EFFECTS OF MOTIVATION ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

BY,
EDNA MAIYO
DBU/02/2012

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO UNIVESITY OF ELDORET IN

PARTIAL FULFIMENT FOR THE AWARD OF DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT.

MARCH 2014

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DECLARATION

Declaration by the candidate

I declare that this proposal is my original work and has never been presented to any
institution for certification. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form
without my permission.

...................... ___________________ ______________

Signature Date

Declaration by the supervisor

This work has been presented for examination with my approval as the university
supervisor.

UNIVERSITY OF ELDORET Signature Date

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 DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my family members and friends, for immense support they
gave me in writing this project.

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Special gratitude goes to my supervisor ........................ for his constructive comments
on the study; his tireless efforts have lead to production of this project.
I wish also to extend my special thanks to University of Eldoret for giving me an
opportunity to pursue the course in their institution. I cannot forget my colleagues
who we shared ideas during our study period.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the almighty God who gave me strength and life to
reach at this stage of life. Receive all thanks and praises.
Last but not the least, I wish to give warm thanks to my family members for their
patience, support and prayers during my study period. God Bless You all.

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 ABSTRACT

The study sought to investigate the effect of employee motivation on their workplace
performance. The study was informed with the fact that business all over the world
today is very challenging. Internal and external operating environment factors
continue to challenge corporate performance and revenue growth. To stay profitable
in the highly challenging and competitive global market economy, all the factor of
production - men, machine and materials – should be wisely managed. The study
objectives will be to determine; the motivation levels at Ken Knit in Eldoert,
determine employees perceptions regarding motivation in their organisations and
investigate the effects of employee motivation on work performance. The study will
be conducted at Ken Knit in Uasin Gishu County. The study will use a survey
research design technique. The target population will comprise of low cadre
employees (clerks, messengers, drivers) working in various ministry offices at the
headquarters. Stratified and simple random techniques will be used in selecting
respondents. Questionnaire will be used as instrument for data collection. The data
collected will be coded, entered and analysed descriptively using frequencies and
percentages.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ..........................................................................................................iii
DEDICATION .............................................................................................................. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................. v
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. vi
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ x
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................ 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the Study...................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................... 3
1.3 Research Objectives ............................................................................................. 4
1.4 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 4
1.5 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................... 4
1.6 Scope of the Study ............................................................................................... 5
1.7 Limitation of the Study ........................................................................................ 5
1.8 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................ 6
1.9 Definition of Terms.............................................................................................. 6

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................... 8

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 8

2.1 Concept of Performance ...................................................................................... 8
2.2 Concept of Motivation ......................................................................................... 9
2.3 Theories of motivation ....................................................................................... 12
2.4 Motivation and Job Performance ....................................................................... 14
2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................ 16

CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................... 17

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 17

3.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 17

3.1 Study Area ......................................................................................................... 17
3.2 Research Design................................................................................................. 17
3.3 Study Population ................................................................................................ 17

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 3.4 Sampling Procedures ......................................................................................... 18
3.5 Instrumentation .................................................................................................. 18
3.6 Data Collection Procedure ................................................................................. 18
3.7 Data Analysis ..................................................................................................... 18
3.8 Ethical Procedures ............................................................................................. 18

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 27
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 28
APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRES ........................................................................... 28

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 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: Conceptual framework for the study ........................................................... 6

ix
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
UG Uasin Gishu

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This chapter highlights information and issues concerning the background of the study on Effect
of motivation on employee job performance of an institution. This chapter also highlights the
objectives of the study, scope of the research, limitation of the research, definition of technical
terms and contribution of the research

1.1 Background to the Study

“In order to become good in anything, the only talent you need is motivation” (Charles de
Gaulle).
Motivation is finding a need inside the employees and helps achieve it in a smooth process. Each
manager should have the responsibility to work with the staff to find out their individual needs
and put them side by side to the organizational needs. The manager should motivate employees
to get things done through them without asking them what to do. Motivation creates a productive
employee who saves time and effort. Motivated employee volunteers to do more than what is
expected and more successful achievement than others. Such employee could be a good recourse
and model to be followed by other staff and adds positive input to the work within the
organization. The managers have to learn to place the right person in right place. Misplacements
can cause dissatisfaction, less motivation, less concentration that leads to turnover and shortage
of staff, commitment of mistakes and the loss to organization.

The most important dependent variable in industrial and organizational psychology is job
performance. One of the major concerns of manufacturing companies has focused on improving
worker productivity, which is one of the job performance measures (Borman, 2004). Greguras
(1996) describes job performance as the extent to which an organisational member contributes to
achieving the objectives of the organization. According to Keller (2006), when you expect the
best from your employees they will give you their best. On the other hand, when you expect little
from employees they will give you low performance in return, which was named by Manzoni
and Barsoux (2004) as set-up-to fail syndrome. Many people feel that they are not recognized or
appreciated by their employers for their hard work and in turn develop decreased motivation.

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Lack of communication and feedback from employers cause employees to feel overlooked and
inhibits them from performing to the best of their ability.

Wage administration is one of the strategies of managers to enhance effective organisational

productivity among workers in organizations. Motivation is a basic psychological process.
Motivating is the management process of influencing behaviour based on the knowledge of what
make people tick (Luthans, 1998). Luthans (1998) asserts that motivation is the process that
arouses, energizes, directs, and sustains behaviour and performance. That is, it is the process of
stimulating people to action and to achieve a desired task. One way of stimulating people is to
employ effective motivation, which makes workers more satisfied with and committed to their
jobs. Money is not the only motivator. There are other incentives which can also serve as
motivators. However, in order to observe an effective work performance in an organization,
work motivation may not be only key factor as put by Luthans (1998).

