ABSTRACT

The study examined motivation as a factor for the reduction of executive

burnout in the Public Sector Enterprises in Nigeria (A Case Study of NNPC).
Quasi-experimental research design, called survey, was used in this study.
Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data for this study.
The study selected a sample of one hundred and twenty five (125) respondents
from the staff of NNPC in Port Harcourt. One hundred and two (102) copies of
questionnaire were found relevant for the study. This number found useful
represents 81.60 % response rate. All the discussions in this study were done
based on this figure. The study has revealed that individuals in public enterprises
have different needs, problems and ways to contributions. To a large extent the
recognition of these differences through effective job evaluation and
performance appraisal helps individuals to undergo corrective measures to
improve their performances. Some workers have the needs for power, while
many others have the needs for afflation. The identification of the individuals
with various classes of needs enables the manager to know the type of reduction
of executive burnout/ instruments to be applied on the workers in order to elicit
their optimum commitment in the organisation. The study has equally revealed
that respect for workers contribution gives them the opportunity to transform
their ideas into concrete organisational activities. It is evident from the study
that the full commitment of staff cannot be realised unless one addresses
peoples psychological needs. To a large extent constructive criticism helps
employees to make amend in their work places and perform optimally for the
achievement of organisations objectives. Reduction of executive burnouts is
very necessary for effective motivation of the workforce which is the most
important asset in any public organisation. However, problems such as lack of
good leadership, union activities, level of productivity and cost of living affect
the effective and efficient use of non monetary incentive systems in public
organisations contribute to executive burnouts.. The study therefore
recommends that Public enterprises in Nigeria should embrace and adopt
effective use of motivational instruments to effect the reduction of executive
burnout in public sector organisations.

INTRODUCTION
There is no doubting the fact that despite modern technology explosion,
the employee remains the most vital ingredient of modern industries. Every
employee that renders services in an organization does so for a reward that will
motivate him or her to perform that very task in the organization. Variance in
reward system can therefore cause various degrees of employee satisfaction and/
or performance for the same calibre of secretaries and or employees.
Researchers on the issue of differential employee job satisfaction or
performance have not provided adequate remedy for poor employee satisfaction
or performance. Hence, various organizations adopt various incentives,
including reduction of executive burn outto motivate employees.
However, due to the fact that human responses and reactions are not
predictable, the possibility that improved system would increase employee job
satisfaction and/or performance cannot be guaranteed. Baridam, (2002)
contends that the introduction of incentives scheme implicitly assumes that
increased output will be obtained and that production system is deterministic in
its responses, whereas in reality it is not.
Nteile, (1998) opines that money ranks lowly in workers reward
expectation. Accordingly, what motivates employees is not outside motivation
but the desire to do a good job. The organization does not have to pay more for
the employee to work. But Nwachukwu, (1999) holds the view that the
Nigerian worker is said to have high aspiration for money and wealth that is not
just to live but more too for conspicuous leisure a situation, which completely
negates Herzbergs postulation that money is not a motivator.
Thus, public organizations have always been faced with the problem of
enlisting their members loyalty and commitment in the wake of various
government pronouncements on employee salary adjustment and administration.
The signs are obvious; low productivity, poor morale, sabotage, and above all
high employee turnover.
There are various research findings and their interpretations bring us
closer to the controversy of whether employees' motivation is directly related to
organizational non monetary incentives. As a passionately observed there are
increasing tendencies of employees' job turnover on account of low pay, this
study therefore seeks to examine the effects of reduction of executive burn outon
employees' motivation in public enterprises in Nigeria with reference to NNPC,
Port Harcourt.

Workers are demoralized because of the inequality and objectivity in

incentives schemes. To the employee, the wage paid reflects his level of
importance in the organization. It is the most potent qualitative measure
attached to each position and, consequently, the individual who occupies it. In
the wider society, it constitutes his purchasing power and influences his status.
The employees are very sensitive about how much they are paid vis--vis other
employees who occupy similar positions, not only in their own firm, but also in
the entire industry. If equity does not prevail, he becomes dissatisfied and may
decide to reduce his productivity or decide to resign.
The problem this study intends to address is, therefore to determine the
extent to which reduction of executive burn outhave contributed in creating or
forestalling employees' motivation, using NNPC as a case study. Every public
organisation expects high productivity from its workers and therefore tends to
ensure that the interests and needs of its workers are primary in order to meet its
targets. It is common knowledge that some managers do not let their employees
know what their responsibilities are in the performance of their jobs and are also
not given the authority that is equal to their responsibilities. These needs could
be in the form of the environment in which they work. Is the environment in
which they work conducive? For example, no worker can perform if the room
in which they carry out their duties is hot and the lighting not proper, so also, if
the furnishing not comfortable. Our interest in this study is to examine the
Effects of Reduction of executive burn outon Employees Motivation in Public
Enterprises in Nigeria (A Case Study of NNPC)
The major objectives of the study are:
1.
To determine the extent to which reduction of executive burn out
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
2.
To ascertain to what extent the involvement of employees in
decision-making influences employees' motivation in Public
Enterprises in Nigeria.
3.
To ascertain to what extent the treating of employees with respect
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
4.
To determine the extent to which constructive criticism of workers
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
5.
To determine the extent to which linking rewards to performance
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
The following research questions have been investigated in this study:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

To what extent does reduction of executive burn out influence

employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
To what extent does the involvement of employees in decisionmaking influence employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in
Nigeria?
To what extent does the treating of employees with respect
influence employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
To what extent does constructive criticism of workers influence
employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
To what extent does the linking of rewards to performance
influence employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?

(BRIEF HISTORYOF NIGERIAN

CORPORATION (NNPC)

NATIONAL

PETROLEUM

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the state

public corporation through which the federal government of Nigeria regulates
and participates in the country's petroleum industry.
NNPC was established on April 1, 1977 as a merger of the Nigerian
National Public Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel. NNPC
by law manages the joint venture between the Nigerian federal government and
a number of foreign multinational corporations, which include Royal Dutch
Shell, Agip, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Texaco (now merged with Chevron).
Through collaboration with these companies, the Nigerian government conducts
petroleum exploration and production. In 2007, the head of the Nigerian wing of
Transparency International said salaries for NNPC workers were too low to
prevent graft, (Mojeed, 2011).
The NNPC Towers in Abuja is the headquarters of NNPC. Consisting of
four identical towers, the complex is located on Herbert Macaulay Way, Central
Business District Abuja. NNPC also has zonal offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Port
Harcourt and Warri. It has an international office located in London, United
Kingdom, (Mojeed, 2011)..
NNPC Organisational Structure
The NNPC Group comprises the NNPC Board, the Group Managing
Director's office, Six Directorates as listed below. Each of the Directorates is
headed by a Group Executive Director (GED). Its Divisions are headed by
Group General Managers (GGM) while its subsidiary companies are headed by
4

Managing Directors. NNPC has several subsidiaries, two partly owned

subsidiaries and 16 associated companies.
Directorates:

Exploration and Production

Refining and Petrochemicals
Commercial and Investment
Finance and Accounts
Corporate Services
Gas and Power

Divisions and Subsidiaries:

Divisions
Subsidiaries
National Petroleum Investment and
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)
Management Service (NAPIMS)
Crude Public Marketing Division Nigerian Petroleum Development
(COMD)
Company (NPDC)
National Engineering and Technical
Research and Development (R&D)
Company (NETCO)
Engineering & Technology Division Pipeline and Products Marketing
(ETD)
Company (PPMC)
National Frontiers Exploration Services
Nigerian Gas Company (NGC)
(NFES)
Liquefied Natural Gas Division
Integrated Data Services Ltd (IDSL)
Warri Refining and Petrochemicals
Group Public Affairs Division (GPAD)
Company Ltd (WRPC)
Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals
Special Projects
Company Ltd (KRPC)
Port-Harcourt Refinery Company Ltd
Renewable Energy Division (RED)
(PHRC)
Nigerian Content Division (NCD)
NNPC Retail Ltd
Upstream
Business
Development
Nigeria-Gazprom Ltd (NiGaz)
Division
NIKORMA
Transport
Ltd
Group Human Resources Division
(NIKORMA)
Audit Division
NIDAS Marine Limited
Hydrocarbon
Services
Company
Information Technology Division
Nigeria Ltd (HYSON)
5

NNPC Medical Services

NNPC Pension Fund Ltd
Corporate Planning and Development
Duke Public Services Ltd (UK)
Division
Gas Master Plan
Calson Bermuda Ltd
Greenfield Refineries
NNPC Properties Ltd
Power Division
Brass LNG Limited
Finance Division
Accounts Division
Downstream Business Development
Division
Regulatory & Policy Compliance
KEYWORDS: Employees Commitment, Monetary incentives, Reduction
of Executive Burn out, Motivation, Performance

LITERATURE REVIEW
Motivation and Non Monetary Incentives
The term motivation is derived from the word motive which means a
reason for action. A vast array of literature exists examining the concept of
motivation within organizations. The term has been used to mean the
contemporary (immediate) influences on the direction, vigor and persistence of
action (Atkinson, 1964), how behavior gets started, is energized, is
sustained, is directed, is stopped, and what kind of subjective reaction is present
in the organism while all this is going on, (Baridam, 2002), a process
governing choices made by persons or lower organisms among alternative forms
of voluntary activity. (Vroom, 1964), psychological processes that cause the
arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed.
(McClelland, 1975), a set of processes concerned with the force that
energizes behavior and directs it toward attaining some goal. (Baron, 1983),
an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need, (Higgins, 1994). All these
different definitions offer some implications about human behavior. First, there
are some drives (needs) that make individuals behave in certain ways, and
second, individual behavior is goal oriented. Motivation is a continuous process
which starts with needs, continues with goal-oriented behavior and ends with the
satisfaction of needs.

It is important to consider the role of individual characteristics because

different individual needs and interests have to be compromised with the
organizations. People are motivated by unmet needs and these varies from
person to person according to their particular circumstances, values and beliefs,
family, education, personality, and work experience etc. While some individuals
may value a job with more creativity over a high-salaried job, others may seek
to work more to earn more money. These demonstrate that differences in
individuals can affect their work behaviors.
Variables originating from the nature of the job affect motivation in the
sense that job related characteristics such as increased autonomy, the
significance of the tasks, variety of activities and teamwork may result in
improved motivation for some individuals. But here, it is important to consider
the influence of individual characteristics at the same time, since everyone does
not want -to the same degree-to have an enriched job, nor perform better when
assigned to such a job.

As a third level of influence, work environment is

important for motivation regarding the quality of peer-group interactions,

leadership styles and salary and reward systems. As shown in Hawthorne studies
(Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939) peer-group influence can affect an employees
effort. In addition to this, supervisors can have a considerable influence in the
motivational process. They have role in the structuring of work activities and the

ability and freedom of employees to pursue their own personal goals on the job.
Supervisors can provide feedback about the employees performance, as well as
letting them to participate in the decision making process by asking their ideas.
The nature of relationship between the superior and subordinates, effectiveness
of communication among them also affects the motivational process. Finally, as
part of the work environment, the existence and the degree of utilization of
recognition systems can also affect how employees behave at work.
EQUITY THEORY AND REDUCTION OF EXECUTIVE BURNOUT
Equitytheorysuggeststhatemployeesperceptionsofaworkingsituation
intermsofhowfairlytheyaretreatedcomparedwithothersinfluencetheir
levelsofmotivation;motivationisaconsequenceofperceivedinequity(Adams,
1965).Accordingtoequitytheory,employeesmakecomparisons.Employees
determine their own work outcomes versus the effort or inputs required to
achievetheoutcomes,andcomparethesewithoutcomesandeffortsofother
employees.Iftheyrecognizethattheircompensationisequaltowhatothers
receive for similar inputs, they will believe that their treatment is fair and
equitable.Education,experience,effort,abilityetc.aretheinputstothejobby
theemployees.Outcomesthatemployeesreceivefromajobarepay,benefits,
promotionsandrewardsetc.Astateofequityreferstotheratioofonepersons
9

outcomestoinputsbeingequaltotheratioofanothersoutcomestoinputs.
Inequity takes place when the situation is reverse. For example, when an
employeewithahighlevelofeducationorexperiencereceivesthesamesalary
as a new, less educated employee, he/she may perceive it as inequality. Or
perceivedinequitymayoccurwhenanemployeethinksthathe/sheispaidmore
thanotherpeoplewhocontributethesameinputstotheorganizationAccording
to a major criticism, equity theory does not precisely characterize mental
processesbecauseitassumesthathumansmakementallistsofoutcomesand
theirlikelihoodandsumthemupsystematically.
Adams(1965)pointedoutthatperceivedinequitycreatesatensionthat
canmotivateindividualstobringequityintobalance,infourcommonways:
1) Altering effort: Individuals may change their level of input to the
organization.Forexample,underpaidindividualsmaydecreasetheirlevelof
effort or increase their absenteeism. Overpaid individuals may correct the
inequitybyworkingharderorgettingmoreeducation
2)Alteringoutcomes:Anunderpaidpersonmayrequestasalaryincrease,other
formsofrecognitionorabiggeroffice.Aunionmaytrytoimprovewagesand
workingconditionsinordertobeconsistentwithacomparableunionwhose
membersarepaidhigher(SamsonandDaft,2002).

