 0 0
Disagree 0 0
The assurance of one’s job serves as a motivating factor to his or her job performance. In
many organisations one of the major things employees will look out for in their jobs is job
security. From the survey, 43.8% of the respondents strongly agreed that job security can
enhance the performance of both employees and the organisation. The remaining 38.8% of
the respondents agreed whiles 7.5% and 10% were undecided and strongly disagreed
respectively. Another school of thought believes that having a permanent role may cause
some workers not to work so hard but as found in ECG Legon District, having a permanent
role does not mean a permanent position. Job security actually motivated workers to work
hard.
4.3.5 Interpersonal Relationship

Interpersonal relationship means the rapport that exist between superiors and subordinates as
well as colleague workers. In an organisation where there is cordial relationship amongst
workers, there is freedom to work to the maximum capacity. In the presence of stringent
relationship, some workers are not able to put in their best. From the survey, 28.8% of the
respondents strongly agreed that interpersonal relations between superiors and their
subordinates can bring about performance enhancement whiles the majority of respondents,
that is, 56.3% agreed. The remaining 15% of the respondents were indecisive about the issue.
None of the respondents strongly disagreed or disagreed to this fact. Cordial relationship or
49

good interpersonal relationship in organisations improves performance of workers and helps
to achieve the organisational goals and objectives.
Figure 4.4 Interpersonal Relationship
Data collected during the field survey interpreted and analysed was amazing with majority of
40% of the respondents strongly agreeing and agreeing respectively whiles another 40%
strongly disagreed. This implies that half of the respondents believe that additional
responsibility can boost their morale to give off their best which will inevitably lead to
increased performance whiles the other half of the respondents believes additional
responsibility cannot increase the performance of employees and that of the organisation. The
50

11.3% left were undecided, 3.8% strongly disagree and 5% disagree about additional
responsibility enhancing the performance of employees. Table 4.5 shows the trend to the
scenario.
Table 4.5 Additional Responsibility
ADDITIONAL FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
RESPONSIBILITY
Agree 32 40.0
Undecided 9 11.3
Disagree 4 5.0
The outcome of the analysis signifies that employees at ECG, Legon District believes in
being accountable and cautious in their field of work to help the company achieve its
organisational goals and objectives. This shows a very impressive and positive attitude
among the members of staff.
51

4.4.1 Challenges in Motivating Employees
This section reports the on the views of both top and middle level staff on the challenges
faced by the organisation in motivating employees. The researcher sought to understand
whether or not they are satisfied with the practice of motivation by the Electricity Company
of Ghana. Majority of employees representing 58.8% responded negatively which implies
that they are not satisfied with the motivational practice whiles the minority, that is, 41.2%
responded in the affirmative. This signifies that only a small percentage of the workers are
satisfied with the practice of motivation which makes it a major challenge to ECG, Legon
district
Figure 4.6 Practise of Motivation
52

4.4.2 Deserving Workers
One major concern raised by most workers was that favouritism colours the process used in
motivating employees. Some believe that deserving workers are not always motivated. From
the survey, 66.3% of the respondents believed that motivated employees truly deserve the
motivational packages they receive from the organisation whiles 33.7% disagreed to the view
members of staff motivated truly deserves it.
Figure 4.6 Deserving workers
53

These other challenges also came to light in the conduct of the research; difficulty in
selecting the deserving candidate for the best worker award as well as awarding people who
do not deserve, low self-confidence and poor expectation for success, poor planning, the
criteria for motivating employees is not encouraging, lack of supervision to determine which
employee is putting in much effort to achieve organisational goals and objectives.
Other factors such as inadequate resources, insufficient incentives and employee
dissatisfaction in relation to discrimination among employees when distributing toiletries and
other logistics were cited.
Finally, it was revealed that motivating employees is done on the basis of friendship and
individual parochial interests. Other criticisms included delay in the payment of overtime,
bonus, and allowances, lack of commitment from top level management and monopoly on the
part of some employees.
54