Although it is argued that human resources are now seen as the primary source of an
organisation’s competitive advantage, Fisher, Katz, Miller and Thatcher (2003) postulate that it
is important that organisations identify employees who consistently perform above the norm in
order to adequately reward, motivate and retain such employees. It could therefore be deduced
that the way employees are treated, especially the consistently over-achievers, impacts on the
prosperity or even survival of such organisation (Lawler, 2003).

Furthermore, Viedge (as cited in Boninelli & Meyer, 2004) argues that people-friendly systems
and a conducive environment which is acceptable and appealing for employees, will motivate
employees to perform more effectively. The need also exists to establish an equitable balance
between employee contribution to the organisation and how such contributions are compensated.
Grobler, Warnich, Carrell, Elbert and Hatfield (2006) argue that decisions on reward systems
should be a balancing act between achievement of organisational strategic objectives and the
level of exceptional performance by employees – the system should allow for the actual
performance to justify the reward(s).

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Kulundu (2001) reported that in terms of skill composition in the Kenyan civil service, only a
small proportion of the civil service employees occupies professional and higher technical cadre
jobs accounting for only 10.8 percent of the total civil service, while managers account for about
1 percent of the total. The remaining are low cadre workers. The disproportionately small share
of professionals and managers in civil service employment explains to some extent the poor
performance of the public sector. The government has introduced inspectorates in an attempt to
raise productivity. While it is generally agreed that poor civil service remuneration lies at the
centre of the incentive problems facing the government, it is still only one of the many causes of
poor performance. In the budget speech for 1998/99, the finance minister noted that the
recruitment and promotion procedures within the service must also improve. That to restore
professionalism in the civil service, better numeration must go hand-in-hand with career
advancement based on merit (Kulundu, 2001).
All employees requires some form of motivation so that their performance can improve, the
research therefore seeks to find out the effect of motivation on civil service employee job
performance at Ken Knit. This is because inadequate research has been carried out to determine
the relationship between motivational factors on job performance since much of the research is
done on the manufacturing sector (Borman, 2004) with little emphasis on employees working in
government agencies/ministries/departments.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The management of people at work is an integral part of the management process. To understand
the critical importance of people in the organization is to recognize that the human element and
the organization are synonymous. Some leaders do not appreciate the fact that employees have to
be motivated to ensure they do what they have to do so that the goals and objectives of the
organization are achieved. Because of the prevailing situation in Kenya where supply of labour is
greater than its demand, some civil service bosses do not believe much in effective motivation of
workers to produce high performance. They uphold the view that even if workers are not
properly motivated they cannot leave the job since there is no job in the labour market.

There is continuous outcry from employees at Ken Knit on the motivation issue at their work
places. This has been justified with the fact that member of the public raise so many concerns

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regarding offered at government offices. Motivation could be factors that cause this .performance
in government ministries have been poor for some time. With advent of performance contract
aimed at improving employee performance, motivation factor has not been taken into
consideration in ensuring successful achievement of the same. Relative to the number of
employees still retained at Ken Knit, the wage bill is small and further retrenchment might be
needed if the government’s ambition of offering a competitive wage is to be realised. The study
is grounded with reason that inadequate research has been conducted on the effect of motivation
on employee performance at Ken Knit and in Kenya at large.

1.3 Research Objectives

The following were the research objectives:
1. To establish the level of motivation for civil servants at Ken Knit
2. To find out the employee perception towards motivation on employee performance at their
work places
3. To identify the effect of motivation on employee performance at Ken Knit
4. To find out solutions on how to address motivation in improving employee performance at
Ken Knit

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the level of motivation for employee at Ken Knit?
2. What is the employee perception towards motivation in their workplaces?
3. What is the effect of motivation on employee performance at Ken Knit?
4. What can be done to improve motivation on ensuring employee performance of Ken Knit?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of the research could be of use as a management tool in the private and public
sector. Typical management questions would involve the likely motivational impact of job
redesign, such as increasing workers’ level of control and responsibility over their work
behaviour or introducing a scheme whereby workers participate in certain management
decisions. The results will therefore provide reasons which will therefore allow employee to
manipulate a host of job characteristics and investigate the likely effects upon the motivation and

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performance of the workforce. The employees of the private sector especially Ken Knit will
benefit from the findings of this research study as it will address their plight concerning
motivation which will in-turn improve their workplace output. Finally, the research study
research could form a background basis for future researchers in the human resource field as it
would provide adequate, reliable and up to date reference on the relationship between motivation
and employee job performance in the public sector.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study was carried out in Uasin Gishu County at Ken Knit. The intended to determine how
motivation influenced employee performance in this organisation. The target respondents for the
study included employees working at Ken Knit. A sample was selected to represent the total
study population where interview guides and questionnaires were used as instruments of data
collection. The period of data collection was two weeks.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

The limitation of the study can be briefly stated in following points:
Some employees (senior) could fail to divulge information specific information for the research
since he/she must get approval from the senior management.
The length of the questionnaire could affect data collection process since respondents may fail to
answer all questions.