10

3)Changinghowpeoplethinkaboutinputsoroutcomes:Accordingtoresearch,
peoplemayalterperceptionsofequityiftheyareunabletochangeeffortsor
outcomes(SamsonandDaft,2002).Thus,individualsmayunnaturallyincrease
thestatusattachedtotheirjobsordistortothersperceivedrewardstoensure
equity.
4)Leaving:Individualswhofeeltheylackequityintheworkplacemaychoose
toquittheirjobsratherthanbearingtheinequityofbeingunderpaidoroverpaid.
Theymayseekbalanceofequityapplyingfornewjobs.
The implication of equity theory for organizations is that, to motivate
employees it is necessary to ensure a state of equity in the work place by
establishingmechanismstodealwithperceivedinequitysituations.Otherwise
organizationsmayfacelowmotivation,lowperformance,highabsenteeismand
turnover.Asitismentionedbefore,atypicalexampleofperceivedinequityina
workorganizationisthesituationofanemployeewhobelievesthathis/herpeers
donotexertasmucheffortashimintheworkplace,althoughtheyareall
gettingthesame amount ofwage.Oranemployeemaythinkthathe/sheis
performing well above the expectations but being treated the same as other
employeeswhoarejustsatisfyingtheexpectations.Thismayleademployeesto
losetheirmotivationtodotheirbest,todomorethanwhatisexpectedfrom

11

them,tobecreativeandtobeproblemsolvers.Inthatkindofperceivedinequity
situations,employeemaydecidethathis/hereffortsdonotmakeanydifference
totheorganization,thusmaystopworkinghardtomakethingsfairinhis/her
mind.
In line with equity theory, a public employee in Nigeria,
like other public employees who have job security and a fixed
level of wage regardless of performance, may not be motivated
to exceed expectations unless he/she is treated different from
other employees when he/she makes a contribution. In other
words, without an effective recognition mechanism, it may be
expected that for most of the public employees, any attempt to
exceed expectations will create perceived inequity in time,
because their compensation will be equal to what others
receive for less contributions. As it is emphasized, employees
may lose their motivation in such cases and may decrease their
level of effort in order to get rid of the tension created by
perceived inequity. Thus, it is very important that in public
sector of Nigeria, an effective recognition system should exist
besides compensation and benefits, which will differentiate high
level performing individuals from lower performing ones. In light
12

of these, use of incentives becomes inevitable for public sector

to motivate employees by acknowledging the contributions
exceeding expectations.
This

study

proposes

that

non-monetary

incentives,

whether tangible, social or job-related, may be considered as

the tool that is most appropriate for public sector to accomplish
this objective. Non-monetary incentives offer variety of ways to
recognize public employees besides compensation, such as
letters of appreciation, plaques, gift certificates, tickets to
events, a thank-you note, pat on the back, public recognition in
a meeting, newsletter or bulletin board, opportunity to attend
training program of interest, tasks with more responsibility etc.
Moreover, as it is discussed in later sections, non-monetary
incentives may be superior to monetary incentives in many
aspects like cost, trophy value, separability from compensation,
social reinforcement, justifiability etc. With the existence of nonmonetary incentives to recognize good performance, those
public employees may feel that their efforts make a difference
to the organization and they are treated equitably. In turn, they
may be more motivated to continue such contributions because

13

theyll be differentiated from others who do not contribute as

much but paid the same monetary compensation. To conclude,
equity theory supports the idea that non-monetary incentives
may be effective in motivating public employees.

The Concept of Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by
excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and
unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the
interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling
increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel
like you have nothing more to give.
Most of us have days when we feel bored, overloaded, or unappreciated; when
the dozen balls we keep in the air arent noticed, let alone rewarded; when

14

dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel
like this most of the time, however, you may have burnout.
You may be on the road to burnout if:

Every day is a bad day.

Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.

Youre exhausted all the time.

The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mindnumbingly dull or overwhelming.

You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of lifeincluding your
home and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body
that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many
consequences, its important to deal with burnout right away.
Dealing with Burnout: The "Three R" Approach

Recognize Watch for the warning signs of burnout

Reverse Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support

Resilience Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your

physical and emotional health

15

The difference between stress and burnout

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isnt the same as too much
stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand
too much of you physically and psychologically. Stressed people can still
imagine, though, that if they can just get everything under control, theyll feel
better.
Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling
empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout
often dont see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress
is like drowning in responsibilities, burnout is being all dried up. While youre
usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you dont always notice burnout
when it happens.
Stress Versus Burnout
Stress

Burnout

Characterized by overengagement

Characterized by disengagement

Emotions are overreactive

Emotions are blunted

Produces urgency and hyperactivity

Produces helplessness and hopelessness

Loss of energy

Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope

Leads to anxiety disorders

Leads to detachment and depression

Primary damage is physical

Primary damage is emotional

16

Stress Versus Burnout

May kill you prematurely

May make life seem not worth living

Source: Stress and Burnout in Ministry

Causes of burnout
In many cases, burnout stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked
and undervalued is at risk for burnoutfrom the hardworking office worker
who hasnt had a vacation or a raise in two years to the frazzled stay-at-home
mom struggling with the heavy responsibility of taking care of three kids, the
housework, and her aging father.
But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities.
Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and certain
personality traits. What you do in your downtime and how you look at the world
can play just as big of a role in causing burnout as work or home
demands.
Work-related causes of burnout

Feeling like you have little or no control over your work

Lack of recognition or rewards for good work

Unclear or overly demanding job expectations

Doing work thats monotonous or unchallenging

17

Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

Lifestyle causes of burnout

Working too much, without enough time for relaxing and socializing

Being expected to be too many things to too many people

Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others

Not getting enough sleep

Lack of close, supportive relationships

Personality traits can contribute to burnout

Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough

Pessimistic view of yourself and the world

The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others

High-achieving, Type A personality

Warning signs and symptoms of burnout

Burnout is a gradual process that occurs over an extended period of time. It

doesnt happen overnight, but it can creep up on you if youre not paying
attention to the warning signals. The signs and symptoms of burnout are subtle
at first, but they get worse and worse as time goes on.

18

Think of the early symptoms of burnout as warning signs or red flags that
something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention to these
early warning signs, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them,
youll eventually burn out.
Physical signs and symptoms of burnout

Feeling tired and drained most of

the time

Frequent headaches, back pain,

muscle aches

Lowered immunity, feeling sick a

Change in appetite or sleep habits

lot
Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout

Sense of failure and self-doubt

Loss of motivation

Feeling helpless, trapped, and

Increasingly cynical and negative

defeated

outlook

Detachment, feeling alone in the

world

Decreased satisfaction and sense

of accomplishment

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout

Withdrawing

from

responsibilities

Using food, drugs, or alcohol to

cope

Taking out your frustrations on

19

Isolating yourself from others

Procrastinating, taking longer to

get things done
Preventing burnout

others

Skipping work or coming in late

and leaving early

If you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout in yourself, remember

that it will only get worse if you leave it alone. But if you take steps to get your
life back into balance, you can prevent burnout from becoming a full-blown
breakdown.
Burnout prevention tips

Start the day with a relaxing ritual. Rather than jumping out of bed as
soon as you wake up, spend at least fifteen minutes meditating, writing in
your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires
you.

Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits. When you eat
right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have
the energy and resilience to deal with lifes hassles and demands.

Set boundaries. Dont overextend yourself. Learn how to say no to

requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that

20

saying no allows you to say yes to the things that you truly want to
do.

Take a daily break from technology. Set a time each day when you
completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and
stop checking email.

Nourish your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout.

Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby.
Choose activities that have nothing to do with work.