4.4.3 Conclusion
The chapter presents the findings of the study and reveals that staff development is a strong
form of motivation. Bonuses, good and decent accommodation, car and rental loans are also
forms of motivation which can cause an increase in organisational performance and
productivity.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
This aspect of the research summarises the entire report highlighting the findings as well as
55

conclusions and recommendations for the study.
5.1 Summary of Findings

The study assessed the impact of employee motivation on organisational performance and
productivity. The researcher sought to institute a connection between motivation, employee
performance and organisational productivity in public enterprises using ECG, Legon District
as a case. Eighty workers were sampled out of the entire population and their responses were
used to assess the relationship between motivation and performance.
The study adopted a mixed method of research design. The reason behind the adoption of
such an approach is that, one method can support the other in times of difficulty. The case
study design was also used because it measures and provides an in-depth analysis of every
information or data obtained about the phenomenon of investigation. The study population
comprised of members of staff at the ECG, Legon District in Accra. The research adopted
questionnaire and interviews as research instruments to solicit information from both primary
and secondary sources.
Literature reviewed was in relation to the various theories of motivation. Respondents who
participated in the survey were asked varied questions with respect to employee motivation;
forms of motivation, motivational factors that influence performance, challenges to
motivation, measures that can help improve motivation and finally recommendations about
how to improve employee motivation.
Date collected and analysed using SPSS showed that, employees when motivated very well
are able to work very hard which causes an increase organisational performance and
productivity.
The outcome of the research and its interpretation revealed that;
Most of the respondents were males representing 53.8% with 46.2% of the responses coming
56

from females. It was also observed that majority of the respondents (55%) have attained first
degree with 10% having masters and above. Also, 31.2% have also gone through secondary
education and 3.8% of the respondents having basic education. This result shows that the vast
majority of respondents have been working at ECG for a period between 5 and 10 years.
Respondents who have worked between 10 and 15 years comprised of 32.5%, 10% have
worked with ECG for more than 15 years and respondents who have worked between 1 and 5
years represented 17.5%.
It was revealed that 58.8% were aware of motivational packages, 62.5% of the workers have
been motivated before since employment whiles 37.5% have not received any form of
motivation. The motivational packages outlined from the survey included study leave,
bonuses, Christmas packages, increment in salary, transport allowance, utility allowance,
appreciation, long service award, and best worker award, monthly distribution of toiletries,
maintenance allowance and promotion.
According to the respondents, they feel appreciated when there are signs of trust, respect and
high expectations from superiors and colleague workers. Majority of the respondents strongly
agreed to staff development as a form of motivation.
Bonuses, good and decent accommodation, car and rental loans are also forms of motivation
which can cause an increase in organisational performance and productivity and has been
proven with respect to the strong agreement given by respondents.
Ideally, employees perform at the best level when they are recognised and appreciated for the
good work done as this reflected in the analysis. Recognition or appreciation of an effort
made or a good job done is likely to produce even better job apart from making a happier and
more satisfied worker.
57

Employees at ECG believes in career advancement and this can be proven from the field
survey where majority of the population, that is, 50% strongly agreed that career
advancement can bring about an increase in performance.
Also, good working environment and interpersonal relationship enhances performance of
employees. 28.8% of the respondents strongly agreed that interpersonal relations between
superiors and their subordinates can bring about performance enhancement whiles the
majority of respondents (56.3%) agreed.
Arguably, it was revealed that additional responsibility can enhance performance whiles the
other half of the respondents believes additional responsibility cannot increase the
performance of employees and that of the organisation.
Some challenges of motivation were outlined by respondents; difficulty in selecting the
deserving candidate for the best worker award, poor planning on the part of management,
lack of supervision to determine which employee is putting in much effort to achieve
organisational goals and objectives, inadequate resources for motivation, insufficient
incentives and employee dissatisfaction in relation to discrimination among employees when
distributing toiletries and other logistics were.
It was also revealed that motivating employees is done on the basis of friendship and
individual parochial interests. Other criticisms included delay in the payment of overtime,
bonus, and allowances also affected employee motivation.
The outcome of these findings put together and reporting the views of employees of ECG,
Legon District shows that certainly there is a relationship between motivation and
performance at the workplace as all the indicators used pointed out to the fact. The way
employees feel about themselves, their work and treated by management goes a long way to
58