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1.8 Conceptual Framework

Level of motivation Employee job

performance
Employee perception on  Completion of tasks
motivation  Punctuality
 Feeling of appreciation
Effect of motivation  Hard work &
commitment
Motivation improvement
Dependent variables
Independent variables
variables

Source: Author (2012).

Figure 1.1: Conceptual framework for the study

The model above shows the relationship between motivations in the workplace (independent
variable) on employee job performance (dependent variable). The independent variables
comprises of the level of motivation available in the organisation, employees opinion towards
motivation at their workplaces, the effect of motivation on job performance and
measures/strategies to which motivation could be addressed in their organisation, all these IVs
have either positive effect on the employee job performance which is our independent variable.
The indicators of job performance can be in terms of; appreciation towards their organisation,
ability to work extra hours or co me early, completion of tasks assigned to them in due time and
team work in an organisation. This may be moderated by communication channels available in
the organisations and the management style available in these organisations.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Motivation – refers to the internal condition that activates behaviour and gives it direction;
energizes and directs goal-oriented behaviour. According to various theories,
motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and
maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or

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 a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less
apparent reasons such as altruism, morality, or avoiding mortality.
Employee Performance: the act of performing; of doing something successfully; using
knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing it; A performance comprises
an event in which generally one group of people (the performer or performers)
behave in a particular way for another group of people.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the review of literature on the relationship between employee motivation
and job performance. The literature covered in this section came from books; journals, websites,
conference proceedings and government documents. The chapter sections are based on the
objectives of the research.

2.1 Concept of Performance

Cascio (2003) argues that organisations are managed and staffed by people and without this
valuable resource organisations cannot exist. The author also notes that it is through people that
organisational performance is influenced in many ways. Ehlers and Lazenby (2004) contend that
it is strategic drivers of any organisation (that is people who act as stakeholders) who devise and
implement the organisational strategy, while managing the mixture of sometimes limited
resources and organisational opportunities and systems which results in determining the
capabilities of the organisation to deliver on those strategic deliverables.

In order for the strategy to be executed, it is important that the organisation acquires the correct
competencies, which are primarily the skills, knowledge and behavioural attributes the
organisation possesses in its human capital (Meyer, 2002). Considering the aforementioned, it
would thus make good business sense for the organisation to obtain adequate knowledge
regarding what motivates employees to fulfil their full potential (Lawler, 2003).

It is the performance of the human capital within an organisation which leads to organisational
success or failure and organisations need to realise that in managing this resource appropriately it
will ensure success (Hellriegel, Jackson, Slocum, Staude, Amos, Klopper, Louw & Oostuizen,
2004). This implies also creating the opportunity for employees, or groups of employees, to be
creative in achieving organisational goals. Once organisations recognise that employees are a
valuable asset and not a liability, they will be respected and treated as precious human capital –
viewed as the primary source of a company’s competitive advantage in the global economy. It
could therefore be argued that the way in which this resource is treated and maintained has a

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direct impact on the continued competitiveness and even existence of any organisation (Lawler,
2003).

The fair treatment of employees within an organisation is one of the cornerstones of progressive
organisations, which acknowledges that a balance should be created and maintained between
what employees contribute towards the achievement of organisational deliverables and how the
organisation in the first instance, values these contributions and secondly recognises and rewards
it in an equitable manner.

Hellriegel et. al (2004) argue that maintaining some sense of equilibrium between what the
organisation requires and what employees contribute in this situation, should be the foundation
for recognising and rewarding employees. Roberts (2005) postulates that organisations are
continuously pressurised to enhance and improve their performance and it is through these
pressures, are they realise that an interdependent relationship exists between organisational
performance and employee performance. The following section will focus on the motivational
theories and the impact which these theories have on enhancing employee performance. It should
provide a better understanding of not only how individuals within an organisation are motivated,
but also what motivates them.

2.2 Concept of Motivation

Motivating is the work managers perform to inspire, encourage and impel people to take action
(Allen, 1986). To motivate the employees, the employee must be reached to reach him there
must be a completed understanding of the complexity his make-up (Allen, 1986). Motivation
efforts must be directed towards improving organization operations. To be effective, however
they must also be designed to show benefits to the employee. In fact, motivation can best be
accomplished when workers are able to merge their personal ambitions with those of the
organization.

According to Robin and DeCenzo (1995; 271) motivation is defined thus “the willingness to
exert high level of effort to reach organizational goals, conditioned by the effort’s ability to
satisfy some individual need”. Campbell and Pritchard (1976) in defines motivation as a set of

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independents and dependant relationships that explains the direction, amplitude and persistence
of an individual’s behaviour holding constant the effects of aptitude, skills, understanding of a
task and the constraints operating in the work environment. Schrader (1972) linked construction
worker need to motivation and it was subsequently concluded by Thomas et al. (1990) that there
is evidence supporting the existence of a linkage between an employee’s motivational level and
their individual performance. Atkinson (1964) defines it as the contemporary immediate
influence on the direction, vigor and persistence of action.

The relationship between the employer and employee must be one of understanding in order for
the employee to identify himself with his work and with the business he is working for. Lack of
motivation in return affects productivity. A number of symptoms may point to low morale:
declining productivity, high employee turnover, increasing number of grievances, higher
incidence of absenteeism and tardiness, increasing number of defective products, higher number
of accidents or a higher level of waste materials and scrap (William Day 1978). A motivated
employee is a loyal employee and to be loyal implies that the employee supports the actions and
objectives of the firm. The appearance of the job as a whole has, in fact a bearing on the
willingness and quality of an employee’s performance (Martin Bruce 1962).