Learn how to manage stress. When youre on the road to burnout, you
may feel helpless. But you have a lot more control over stress than you
may think. Learning how to manage stress can help you regain your
balance.
Recovering from burnout

Sometimes its too late to prevent burnoutyoure already past the breaking
point. If thats the case, its important to take your burnout very seriously. Trying
to push through the exhaustion and continue as you have been will only cause
further emotional and physical damage.
While the tips for preventing burnout are still helpful at this stage, recovery
requires additional steps.
21

Burnout recovery strategy #1: Slow down

When youve reached the end stage of burnout, adjusting your attitude or
looking after your health isnt going to solve the problem. You need to force
yourself to slow down or take a break. Cut back whatever commitments and
activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal.
Burnout recovery strategy #2: Get support
When youre burned out, the natural tendency is to protect what little energy you
have left by isolating yourself. But your friends and family are more important
than ever during difficult times. Turn to your loved ones for support. Simply
sharing your feelings with another person can relieve some of the stress. The
other person doesnt have to ret to fix your problems; he or she just has to be a
good listener. Opening up wont make you a burden to others. In fact, most
friends will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it
will only strengthen your friendship.
Burnout recovery strategy #3: Reevaluate your goals and priorities
Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not
working. Take time to think about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Are you
neglecting something that is truly important to you? Burnout can be an

22

opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change course
accordingly.
Recovering from burnout: Acknowledge your losses
Burnout brings with it many losses, which can often go unrecognized.
Unrecognized losses trap a lot of your energy. It takes a tremendous amount of
emotional control to keep yourself from feeling the pain of these losses. When
you recognize these losses and allow yourself to grieve them, you release that
trapped energy and open yourself to healing. These may include the loss of:

Idealism or dream with which you entered your career

The role or identity that originally came with your job

Physical and emotional energy

Friends, fun, and sense of community

Self-esteem and sense of control

Joy, meaning and purpose that make workand lifeworthwhile

Coping with job burnout

The most effective way to combat job burnout is to quit doing what youre doing
and do something else, whether that means changing jobs or changing careers.

23

But if that isnt an option for you, there are still things you can do to improve
your situation, or at least your state of mind.

Actively address problems. Take a proactive rather than a passive

approach to issues in your workplace, including stress at work. Youll feel
less helpless if you assert yourself and express your needs. If you dont
have the authority or resources to solve the problem, talk to a superior.

Clarify your job description. Ask your boss for an updated description
of your job duties and responsibilities. Point out things youre expected to
do that are not part of your job description and gain a little leverage by
showing that youve been putting in work over and above the parameters
of your job.

Ask for new duties. If youve been doing the exact same work for a long
time, ask to try something new: a different grade level, a different sales
territory, a different machine.

Take time off. If burnout seems inevitable, take a complete break from
work. Go on vacation, use up your sick days, ask for a temporary leaveof-absenceanything to remove yourself from the situation. Use the time
away to recharge your batteries and take perspective.

24

Types of Reduction of executive burnout and Employees Want in the

Workplace
The following reduction of executive burn out instruments or strategies
have been identified by Enyioko, (2005) as positive motivators towards
performance in the work place:
1. Opportunity to Learn, Develop and Advance as an Employee.
Employees understand they need to grow, learn and develop new skills in
order to advance. The ability to be able to choose their assignments and
rise to new challenges offered by new responsibilities.
2. Flexible Hours.
Family, children, friends, church, sports, hobbies and other activities all
have demands on today's employees. A flexible schedule or the occasional
afternoon off can help employees meet some of these obligations. By
allowing some flexibility in an employees schedule you can increase
their desire and motivation.
3. Recognition.
In today's high paced work environment it is reported that employees
consider recognition of their work and efforts rare and infrequent. Think
about it - What better way to have an employee continue their good work
and success then to offer them praise-verbal, written or ideally a public
announcement.
4. The Opportunity to Contribute.
- The opportunity to be part of the team.
- To work closely with managers and management.
- To be involved in key decisions.
- To be listened to and heard.
5. Independence and Autonomy
Employees want to be able to work independently. They do not want
someone constantly watching over them and questioning their every
move. They like to receive their assignments -preferable with the time
frame required for completion and then have the independence to
complete the work given the guidelines and framework you have set on
their own merits.

25

These benefits can go a long way in creating Employee/Employer loyalty and

respect. This clearly demonstrates there are many points, besides money, to
consider when you establish your management and employee policies.
Monetary Bonuses and Incentives versus Gifts & Awards
Research on what employees value for rewards and recognition indicated a
monetary reward only ranked 12th in a list of items important to employees. It is
true, we all need money for the expenses of day to day living but studies indicate
that when employees receive a monetary bonus it is typically used to pay bills,
expenses or purchase something that the employee needs, not something they
truly enjoy. Consequently money becomes a very in-personal gift.
Conversely, if you want to give a very sincere gift that not only says thanks but
will help create the loyalty, dedication and motivation you would like your
employees to have, consider a gift or award that will touch them personally.
Something they will truly enjoy and use or something that brings them pleasure
in their leisure or family time.
Factors that Essentially Contribute To Burnout
1. Expectation of greater workload and longer hours
2. Loss of individual autonomy, over scheduling, predictable income, loss of
trust and respect of your professional role
3. Pressure to take on more risks as your business system demands compliance
and to decrease costs but increase quality
4. Inability to balance personal and professional life
5. Decreased company or peer socialization and collegiality
6. Lack of positive and timely feedback from management or the owners of the
company
7. Difficulty in saying No (at work, home, church, volunteer activities, or in
the community)
8. Unrealistic expectations from customers or employees

26

Non-Monetary Methods of Motivation

People management - Non-financial methods of motivation
Most businesses recognise the need for non-financial methods of motivation.
The main ones are described briefly below:
Job enlargement
Job enlargement involves adding extra, similar, tasks to a job. In job
enlargement, the job itself remains essentially unchanged. However, by
widening the range of tasks that need to be performed, hopefully the employee
will experience less repetition and monotony.
With job enlargement, the employee rarely needs to acquire new skills to carry
out the additional task. A possible negative effect is that job enlargement can be
viewed by employees as a requirement to carry out more work for the same pay!
Job rotation
Job rotation involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in
order to increase interest and motivation.
For example, an administrative employee might spend part of the week looking
after the reception area of a business, dealing with customers and enquiries.
Some time might then be spent manning the company telephone switchboard
and then inputting data onto a database.
Job rotation may offer the advantage of making it easier to cover for absent
colleagues, but it may also reduce' productivity as workers are initially
unfamiliar with a new task. Job rotation also often involves the need for extra
training.
Job enrichment
Job enrichment attempts to give employees greater responsibility by
increasing the range and complexity of tasks they are asked to do and giving
them the necessary authority. It motivates by giving employees the opportunity