affect their work.
This confirms the research by (Drake, 2007) which stated that motivated employees are likely
to display superior performance and research by (lazaroiu, 2015) also confirmed a positive
relationship between satisfaction of employees needs and their performance in the
organization. Therefore, employee motivation and performance are directly proportional to
each other.
5.2 Conclusion
Employees at ECG, Legon District have worked for the organisation for relatively a long
time enabling them to back this research with their requisite knowledge and experiences as
well as their ability to contribute to motivational issues concerning the study.
Trust, Respect and High expectation between superiors and subordinates is not enough at the
workplace.
Strategies and policies put in place by management to promote staff development must be
reviewed and implemented.
Bonuses and Fat salaries are very good monetary forms of motivation and should not be
ignored from motivational packages of ECG, Legon District.
Good and decent accommodation and Car and rent loans of employees must be taken care of
because according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory, the safety needs of an individual
is very important because until it is satisfied the employees cannot perform at the workplace.
Recognition and appreciation should be looked at by the management of ECG, Legon
District. Hertzberg research identified that recognition and appreciation are true motivators at
the work place and as such superiors should make sure it is well institutionalised.
At ECG, Legon district the working environment of workers is quite impressive. Hertzberg’s
59

theory of motivation and hygiene factor supports this form of motivation because, he argues
that the hygiene factors of employees are very important to bring about improved efficiency
of the organisation.
Salaries at ECG, Legon district is moderate compared to other state institutions like Ghana
Education Service (GES) but management can do better looking at the economic conditions
in the country.
Career advancement, good working environment and promotion and growth was very
positive since over the years hardworking employees have risen through the ranks to top level
positions.
Also job security issues and interpersonal relationship among management and staff was very
good.
Outside seminars as a factor of motivation for an increase in performance does not exist at
ECG whiles additional responsibility is at the initial or basic level.
5.3 Recommendation
The study makes the following recommendations:
Employee motivation is a means of achieving organisational goals and due to this it should be
factored into organisations to help in the achievement of organisational goals and objectives.
Employee motivation should be captured in the company’s promotion package and
motivators should be shared equally.
There should be the institution and sustenance of the award of best workers at least every
quarter, providing accommodation for employees, frequent job training, incentives, timely
upgrades, and supervisors should appreciate and encourage their employees. Only deserving
candidates should be awarded without subjective feelings and prejudices.
60

Promotions and Job security should be given serious attention. This is because when workers
are assured of their jobs they tend to do well on the job. Promotions encourages them to give
out their best because of the prize that awaits them.
Outside seminars and additional responsibility must be improved upon because it forms part
of the self-actualisation needs of the employee which includes the desire for achievements,
personal growth and developments and until it is satisfied the employee cannot work well.
Management should also look at providing heath and canteen services.
Finally, it is understood that if the management makes positive effort at implementing these
suggestions ECG will regain its cherished traditions and boost productivity as the major
distributor of electricity in Ghana.
61

References
(2016, november 25). Retrieved from http://www.Idealibrary.com.University of Rochester