According to McClelland (1961) individuals tend to develop certain motivational drives on the
cultural environment in which they live and these drives affect the way people view their jobs.
McClelland suggests that achievement, affiliation, competence and power are four types of
motivational drives that are found in individuals that are self-motivated and this may be the case
for many construction workers. Motivation plays a part in enhancing construction labor
productivity (Smithers and Walker, 2000) and forms the basis for identification of the work
environment factors. For example, Laufer and Moore (1983) advocated the use of financial
incentive programs to improve construction labor productivity, reinforcing Maloney’s (1982)
thesis of driving forces that led to productivity improvements.

Autonomy and comradeship (Edwards and Eckblad, 1984) are also, found to be important
aspects that add to the way construction workers are self-motivated about their work. However,
much work in linking motivation and productivity relied on Hertaberg’s sample involving mainly

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white-collar professionals (Mullins, 1996). Furthermore, Hofstede (1980) decried such
motivational theories as merely point made about the ad nauseam emphasis on the managerial
perspective in the quest to improve productivity.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Gallup Management Group only 30% of U.S.
employees are fully engaged in their jobs. Improving employee engagement can increase
productivity and profitability while also reducing employee absenteeism and turnover.
According to Ted Marusarz, Hewitt Associates, prior to the 1990’s employee surveys were
focused on employees did not necessarily produce the type of performance that helped
organization to succeed.

Marusarz’s comment echoes Frederick Herzberg’s theory of motivation which states that the
factors which motivate people at work are different to and not necessarily the opposite of, the
factors which cause dissatisfaction. Herzberg claimed that positive hygiene factors such as work
conditions and salary simply satisfy basic employee needs, whereas motivators (e.g. achievement
and recognition) encourage employees to work above and beyond the minimum requirements. In
2006, the HR Daily Advisor reported that 89% of employers think their people leave for more
money, while only 12% of employees actually do leave for that reason.

‘Compensation alone is not enough to keep the highly skilled’ motivated and experienced
workforce your business needs to excel’ (Greenburg, 2008). In a four years analysis of more than
100,000 employees worldwide, the Corporate Leadership
Council discovered that while workers join companies for rational motives (better compensation,
benefits and career opportunities), they are and work hard for emotional ones. Jean Martin
(Lawler, 2008 p. 51).
The Gallup Management Group (reported in Dernovsek, 2008) showed that improving employee
engagement is important engaged employees have:
• 51% lower turnover
• 27% less absenteeism
• 18% more productivity
• 12% higher profitability

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Engagement is about motivating employees to go the extra mile in the workplace. It is about
encouraging employees to have a passion for their work, and identifying the organization as
more than a place to earn money. A recent Harvard Business Review article explained that
‘employees are motivated by jobs that challenge them and enable them to grow and learn, and
they are demoralized by those that seem to be monotonous or lead to a dead end’ (Nohria et al,
2008). According to Tim Rutledge, owner and publisher of Mattanie Press and author of Getting
Engaged: The New Workplace Loyalty, ‘truly engaged employees are:
• Attracted to and inspired by their work (I want to do this’).
• Committed (‘I am dedicated to the success of what I am doing’).
• Fascinated (‘I love what I am doing’).
The concept of employee engagement was first developed in response to increasing globalization
(Thereas Welboure, University of Michigan). Such global competition forced businesses to
become more flexible in responding to employee needs. More recently, Ketter (2008) attributed
the rising interest in employee engagement to the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, to dip, and the
subsequent rise in unemployment.

Furthermore, according to Smith (2008), a new generation of workers, the Millennials, is

entering the workforce with a desire for long-term employer relationships on their own terms.
This new group is shaking up the workforce and demanding more from their employer than
simply financial compensation for their work and ability to be ‘on-call’ at all times thanks to
communication technologies. According to Towers Perrin, employees are more interested in
‘talent friendly’ organizations that offer a good work-life balance than those offer high salaries.
Raising productivity is a key government objective. Skills, motivation and commitment are vital
to how productive people are at work. This is the context in which tax incentives were
introduced for employee shareholding.

2.3 Theories of motivation

Before looking at incentive structures in the Kenyan civil service, let us briefly present some
theories of motivation. They can be divided into two broad categories: content theories, which
analyse individual employees with the aim of identifying their needs and how they vary; and
process theories which try to explain how the reward structure affects employee behaviour.

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Among the best known content theories is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1954) which
posits that human needs can be arranged hierarchically. Individuals seek first to satisfy their
primary needs, such as food and shelter, but quickly look beyond these motivations as their
situation improves. A related theory is that of acquired needs ascribed to McClelland (1962). It
posits that individuals develop the need for achievement, power and affiliation over a period of
time and are in turn motivated by these needs. Herzberg’s motivation-maintenance theory argues
that factors that cause job satisfaction have a stimulating effect on performance and morale,
while those, which cause job dissatisfaction, have a negative impact. Positive factors are intrinsic
to the job, while negative factors are extrinsic. That is people are happy with their work when
they are doing a good job, which enhances their experience and expertise. On the other hand, job
dissatisfaction is a result of shortcomings in the work place, for example, when workers are
being paid low wages, working conditions are unsafe or workers fear for loss of their jobs
(Megginson et al., 1983).