27

to use their abilities to the fullest. Successful job enrichment almost always
requires further investment in employee training.
Team working and empowerment
As opined by Heller and Hindle, (1998) empowerment involves giving
people greater control over their working lives. Organising the labour force into
teams with a high degree of autonomy can achieve this. This means that
employees plan their own work, take their own decisions and solve their own
problems. Teams are set targets to achieve and may receive rewards for doing
so. Empowered teams are an increasingly popular method of organising
employees at work.
THE CAUSES OF EMPLOYEES LOW PRODUCTIVITY
Employees low productivity may arise as a result of several factors such
as wage/salary deficiencies, acquisition of higher qualification or skill by
employees, social-cultural consideration, government/economic policies, job
dissatisfaction, poor supervisory style, and poor work environment.
Wages and Salaries: Wages / Salaries is typically the accumulated product of
various component of pay, for example, rate, shift premium bonus and overtime
allowance, transport allowance, housing allowance etc. This is an urgent means
of achieving a minimum standard of living. Wages or money can be used as a
reflection of other motivators apart from satisfaction of material wants.
Monday, Holmes and Flippo,(1980)) attempted to determine the relative
importance of incentives and salaries as factors causing low productivity. They
came to the conclusion that the lack of incentives and equitable salaries, as
compared with that in the industry, brings about job-dissatisfaction which may
lead to low productivity. Monday, Holmes and Flippo,(1980)) using data from
29 organisations in the United States Government support for the hypothesis that
certain collectives beginning contract policies e.g. he or she pay rates, sick leave
benefits, might be strongly correlated to organizations turnover rate.
Government Economic Policies:
Economic policies such as monetary and
fiscal policies, structural adjustment programme (SAP), and commercialization
and privatization programme etc have tremendous influence on employees'
motivation as many employees have either been rendered or dismissed for lack
of business or intended closure or business due to economic downturn. Johnnie,
(1997), in a search for causes of mobility among pilots, foot balers and medical
doctors in Nigeria discovered that the hash economic condition was responsible
or contributory.

28

This phenomenon is more glaring in the manufacturing industry where

most of their spare parts are imported. The public sector is also affected
particularly on government parastatals. This inability to cope with the harsh
situation causes the employer to pay lower salaries as compared to other
employers in other industries which may leas to the workers exit from the
organization. Stoner, (1995), attributes unemployment and redundancy to
unfavourable economic conditions where the requirement to carry out work of a
particular kind have censed or diminished. To reduce the carrying-cost,
employers reduce their labour force popularly termed retrenchment.
Educational Factors: Ubeku, (1975 in support of the relationship between
education and productivity stated that education was in an economic life.
Therefore, lack of enhancement of ones skill and productivity is used as a key
to higher income and results into mobility.
Job Dissatisfaction:
Performance literally means to accomplish. Do you
think a dissatisfied worker can perform a tentative answer will be simply No. As
Baridam (2002) puts
It performance
=
Individual work organizational
Attributes effect support
It is believed that if an individual has the first two (i.e. attributes and work
effect) but lacks the organization support, then he will be dissatisfied. This may
lead to employees' motivation. Koontz, Odonnel, and Weihrich, (1980): after a
review of previous work done on dissatisfaction and turnover expressed the
view that turnover is expected to be higher among dissatisfied worker than
satisfied worker to the extent that work dissatisfaction indicates. Ubeku (1975)
in support of this view as stated by the factors which may be responsible are
lack to independence, organizational prospects etc. these are mainly attributed
by Newman, Logan and Hegarty,(1985) to individual needs and goals. Lack of
satisfaction with work or work environment of a long time may lead to turnover.
Monday, Holmes and Flippo, (1980) postulated that the removal of factors of
dissatisfaction such as poor wages, poor working conditions and inadequate
supervision which not drastically reduce soredome associated with the job. But
when the job is loaded with achievements, and motivator perceived by
employees, such as recognition associated with achievements responsibility and
advancement, job dissatisfactory is reduced.
Supervisory Styles: Stoner, (1995), found that the best attendance record was
regarded as having companys best supervisors. There is no disputing the fact
that supervisors extent a lot of influence in the workers adjustment and
integration into a work group. Baridam, (2002) attributed this to the ability of
cash supervisor to effectively handle the human side of the organization. Pigors
and Myers (1984) discovered that a participate supervisor succeeds in making
29

the employees to know his contribution in the scheme of things. Employees who
have strong sense of participation and were aware of the relationship of their job
to the overall production and better attendance records. So as the quality of
supervision increases the turnover rate reduces.
Work Environment: Johnnie, (1997), Monday, Holmes and Flippo, (1980)
found that poor working environment leads to mobility. Poor lighting, poor
drainage and crowded condition of work correlates with mobility. Pleasant
surroundings, good employees welfare programmes are always reducing
absenteeism or tardiness to work, Newman, Logan and Hegarty,(1985) found
poor working condition to gave a relationship with tardiness. This view was
upheld by Pigors and Myer (984) but it can also be due to lack of knowledge of
organizational culture.
REWARD SYSTEM AND NON MONETARY INCENTIVES
A reward system should influence employee to work effectively in the
organisation. It should also have a positive impact on employee's satisfaction
and morals. Enyioko, (2005), further asserts that a reward system must
accomplish four things if it is to be truly effective. First, it must enable people
to satisfy their basic needs. In terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, for
example, rewards should enable employees to satisfy the first two levels of
needs.
Secondly, an effective reward system should provide rewards comparable
to those offered by other organizations. In equity theory, employees at one firm
will experience inequity if they think that their inputs to outcome ratios are
higher than those of employees at some other firm. This can result in decreased
effort on increased productivity. Thirdly, rewards must be distributed fairly and
equitably within the organisation as people are more likely to compare
themselves with others in the same firm than with workers elsewhere, hence,
perception of equity come into play. Fourth, an effective reward system must
recognize the fact that different people have different needs and may choose
different paths to the fulfilment of those needs. Some people want economic
gain whereas others want more leisure time. Some people may want to earn
more money by simply working longer hours in their current positions while
others may prefer to earn more money through promotions and new job
opportunities.
According to Ogbeide (1990:21), a reward system contains arrangement
in .the form of processes, practices, structures, subsystem and. procedures which
will be concerned with providing and maintaining appropriate types and level of
pay benefits and other forms of reward.
Component of a Reward System and Incentives
30

The components of a reward system consist of financial rewards (basic and

performance pay) and employee benefits, which together comprise total
remuneration. They also include non-financial rewards (recognition, praise,
achievement, responsibility and personal growth) and in many cases, a system of
performance management. In the view of Opubriri (1993:34-40), the macro
elements of the system are:
1.
Processes of measuring the value of jobs, the worth of individuals
in those jobs and the range and level of employee benefits to be
provided.
These processes consist of market analysis, job
evaluation and performance management.
2.
Practices for motivating people by the use of financial and nonfinancial rewards. The later will be provided generally by the
culture and values of the organisation and specifically by the
quality of management and leadership, the work itself and the
opportunities given employees to develop their skills and career
within the organisation.
3.
Structures for relating pay and benefit level, the value of positions
in the organizations job hierarchy, and for providing scope of
rewarding people according to their performance, skill and
experience.
4.
Systems for providing financial rewards and incentives to people
according to individual, group or organizational performance.
5.
Procedures for maintaining the system and for ensuring that it
operates efficiently and flexibly and provides value for money.

PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTING WAGE/SALARY

MONETARY INCENTIVE SCHEMES

AND

NON

Generally, the following problems hinge upon the effective

implementation of compensation management.
i)

Trade Union and Employees Attitudes: Very often trade union

officials and employees are very critical in terms of pay. For
instance, the Nigerian Labour Congress has persistently continued
to demand for increment of workers pay from time to time.

ii)

Getting managers to Change: one of the critical factors in

Nigeria business/industry is the reluctance to agree to new methods
more especially in terms of wage and incentive schemes. This is
31

particularly the case with small bureau managers who have had
business managers who have had no formal education/training in
managerial techniques (Nwachukwu, 1985)
iii)

Prevailing Wage Rate: Some jobs are paid more than is indicated
because of market forces for instance work like a computer analyst
would likely attract more pay relative to his counterparts in other
fields

iv)

Productivity:
A company must make profit to survive without
profit the company cannot attract investors therefore, a company
cannot pay its workers more than what they produce in the firm
(Ogbeide, 1990).

v)

Government Regulations:
Government makes laws that
regulate compensation management such laws include minimum
wage rate act, maternity protection act, etc. In Nigeria presently,
the minimum wage rate per month is N=7,000. Therefore every
employer is expected to take this into consideration while looking
for a worker.

REWARD AND PERFORMANCE

A great deal has already been said and written about reward and
performance. Theoretically, the correlation between them is clear.
Reward should serve to motivate performance by satisfying work, related
needs. What we often ignore is practice, however, people vary in the
importance they attach to various rewards and no universal reward system
is available that will motivate all employees equally (Baridam, 2002).
In fact, the empirical evidence regarding the influence of specific
rewards on work performances is mixed. The most studied reward is
money. Studies of the influence of pay as observed by Ahiauzu (1981)
has been found to the positively associated with performance. A number
of considerations are important in reacting to the finding, first reduction
of executive burn outare only one of a broad array of rewards important
to employees. In cases where a wage incentive would be expected to
have little effect on performance. A successful incentive formula depends
upon a judgement regarding a reasonable amount of work for each
incentive payment. Time and motion study is used to make this

32

determination. What time and motion analysts judge to be reasonable

are often in disagreement (Koontz, etal 1980).
Another factor in work groups distrust of incentive formula is the
fear of working oneself liberally out of job. The belief is that if one
works too fast and produces so much in a short period of time,
management may have no further use for employees until demand for the
work arises again. Group after like to slow the pace of work in order to
maintain stable employment. Finally, equity norms can be violated by
some members in a group that are on incentive while others remain under
their normal time form of payment. In such cases, it is quite possible that
an employee who has been earning less than another under the time basis
can earn more when placed on an incentive plan. A further consideration
regarding the uncertain effect of incentive wage plan on performance is
the finding that although many firms believe that they have tied pay to
performance. In fact, pay policies tie rewards closely to such factors as
age, seniority, qualification, job placement, sex, position, etc (Ogbeide,
1990).
Secrecy is another consideration regarding the influence of reward
on performance which many organisation continue to uphold as a strict
policy. The most common justification for such a policy is that public
disclosure of pay package would constitute an invasion of individuals
privacy. A less frequently sited reason for secrecy is that the pay itself is
in equitable, and management fears that publicity concerning it would
lead to unrest and disaffection among employees. Behavioural scientists
have pointed out that secrecy policy crumples the effectiveness with
which management can link pay and performance if employees cannot
get feedback regarding the relative rewards they have to receive for the
effort, pay cannot be expected to have any significant effect on behaviour
(Herzberg, 1959, and Baridam, 2002). The problem is made even worse
by the assumption that secrecy about pay does not exist people
concertedly misperceive the actual pay rates of others in the organisation.
It is equally found that managers tend to over-estimate the income of
other managers in the organisation. Such non-perfection can lead to
dissatisfaction with pay and negate any motivational impact of a reward
system. Theoretically, at least, if a company ants to link pay with
performance, it must provide information about relative rate pay.
A popular, although arguably simplistic way of thinking about
employees performance is in terms of seeing it as a function of the
33

interactive of ability and motivation. Figure 2.1 show the association

relationship between ability performance motivation and opportunity.

Figure: 21: OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM

Ability
Performance

Motivation

Opportunity

Source: ELLIG, B.H. (1997): Compensation Management: Its Past, its future
Personnel Journal Vol. 54 No. 3 (May) PP41-52
From figure 2.1, we have seen that opportunity to perform is a function
of ability and motivation as enunciated by Eligg (1997). Symbolically,
Performance = f (A x M) which means that performance is a function of ability
and motivation. If either is inadequate, performance will be negatively affected.
Ability is individuals intelligence and still if we are to be able to explain
accurately and predict employees performance we need to add opportunity to
perform to our equation performance = f (A x u x o). even though an
individual may be willing, there may be obstacles that hinder performances, in
this case he should be given opportunity to prove his worth. This is shown in
figure 2.1. when one attempts to assess why an employee may be performing to
the level that one believes he/she is capable of supporting the management and
the environment it becomes clearer why opportunity should be recognised.
Employees Commitment:
Tendency of an employee giving total loyalty to
his work with zeal and desire required in performing such work in order to
achieve a given target.
34

Motivation: Motivation is a theoretical concept that accounts for the fact that
people choose to engage in particular behaviour at a particular time .
Monetary incentives:
Monetary incentives involve granting of reward in
terms of money such as commissions, bonuses etc.
Non-monetary or non-cash incentives:
Non-monetary or non-cash
incentives do not involve direct payment of cash and they can be tangible or
intangible. Some examples of this kind of incentives are; encouraging the
employees by providing them with autonomy in their job and participation in
decision making, assigning challenging duties, improving working conditions,
recognizing good work through small gifts, letters of appreciation, plagues,
tickets to restaurant etc.
Performance:
This is a process of achieving a given standard at a given
period of time. It is also an ability to carry out a given activity effectively and
efficiently.

Research Methodology
Quasi-experimental research design, which is called survey, is adopted
in this study.
Sampling Procedure
The sample (respondents) for this study consisted of workers and
management staff of NNPC in Port Harcourt. However, the sampling technique
adopted for this study i.e. for the selection of the sample (respondents), is the
simple random sampling technique.
Data Collection Methods
The primary data in this study were collected through the questionnaire
Data Analysis Techniques
Descriptive and inferential/statistics were used to analyze the data for this
study. The descriptive statistics have been used for the analyzing and
understanding of any treatment of numerical data, which does not involve
generalization while the inferential statistics are used to make generalization,
predictions or estimations about a given data. In this study, percentage, ratios,
frequency distribution and other statistical tools have been used.