Al Jishi, H. (2009). Motivation and its effects on Performance of nurses In Aramoo Health
Centre. Kuala-Lampur: Open University Malaysia.
Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of human resource management practice (7th edition
ed.). London, UK: Kogan Page Limited .
Berg.L. (2009). Quantitative Research Methodology for behavioural Sciences. USA: Pearson.
Brown, R. (2006). Doing your Dissertation in Business Management:The reality of research
and Writing. sage Publications. Retrieved from
http://BusinessBalls.com/Hertzberg.htm
Byham, W. R. (2005, May 19). ddiworld. Retrieved from http//www.ddiworld.com/pdf/ddi
Coy, M. (2012). Putting Employee motivation in its place . USA: Womens Media.
Coy, M. (2015). Putting Employee Motivation in its place. USA: Womens Publisher.
Denhardt, R. M. (2008). Managing Human Behaviour in Public and Non-Profit Organisation
. Inc: Sage Publications.
Drake, W. ,. (2007). Empowerment,Motivation&Performance;examing the Impact of
feedback and incentive as management employees Behavioural Research in acc.
Fred.C.Lunenburg. (2011). Expectancy Theory of motivation;Motivating by Altering
Expectations. Journal of Management, Business and Administration.
History of Electricity Provision in Ghana. (2017). 2017 Diary. Retrieved March 21, 2017
J.E, O. (2008). Human Learning (8th edition ed.). Upper saddle River,NJ: Pearson Merril
Prentice .
Kotelnikov, V. (2000). Effective Reward sytem Increasing Performance and Creating Happy
Employees .
lazaroiu, G. (2015). Employee and Job Performance ,Linguistic and Philosophical
Investigations .
managementstudy. (2017, february 17).
www.managementstudyhq.com/maslow-need-hierarchy-theory html. Retrieved from
managementstudyhq.com:
62

https:www.refernce.com/world-view/advantages-disadvantages-maslow-s-hierarchy-n
eeds
Manap, D. L. (2012, October 23). Borneo Post Online. Retrieved February 17, 2017, from
Borneo Post online: www.thebornepost.com
Mansour, Q.-A. (n.d.). Impact of Employee Motivation on Organisational Effectiveness.
European Journal of Business and management, volume Three.
Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality . New York: Haper and Row.
McCarthy, S. a. (1968). sampling Opinions and analysis of survey procedures.
McEwen, M. w. (2007). Theoritical basis for nursing (2nd edition ed.). Philadelphia, USA:
Lippincott williams and Wilkins.
Pride, W. ,. (2006). Business. MA: Cengage Learning.
Profile of Electricity Company of Ghana. (2017). 2017 Diary.
Ramlall, S. (2004). A review of employee Motivation.Theories and their implication for
Employee retention with Organisation. Journal Of American Academy of Business,
52-63.
RB, B. (2006). Doing Your Dissertation in Business Management:The Reality of research
and Writing . Sage Publication.
RB, B. (2006). Doing Your Dissertation in Business Management:The Reality Of Research
and Writing . Sage Publications.
Redmond, B. (n.d.). cms.psu.edu. Retrieved February 2017, 17, from The Pennyslyvania
State university Website: https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?
Ryan, R. L. (n.d.). Intrinsic and extrinsic Motivations;classic definitions and new directions.
contemporary Educational psychlogists.
Sekeran, U. (2000). Research method for buiness;A skill building approach (third edition
ed.). John Wiley and Sons.Inc.
sekeran, U. (2003). Research Method for Business; a skill Building Approach (fourth edition
ed.). John Wiley and sons.Inc.
Shanks, N. h. (2007). Management and motivation. Jonas and Bartlett Publishers.
Taylor, F. (1911). Principles of Scientific Management . Routledge.
Vroom, V. (1964). work and motivation. New York: wiley.
Vroom, V. (1964). Work and motivation. san Francisco, CA;, USA: Jossey Bass.
Wabba, M. &. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2017, from The tavistock Institute Website:
http://hum.sagepub.com/cgt/content/abstract/27/2/121
walliman, N. a. (2011). Research Methods;the Basics. Taylor and Francis.
63