Turning to process theories, expectancy theory predicts that a worker’s motivation will be low if
s/he feels that the performance level required for promotion is unattainable, is not confident that
high performance will result in career enhancement, or attaches little value or significance to
promotion. It is important, therefore, to understand the needs of individual employees and adjust
their reward profile accordingly. The second process theory is the equity hypothesis (see Adams,
1963). Here feelings of equity and group solidarity in the work place play an important role in
the behaviour of individual employees. Workers feel inequitably treated when their rewards are
lower than for similar employment in their organization or elsewhere. However, while
individuals who feel that they have been overpaid or who perceive positive inequity, increase the
quantity or quality of their work, those who feel underpaid reduce their work effort. Rewards
perceived to be equitably distributed increase job satisfaction and thus lead to a higher level of
effort and performance. The goal-setting motivation theory, due to Locke and Latham (1984),
postulates that well-set organizational goals are important sources of motivation.

Kulundu (2001) asserts that employees are made aware of the direction that needs to be taken
and can gauge the effort required to achieve the goals of the organization. Lastly, the

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reinforcement theory, instead of attempting to explain what people do to meet their basic needs
or to achieve personal goals, focuses on the external environment and the consequences it holds
for individuals within and outside the organizational setting. Positive reinforcement increases or
strengthens the frequency of desired behaviour by making a pleasant consequence contingent on
the occurrence of certain behaviour. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, strengthens
desirable behaviour via punishment. The above theories throw considerable light on the
experience of the Kenyan civil service, particularly the apparent lack of motivation.

2.4 Motivation and Job Performance

The level of performance of employees relies not only on their actual skills but also on the level
of motivation each person exhibits (Burney et al., 2007). Motivation is an inner drive or an
external inducement to behave in some particular way, typically a way that will lead to rewards
(Dessler, 1978). Over-achieving, talented employees are the driving force of all firms so it is
essential that organizations strive to motivate and hold on to the best employees (Harrington,
2003).

The quality of human resource management is a critical influence on the performance of the
firm. Concern for strategic integration, commitment flexibility and quality, has called for
attention for employees motivation and retention. Financial motivation has become the most
concern in today’s organisation, and tying to Maslow’s basic needs, non-financial aspect only
comes in when financial motivation has failed.

According to Greenberg and Baron (2003, 2000) definition of motivation could be divided into
three main parts. The first part looks at arousal that deals with the drive, or energy behind
individual (s) action. People turn 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 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 to persist at attempting to meet
their goals.

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Motivation can be intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation concerns behaviour influenced by
obtaining external rewards (Hitt, Esser, & Marriott, 1992). Praise or positive feedback, money,
and the absence of punishment are examples of extrinsic or external rewards (Deci,
1980).Intrinsic motivation is the motivation to do something simply for the pleasure of
performing that particular activity (Hagedoorn and Van Yperen, 2003). Examples of intrinsic
factors are interesting work, recognition, growth, and achievement. Several studies have found
there to be a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and job performance as well as
intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction (Linz, 2003). This is significant to firms in today's
highly competitive business environment in that intrinsically motivated employees will perform
better and, therefore, be more productive, and also because satisfied employees will remain loyal
to their organization and feel no pressure or need to move to a different firm.

Deci and Ryan (2000) conducted and replicated an experiment that showed the negative impact
of monetary rewards on intrinsic motivation and performance. A group of college students were
asked to work on an interesting puzzle. Some were paid and some were not paid for the work.
The students that were not being paid worked longer on the puzzle and found it more interesting
than the students being paid. When the study was brought into a workplace setting, employees
felt that their behaviour was being controlled in a dehumanizing and alienating manner by the
rewards. It was discovered that rewards would seriously decrease an employee's motivation to
ever perform the task being rewarded, or one similar to it, any time in the future.

Another observation of the study was that employees would expect a reward every time the task
was to be completed if the reward was offered at one time. Employees would require the reward
in order to perform the job and would probably expect the reward to increase in amount. If the
rewards were not increased or if they were taken away they actually served as negative
reinforcement.

Deci and Ryan (2001), in collaboration with two of their colleagues, conducted a study to
examine the effects of performance-contingent rewards on an employee's intrinsic motivation
(Cameron, Deci, Koestner, and Ryan, 2001). These types of rewards are very controlling since
these rewards are directly associated with an employee's performance of some task. In that

15
respect, performance-contingent rewards undermine intrinsic motivation; however, if the reward
given to the employee conveys that the employee has performed on a truly outstanding level, the
reward would serve to solidify that employee's sense of competence and decrease the negative
effect on that employee's intrinsic motivation.
Also significant in the study was the importance of the interpersonal atmosphere within which
the performance-contingent rewards were distributed. When Cameron et al. (2001) compared the
administering of rewards in a controlling climate and in a non-controlling climate, they
discovered that the performance-contingent rewards given in the more controlling interpersonal
climate undermined intrinsic motivation. To prevent the decrease in employees' intrinsic
motivation, the interpersonal climate when distributing performance-contingent rewards should
be more supportive.

Vroom (1964) proposes that people are motivated by how much they want something and how
likely they think they are to get it he suggest that motivation leads to efforts and the efforts
combined with employees ability together with environment factors which interplay’s resulting
to performance. This performance interns lead to various outcomes, each of which has an
associated value called Valence.

Adams (1965) on his part suggests that people are motivated to seek social equity in the rewards
they receive for high performance. According to him the outcome from job includes; pay,
recognition, promotion, social relationship and intrinsic reward. to get these rewards various
inputs needs to be employed by the employees to the job as time, experience, efforts, education
and loyalty. He suggests that, people tend to view their outcomes and inputs as a ratio and then
compare these ratios with others and turn to become motivated if this ratio is high.