35

RESULTS
Out of the one hundred and twenty five (125) copies of questionnaire
administered, one hundred and thirteen (113) respondents returned their copies
of questionnaire. However, after editing the copies of questionnaire, 102 copies
were found useful for the study, and this figure represents 81.60% response rate
based on the ones found useful. The finding are presented, analysed and
discussed by using the 102 respondents found relevant for the study as follows:
Table 1

Administration and Collection of Questionnaire and their

Response Rate
Groups
/ Number
of Number
of Number
of Response
Respondents
Questionnaire Questionnaire Questionnaire Rate Based on
Administered Returned
Found Useful Number
of
Questionnaire
Found Useful
Clerks
/ 25
23
21
84
Receptions
Supervisors / 30
27
26
87
Accounts
Officers
Secretaries
22
20
18
82
Managers
15
13
11
73
Controllers
12
11
8
67
Marketers
15
14
13
87
Directors
6
5
5
83
Total
125
113
102
81.60
Source: Survey Data, 2014
Table 1 shows that a total of 125 copies of questionnaire were administered
on the workers of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Of this
number, one hundred and thirteen (113) respondents returned their copies of
questionnaire. After going through the returned copies of questionnaire, one
hundred and two (102) copies were found relevant for the study. This number
found useful represents 81.60 % response rate. All the discussions in this study
36

are done based on this figure. Directors, Managers, Accounts Officers, Marketers
Managers, Supervisors, Clerks/Receptionists constituted the respondents for the
study.
RESEARCH QUESTION 1
To what extent does reduction of executive burn out influence employees'
motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
Table 2: The Extent to Which Reduction of Executive Burn out Influences
Employees' Motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria
Options
Number
of
Percentage
respondents
outcomes
To a very large extent
19
19%
To a large extent
17
17%
To a moderate extent
28
27%
To a low extent
26
25%
To a very low extent
12
12%
Total
102
100%
Source: Survey Data, 2014.
Table.2 shows that 19% of the respondents indicated that to a very large
extent the reduction of executive burn out influences employees' motivation in
Public Enterprises in Nigeria, 17% of the respondents indicated that to a large
extent the reduction of executive burn out influences employees' motivation in
Nigerian organisations while 27% of the respondents indicated that to a
moderate extent the reduction of executive burn out influences employees'
motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria organisations. Table 3.2 equally
shows that 25% of the respondents indicated that to a low extent the reduction of
executive burn out influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in
Nigeria while 12% of the respondents indicated to a very low extent to the
question.
RESEARCH QUESTION 2
To what extent does the involvement of employees in decision-making
influence employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?

37

Table 3: The Extent to Which the Involvement of Employees in DecisionMaking Influences Employees' Motivation in Public Enterprises
in Nigeria
Options
Number
of
Percentage
respondents
outcomes
To a very large extent
18
18%
To a large extent
10
10%
To a moderate extent
8
8%
To a low extent
35
34%
To a very low extent
31
30%
Total
102
100%
Source: Survey Data, 2014.
Table 3 shows that 18% of the respondents indicated that to a very large
extent the involvement of employees in decision-making influences employees'
motivation in Nigerian public enterprises; 10% of the respondents indicated that
to a large extent the involvement of employees in decision-making influences
employees' motivation in Nigerian public enterprises while 8% of the
respondents indicated to a moderate extent to the question. Also 34% of the
respondents indicated that to a low extent the involvement of employees in
decision-making influences employees' motivation in Nigerian public
enterprises. Only 30% of the respondents indicated that to a very low extent the
involvement of employees in decision-making influences employees' motivation
in Nigerian public enterprises.
RESEARCH QUESTION 3
To what extent does the treating of employees with respect influence employees
for employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?

38

Table 4: The Extent to Which the Treating of Employees with Respect

Influences Employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in
Nigeria
Options
Number
of
Percentage
respondents
outcomes
To a very large extent
40
39%
To a large extent
25
24%
To a moderate extent
20
20%
To a low extent
10
10%
To a very low extent
7
7%
Total
102
100%
Source: Survey Data, 2014.
Table 4 shows the extent to which the treating of employees with respect
influences employees' motivation in Nigerian public enterprises. Forty (39%) of
the respondents indicated to a very large extent to the question; 25 (24%) of the
respondents indicated to a large extent; 20 (20%) of the respondents indicated to a
moderate extent that the treating of employees with respect influences employees'
motivation in Nigerian public enterprises, 10(10%) of the interviewed staff
indicated that to a low extent there is relationship while 7(7%) of the respondents
indicated to a very low, extent that the treating of employees with respect
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria
RESEARCH QUESTION 4
To what extent does constructive criticism of workers influence employees'
motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
Table 5: The Extent to Which Constructive Criticism of Workers
Influence Employees' Motivation in Public Enterprises in
Nigeria
Options
Number
of
Percentage
respondents
outcomes

39

To a very large extent

38
To a large extent
26
To a moderate extent
20
To a low extent
6
To a very low extent
12
Total
102
Source: Survey Data, 2014.

37%
25%
20%
6%
12%
100%

The presentations in table 5 show that 38(37%) of the respondents

indicated that to a very large extent constructive criticism of workers influences
employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria; 26(25%) of the
respondents indicated to a large extent; 20(20%) of the respondents indicated to a
low extent, 6% the respondents indicated to a low extent while 12(12%) of the
respondents indicated to a very low extent that constructive criticism of workers
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
RESEARCH QUESTION 5
To what extent does the linking of rewards to performance influence employees'
motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria?
Table 6: the Extent to which the linking of rewards to performance
influences employees motivation in Public Enterprises
in Nigeria
Options
Number
of
Percentage
respondents
outcome
To a very large extent
8
To a large extent
21
To a moderate extent
16
To a low extent
52
To a very low extent
4
Total
102
Source: Survey Data, 2014

8%
20%
16%
51%
4%
100%

Table 6 shows the presentations of the respondents opinions on the extent to

which the linking of rewards to performance influences employees' motivation
in Nigerian public enterprises. 8% of the respondents indicated to a very large
extent; 20% of the respondents indicated to a large extent to the question; 16%
of the respondents indicated to a moderate extent that the linking of rewards to

40

performance influences employees' motivation in Nigerian public enterprises;

51% of the respondents indicated to a low extent to the question; while 4% of
the respondents indicated that to a very low extent the linking of rewards to
performance influences employees' motivation in Nigerian public enterprises.

Table 7: Key Non Monetary Variables for motivating employees

in the public enterprises in Nigeria
Options
Number of Percentage Ratings
Respondents Response
N=102
Match to jobs
78
76%
7th
Use of goals
83
81%
5th
Check the system for equity
96
94%
1st
Keep employees informed
93
91%
2nd
Maintain high standards
81
79%
6th
Outline job responsibilities
91
89%
3rd
Maintain an open door policy
91
89%
3rd
Ask for suggestion
Treat employee with respect
Be aware of the morale level of
employees
Source:
Survey Data, 2014.