White, R. (1959). Motivtion Reconsidered. Psychological Review.
Wikipedia. (n.d.). wikipedia:The free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 01, 2017, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratified Sampling
Young, B. (2000). Methods of Motivating:Yesterday and Today. Retrieved September 29,
2016, from http://academic emperia.edu
Appendix 1
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
A QUESTIONNAIRE ON AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE
MOTIVATION ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY
IN PUBLIC ENTERPRISES; THE CASE OF ELECTRICITY COMPANY OF
GHANA, LEGON DISTRICT.
NB: The study is meant for academic purposes and has no bearing on anyone or
institution. Confidentiality of respondents is assured.
Bio Data
1. Gender. Male Female
2. What is the level of your education?
Basic Secondary 1st Degree Masters and above
3. How long have you been working in ECG?
1 - 5 years 5- 10 years 10 - 15 years 15 -20 years 20 years and above
Forms of Motivation
4. Are you aware of any motivation package or structure in your organisation?

Yes No
5. Have you ever been motivated since employment?

Yes No
If yes, what form did the motivation rendered you take?
64

…………………………………………………………………………………………
On a scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree, kindly indicate your degree of agreement
to the statement below in understanding the various forms of motivation:
A - Strongly agree B - Agree C - Undecided D - Disagree E - Strongly disagree
STATEMENT SA A U SD D
Trust, respect and High
expectation
Staff Development
Bonuses
Good and decent
accommodation
Car and recent loans
Motivational factors that increase performance.
6. This section seeks to understand the various motivational factors that increases
performance. Please tick the appropriate columns
STATEMENT SA A U SD D
Recognition and
appreciation
Fat salaries
Career advancements
65

Good working
environments
Promotion and
Growth
Job Security
Interpersonal
Relationship
Good working
environment
Outside seminars
Additional
Responsibility
Challenges in Motivating Employees.
7. Are you satisfied with the practise of motivation in your organisation?
Yes No
8. In your view, are workers who are motivated deserving?
Yes No
9. Kindly outline some of the challenges faced in motivation employees in your
organisation
………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. What are some of the measures that can help improve motivation in your
66

organisation?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
11. Do you think it is necessary to motivate employees aside their salaries?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
12. What recommendations do you have?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Thank you for your time and assistance
Appendix 2
67

View publication stats

SSRN Id3563876

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SSRN Id3563876

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SSRN Id3563876

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION ON

Thesis · May 2017

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC

ENTERPRISES; THE CASE OF ELECTRICITY COMPANY OF GHANA, LEGON

A thesis submitted to the Department of Political Studies, in partial fulfilment of the

requirement of award of Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

made in the text.

ABIGAIL TETTEH DATE

(DR.MOHAMMED ABDULAI KUYINI) DATE

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

I dedicate this work to my……………………..

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

brought me this far through the challenges of life.

I, as well, express my profound gratitude to Dr.Mohammed Abdulai Kuyini, my supervisor,

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

employee motivation on organisational performance and productivity at Electricity Company

data. Primary data was obtained by administering a well-structured questionnaire to

enhance their performance.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

ECG – Electricity Company of Ghana

GES- Ghana Education Service

SPSS- Statistical Package for Social Sciences

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

1.0 Background to the Study

increased organisational productivity and performance.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

employee motivational programs. Thus, if you can increase employee motivation,

productivity inevitably will follow suit (Ryan).

Employee motivation determines an employee’s attitude towards superiors, colleagues and

effective strategies to retain employees is through employee motivation.

relationship between satisfaction of employees needs and their performance in the

organization. Therefore, employee motivation and performance are directly proportional to

Employee motivation promotes workplace harmony and increased employee performance. It

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

business (Al Jishi, 2009).

has resulted in higher rewards.

Concrete acts must accompany statements of intent. Compensation mechanisms can be a

powerful incentive in linking performance to rewards. Compensation systems that reward

and other employees (Baker, 2011).

value, and introduction of individualize rewards.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

Organisational Performance and Productivity of Public Enterprises; The case of Electricity

Company of Ghana, Legon District”.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

strategies in obtaining maximum output in terms of productivity and performance. In an

chance towards future success (Byham, 2005).

performance; using Legon district of the Electricity Company of Ghana as a case.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3563876

objectives have been formulated.

1.2 Purpose of the Study