2.5 Summary
The study has reviewed the concept of motivation, theories of motivation and relationship
between motivation and job performance of employees. The next chapter describes the design
and methodologies to be used in the study process.

16
 CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction
This chapter presents the research and methodology procedures followed during the study
process. The chapter entails; the study area, the research design, target population, sampling,
instrumentation, data collection procedure, data analysis and ethical procedures in research.

3.1 Study Area

The study will be conducted in Uasin Gishu at Ken Knit. The district is located within Rift
Valley Province and acts as a regional centre for North Rift Region. The district is located in
highland regions of Kenya receiving an annual rainfall of between 1,800 – 2,100mm of rainfall.
Maize, wheat and dairy production are the main economic activities of the district. Various
public amenities are located within the district which comprises of; hospitals, stadium, markets,
police stations, universities, colleges, secondary schools, primary schools among others.

3.2 Research Design

The research design to be used in the research was ex-post facto which is a systematic empirical
inquiry in which the variables already exist and are inherently not manipulative. This is to test
theories, satisfy curiosity, identify behavioural phenomena, and explore conditions under which a
phenomenon occurs. The independent variables were work motivation while the dependent
variable is job performance.

3.3 Study Population

The sample to be used for the study comprised of three hundred (300) workers from the
population of Ken Knit employees working in Uasin Gishu District in order to understand how
work motivation influence their job performance. The participants cut across junior and senior
workers.

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3.4 Sampling Procedures
Stratified random sampling was used to select the participant of this study. The participants’ ages
ranged between 25 and 55 years. The sample was made up of 75 males and 25 females.

3.5 Instrumentation
The research utilised questionnaires as instruments for data collection. A structured questionnaire
will be used in this research as a tool to acquire information on employee’s attitudes for what
motivates those most to achieve better performance at work. These questionnaires were made
available to the employees and they had time to answer the questions based on their views at the
organisation. The questionnaire had both opened and closed questions.

3.6 Data Collection Procedure

The instruments used in this study were administered to the workers in the selected Ken Knit
departments that included; production, marketing, personnel and finance. These workers cut
across the lower, intermediate and senior cadres. Permission was taken from the top management
before the administration of the instruments, and the purpose of study was explained to them.
The respondents were instructed on how to administer the instruments. The procedure for filling
the questionnaires was thoroughly explained to the workers.

3.7 Data Analysis

Data collected from the field were sorted out to remove errors. The clean data was entered into
electronic spreadsheets (Ms. Excel) for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the
data. The analysed data is presented using frequency tables, pie charts and graphs.

3.8 Ethical Procedures

The study ensured total compliance with research ethical guidelines. The researcher assured
respondents of the confidentiality of the information they gave. Any respondent who was not
willing to participate in the study was forced.

18
 CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Introduction
This section entails the data analysis according to the objectives of the study. The data is
represented in form of tables, frequency and percentage.
4.1 Background information
4.1.1 Gender of the Respondents
The researcher sought to establish the gender of the respondents. The result was recorded in the
table for interpretation purposes.
Table 4.1 Gender of the Respondents
Gender Frequency Percentage
Male 90 56
Female 70 44
Total 160 100

The result above indicates that 56% of the respondents were male while 44% were female.
Figure 4.1 Genders of the Respondents

Percentage

44
Male
56
Female

The study indicates that both genders were well represented to carry out the study.
The researcher sought to establish the age of the respondents participating in the study. The
results were tabulated and recorded in the table below for interpretation purposes.
Table 4.2 Ages of the Respondents
Age in years Frequency Percentage
22-30 years 47 29
31-35 years 36 23
36-40 years 25 15
41-45 years 27 17
46-50 years 12 8

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 Over 51 years 12 8
Total 160 100

The study above indicates that 29% of the respondents were aged between 22-30 years, 23%
were aged between 31-35 years, 15% were aged between 36-40 years, 17% were aged between
41-45 years, 8% were aged between 46-50 years while 8% were aged over 51 years.
Figure 4.2 Ages of the Respondents

Percentage
Over 51 years
46-50 years 22-30 years
41-45 years
36-40 years 31-35 years
31-35 years 36-40 years
22-30 years
41-45 years

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 46-50 years

The study indicated that the population was well distributed to carry out the research and that age
groups were well represented.
4.1.3 Education Level of the Respondents
The researcher sought to establish the education level of the respondents. The results were
recorded in the table below.
Table 4.3 Education level
Table 4.4 Duration of living at the village
Education Level Frequency Percentage
Certificate 71 44
Diploma 47 30
Degree 27 17
Masters 15 9
Total 160 100

The study above indicates that, 44% of the respondents had a certificate, 30% had a diploma,
17% had a degree while 9% masters.

20
Figure 4.4 Education Level

Percentage

Masters 9

17 Certificate
Degree
Diploma

30 Degree
Diploma
Masters

Certificate 44

0 10 20 30 40 50

The education level of the respondents was ideal because the respondents could read, interpret
and answer questionnaires appropriately.
4.1.4 Duration of working at Ken Knit
The researcher sought to establish the duration of how long they have worked at Ken Knit.
The results were recorded in the table below for interpretation purposes.

Table 4.4 Duration working at Ken Knit

Duration Frequency Percentage
Below 3 years 104 65
Between 4-7 years 19 13
Between 7-10 years 31 19
Above ten years 6 4
Total 160 100
The study above indicates that 65% of the respondents worked in Ken Knit for a period below 3
years, 13%have worked between 4-7 years, and 19% have lived between 7-10 years while 4%
have worked for over 10 years.

From the study above, the respondents had relatively a good understanding of their working
environment. Due to this, they could effectively answer questions regarding the research topic.

21
4.2 Specific Information.

4.2.1 The impact of the level of motivation for civil servants at Ken Knit

The researcher sought to establish the impact of impact of level of motivation. The results were
recorded in the table below for interpretation purposes.

Table 4.5 Examine the impact of the level of motivation for civil servants at Ken Knit
Motivation for Civil Servants SA A U D SD TOTA
My salary is satisfactory in relation Frequency 42 37 23 29 29 L
160
to what I do Percentage 26 23 15 18 18 100
I earn the same as or more than Frequency 46 31 20 36 27 160
other people in a similar job Percentage 29 18 13 23 17 100
The basis for payment, for example Frequency 42 40 29 30 19 1
160
overtime payment, is reasonable Percentage 26 25 18 19 12 100
Salary increases are decided on a Frequency 49 37 19 31 24 160
fair manner Percentage 31 23 12 19 15 100

From the study above, 26% strongly agreed, 23% agreed, 15% were undecided, 18% disagreed
while 18% strongly disagreed with the idea that their salary was satisfactory in relation to what
they do. On the other hand, 29% strongly agreed, 18% agreed, 13% were undecided, 23%
disagreed while 17% strongly disagreed with the idea that they earn the same as or more than
other people in a similar job. Nevertheless, 26% strongly agreed, 25% agreed, 18% were
undecided, 19% disagreed while 12% strongly disagreed with the idea that the basis for payment,
for example overtime payment, is reasonable. Finally, 31% strongly agreed, 23% agreed, 12%
were undecided, 19% agreed while 15% strongly agreed with the idea that Salary increases are
decided on a fair manner.
From the study above its apparent that the level of motivation for civil servants at Ken Knit is
satisfactory as supported by 49% of the respondents who vehemently opposed this idea. This
might be attributed to the idea that motivation at Ken KNIT IS NOT WELL DISTRIBUTED. This trend

22
tends to push workers at Ken Knit to work well in the case to 61% of the respondents. In relation
to this statement, motivation of workers should be well looked into for better performance.

4.2.2 Employee perception towards motivation on employee performance at their work

places
The researcher sought to establish the role of Employee perception towards motivation on
employee performance at their work places.
The results were recorded in the table below for interpretation purposes.
Table 4.6 Role of perception towards motivation

Employee perception towards SA A U D SD TOTAL

motivation
I will be promoted within the next two Frequency 71 51 10 17 11 160
Percentage 44 32 6 11 7 100
years
Everyone has an equal chance of being Frequency 61 56 13 16 14 160
promoted Percentage 38 35 8 10 9 100
Staff are promoted in a fair and honest Frequency 68 49 16 18 9 160
Percentage 43 31 10 10 6 100
way
I am praised regularly for my work Frequency 51 48 29 14 18 160
Percentage 32 30 18 9 11 100

The study above reveals that 44% of the respondents strongly agreed, 32% agreed, 6% were
undecided, 11% disagreed while 7% strongly disagreed with the idea that they will be promoted
within the next two years. On the other hand, 38% strongly agreed, 35% agreed, 8% were
undecided, 10% disagreed while 9% strongly disagreed with the idea that everyone has equal
chance of being promoted. Moreover, 43% strongly agreed, 31% agreed, 10% were undecided,
10% disagreed while 6% strongly disagreed with the idea staffs are promoted in a fair and honest
way. Finally, 32% strongly agreed, 30% agreed, 18% were undecided, 9% disagreed while 11%
strongly disagreed with the idea that they are praised regularly for their work.
From the above study, it is apparent they will be promoted within next two years as supported by
76% of respondents who supported this idea. This might be attributed to the idea they have an

23
equal chances of being promoted. This also might be the fact that Staffs are promoted in a fair
and honest way as attributed by74% of the respondents. Workers are also praised in their work.

4.2.3 The effect of motivation on employee performance at Ken Knit

Effect of motivation on employee SA A U D SD TOTA
My salary is satisfactory in relation to Frequen 61 49 21 18 11 160
performance L
Percenta 37 30 13 11 9 100
what I do cy
I earn the same as or more than other ge
Frequen 50 41 27 22 20 160
people in a similar job Percenta
cy 31 25 17 14 13 100
The basis for payment, for example ge
Frequen 76 40 10 27 7 160
Percenta 48 25 6 17 4 100
overtime payment, is reasonable cy
Salary increases are decided on a fair ge
Frequen 46 39 31 21 23 160
Percenta 29 25 19 13 14 100
manner cy
ge
The study above indicates that 37% of the respondents strongly agreed, 30% agreed, 13% were
undecided, 11% disagreed while 9% strongly disagreed with the idea that their salary is
satisfactory in relation to what they do. On the other hand, 31% strongly agreed, 25% agreed,
17% were undecided, 14% disagreed while 13% strongly disagreed with the idea they earn the
same as or more than other people in a similar job. Moreover, 48% strongly agreed, 25% agreed,
6% were undecided, 17% disagreed while 4% strongly disagreed with the idea that the basis for
payment, for example overtime payment, is reasonable. Finally, 29% strongly agreed, 25%
agreed, 19% were undecided, 13% disagreed while 14% strongly disagreed that salary increases
are decided on a fair manner.

The study above indicates that workers tend to think much of their salary satisfaction in relation
to what they do resulting in work output as supported by 54% respondents for this idea. This
might be attributed to the idea the workers tend to be more jealousy of others on the basis of
payment likes overtime leading to low job performance.

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 CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1.1 Summary of the Findings
The study indicated that the population was well distributed to carry out the research and that
both age groups were well represented. The study indicates that both genders were well
represented to carry out the study. The education level of the respondents was ideal because the
respondents could read, interpret and answer questionnaires appropriately. However, those who
could not interpret the questionnaires were assisted in doing so.
The study above indicates that upbringing affects perception on science as supported by 42% of
the respondents who were for this idea. This might be attributed to the worker’s salary
satisfaction in relation to what they do supported this idea of promotion at work place and that
they earn the same as or even more than other people on the same work. In this regard, workers
who tend to have a positive attitude towards work were promoted and encourage working better
and encouraging tangible experiments at the same time. This trend by workers highly encourage
employer to increase payment and give reasonable overtime payment towards performance thus
exhilarate good performance

From the above study, it is apparent that promotion and increase salary acts as motivational
factor to the workers to perform well at work as supported by 76% of respondents who supported
this idea. This might be attributed to the idea that workers tend to be more discipline and
perform better owing to the fact this will bring them to success and empowerment. This also
might be the fact that they receive constructive criticism and are given credit o what they do as
attributed by74% of the respondents. Workers also believe in their ability to perform better to
please their employers to give reasonable hours.

5.2 Conclusions
The researcher concludes that the main challenge to employee motivation is remuneration and
promotion at the work place. However, there are policies that hinder performance in the work
place and maybe connected on how workers perform and are unwilling to cooperate fully and
give fewer skills than their ability. Praising employees also has contributed to them producing
their best skills and performance.

25
5.3 Recommendations
The researcher recommends that employee motivation should be taken seriously by employers to
ensure a better service provision by workers. Managers should have the responsibility to work
with the staff to find out their individual needs and put them side by side to the organizational
needs. By adhering to this, this ethic, it will be respected and trusted by the public and the
government.
5.4 Recommendations for further studies
The researcher recommends that further studies should be carried in the following areas;
i. To assess the effects of employees motivation and performance.
ii. To establish the effects proper recruitment of employees.
iii. To find out the impact of relationship between employees and employers.

26
 REFERENCES
Borman, W.C., (2004). The concept of organizational citizenship. Current Directions in
Psychological Science 13 (6), 238–241.
Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in
Experimental social psychology. New York: Academic Press.
Cameron, J., Deci, E., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. (2001).Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic
motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research,
71(1), 1- 50.
Deci, E. & Ryan, R. (2000). The what and why of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-
determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, il (4), 227-269.
Greenberg J &Baron A.R (2003) “Behaviour in Organisations”, Prentice Hall, Vol. 8, pp. 188-
215.
Hagedoom, M. & Van Yperen, N. (2003). Do highjob demands increase intrinsic motivation or
fatigue or both? The role of job control and job social support. Academy of Management
Journal, 46(3), 339-349.
Hammed T.A (2002). Workers’ Behaviour Assessment Battery. Stirling Horden Publishers. ISBN
978-032-040-7.
Vroom, V.H. 1964. Work and motivation. New York: Wiley.
Lawler, E.E., (2003). Treat people right. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.
Cascio, W.F. (2003). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits
(6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

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 APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRES
Section A: Demographic Data
Your gender?
Male [ ] Female [ ]
Your work experience
<5 [ ] 5- 9 [ ] 10- 14 [ ] 15- 19 [ ] >=20[ ]
Your education level
Secondary education [ ] Advanced (A – Level) [ ] Certificate [ ]
Diploma [ ] Degree [ ] Any other (specify) _______________

SECTION B: MOTIVATION SCALE

Payment SD D U A SA
My salary is satisfactory in relation to what I do
I earn the same as or more than other people in a
similar job
The basis for payment, for example overtime
payment, is reasonable
Salary increases are decided on a fair manner
Promotion
I will be promoted within the next two years
Everyone has an equal chance of being promoted
Staff are promoted in a fair and honest way
Recognition
I am praised regularly for my work
I receive constructive criticism about my work
I get credit for what I do
I am told that I am making progress
Working Conditions
My working hours are reasonable

28
 I am never overworked
3 I get the opportunity to mix with my colleagues
and to communicate on aspects of our work
Benefits
My pension benefits are good
My medical scheme is satisfactory
I never have problems with my arrangements for
leave
Others
I feel that my work is of value in my department
There is no time for idleness
I have a certain degree of authority in my work
My supervisor is satisfied easily
My supervisor is will support me if there are
problems
My supervisor is can be convinced and persuaded
My supervisor is a warm-hearted person

EFFECT OF MOTIVATION ON PERFORMANCE

How has motivation influenced your performance?
Choose one (1) of the following: True = T, Not sure NT
False (T) Not Sure (NT) True (T)
Made morale decline
Has caused jealousies
More willing to raise quantity
More willing to raise quality
Raised my motivation
More willing to work harder
More effective with the public

29
Express myself more clearly
Made more sensitive to workmates
Get my priorities right
Sustained high performance
Encouraged my initiative

30