88
74
70

86%
72%
68%

4th
8th
9th

Table 7 shows the various non monetary measures or strategies that could
be used to influence employees in the public enterprises. From the data, it is
seen that Check the system for equity came first as 94% of the respondents
indicated this, thereby placing the option 1 st in the rating. Followed in that order
is Keep employees informed which has been rated 2nd by 91% of the
respondents. Outline job responsibilities and Maintain an open door policy
came 3rd in the rating of the strategies for motivating employees in the public
enterprises in Nigeria; this is because 89% of the respondents indicated these
options. The 4th strategic option for motivating employees in the public
enterprises in Nigeria; is Ask for suggestion indicated by 86% of the
respondents. Use of goals came 5th in the rating as 81% of the respondents
indicated this. Another strategy for motivating employees in the public
41

enterprises in Nigeria is Maintain high standards which has been indicated by

79% of the respondents, thereby placing the option 6th in the rating. Match to
jobs is another factor identified by 76% of the respondents for motivating
employees in the public enterprises in Nigeria, placing the option 7 th in the
rating. Equally, 72% of the respondents identified Treat employee with respect
as one of the major strategic options for motivating employees in the public
enterprises in Nigeria placing the option 8th in the rating. Finally, 68% of the
respondents identified 'Be aware of the morale level of employees as another
strategy for motivating employees in the public enterprises in Nigeria, thereby
placing the option 9th in the rating.
Table 8: Major Factors Affecting the Effective Use of Non Monetary
Incentives in Public Enterprises in Nigeria
Options
Numbers of
Percentage
Rating
Respondents
Response
N=102
100

98

1st

94

92

4th

Cost/standard of living in the country

97

95

2nd

Prevailing market wage rate

88

86

6th

Employee turnover

95

93

3rd

85

83

7th

84

82

8th

Change toward adopting equitable

compensation
Lack of objectives

81

79

9th

94

92

4th

Problem from the labour union

91

89

5th

Employee truancy/attitude

91

89

5th

Level of productivity
organisation
Size of the Organisation

of

Government
policies
rules/regulations
Bad organizational structure

the

and

Source: Survey Data, 2014.

Table 8 shows Major factors affecting the effective incentives of labour in public
enterprises in Nigeria.
The first challenge or problem from the exercise as
indicated by 98% of the respondents is Level of productivity of the organisation
this is followed by Cost/standard of living in the country, indicated by 95% of the
42

respondents. The third challenge identified by 93% of the respondents is

Employee turnover while the fourth challenges affecting the effective incentives
of employees in public enterprises in Nigeria indicated by 92% of the respondents
are: Size of the Organisation and Lack of objectives. Also the data in table 4.12
reveal that 89% of the respondents indicated Problem from the labour union and
Employee truancy/attitude as the 5th factors constituting challenges or problems to
the effective incentives of employees in public enterprises in Nigeria.
. The 6th problem identified by 86% of the respondents is Prevailing market wage
rate. Equally, Government policies and rules/regulations have been identified by
83% of the respondents as the 7th factor affecting employees incentives. The data
show that Bad organizational structure is a major challenge facing the public
enterprises in Nigeria in incentives of employees as indicated by 82% of the
respondents. Finally, 79% of the respondents indicated that Change toward adopting
equitable compensation is the 9th major challenge facing the public enterprises in
Nigeria in incentives of labour.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
In the two previous sections of this chapter we have presented and
analysed the datas. This section leaves us with the option of discussing
the findings with critical examination of their implications on the study.
The study has revealed that individuals in public enterprises have
different needs, problems and ways to contributions. To a large extent the
recognition of these differences through effective job evaluation and
performance appraisal helps individuals to undergo corrective measures to
improve their performances. Some workers have the needs for power,
while many others have the needs for afflation. The identification of the
individuals with various classes of needs enables the manager to know the
type of reduction of executive burn out/ instruments to be applied on the
worker in order to elicit their optimum commitment in the organisation.
The studys findings agree with McClellands needs theory of incentives
which insists that the recognition of special needs of workers are of
immense relevance to managers since all must be identified to make
organisation work well (McClelland 1965: 6-24). Nelson (2006:8) in his
work 1001 Ways to Energise Employees identified variables such as the
non monetary incentives, performance appraisal, job content evaluation,
matching people with job and individualization of reward systems as the
major panaceas for motivating employees in an organisation. To a very
large extent, the findings of the study tarry with Nelsons submissions;
43

because one of the sweetest things an upcoming employee likes to hear is

the news that he/she is recognised and appreciated by his organisation.
Participative decision making allows the employee to contribute
his/her ideas in the day to day running of the organisation. By allowing
the employees to be part of the decision making in their organisations,
they feel free to make suggestions that would help move the enterprise
forward, the study has equally revealed. Likert (1967:32) opines that
involving employees in decision making allows for participative
management for which the management has confidence in their staff and
the staff feel responsible in accomplishing organisational mission.
Involvement of employees in decision making encourages communication
and team work, the study revealed. It is found in this study that involving
employees in decision making is one of the best approaches to influence
employees to achieve maximum profit and attraction of customers in the
organisation.
The study has equally revealed that respect for workers
contribution gives them the opportunity to transform their ideas into
concrete organisational activities. It is evident from the study that the full
commitment of staff cannot be realised unless one addresses peoples
psychological needs. Heller and Hindle (1998:267) say that research has
shown that most management activities are directed towards intellectual
needs and respect. Some attention is paid to the expression of
individuality and emotional attributes. In this regard, respect for
employees becomes very essential for the achievement of organisational
objectives as the co-operation and inputs of workers are needed before
any meaningful project could be executed. It is therefore imperative that
a manager shows his staff that they are needed and respected in the
organisations and their opinion equally sought in most vital enterprise
decisions. Cook (1991:39) observes that employees incentives should
evolve around; asking employees for suggestions, building respect pattern
for employees, recognising employees contributions in the organisation
and outlining job responsibilities for employees. The study agrees with
Cooks research.
The study reveals that employees desire and crave for respect just
like the management. The implication of this is that employees that are
treated with respect feel committed to put in their best towards the
attainment of any objective set out by the organisation.
To a large extent constructive criticism helps employees to make
amend in their work places and perform optimally for the achievement of
organisations objectives, the study has revealed. Just like runners,
44

managers and employees need opponents (who can give them

constructive criticism) or pace setters to produce their best performance.
The study has revealed that this is necessary and or desirable in
organisations because the process known as benchmarking measures
comparable performance to set targets that the company seeks to exceed.
This drive for excellent performance can be very critical as the evaluator
can be very critical on the employee if the benchmark is not met or
exceeded. The method is very rewarding because it helps influence the
employee to perform exceptionally.
According to Akwaowo, (2000): , a reward system contains
arrangement in .the form of processes, practices, structures, subsystem
and. procedures which will be concerned with providing and maintaining
appropriate types and level of pay benefits and other forms of reward. The
study has revealed that to a large extent linking of rewards to performance
influences employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
CONCLUSION
Reduction of executive burn outare very necessary for effective
motivation of the workforce which is the most important asset in any
public organisation. However, problems such as lack of good leadership,
union activities, level of productivity and cost of living affect the effective
and efficient use of compensation/reward systems in public organisations.
From the findings in this study, it is very clear that: Reduction of
executive burn outaffect employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in
Nigeria. Equally, the linking of rewards to performance induces
employees' motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria. Also the
involvement of employees in decision-making encourages employees'
motivation in Public Enterprises in Nigeria.
RECOMNMENDATIONS
In the light of the findings of this study, the following recommendations
are evident:
i)
Public enterprises in Nigeria should embrace and adopt effective
use of necessary reduction of executive burn out/ instruments that
are result oriented.
ii)
Government should evolve progressive policies that could
adequately encourage the public sector to use compensation/reward
systems for greater productivity in this sector in order to minimize
employees' motivation.
45

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

Public enterprises in Nigeria should minimize the quest for

lukewarm attitude and the marginalisation of employees which
lead to employees' de-motivation and the eventual collapse of such
public enterprises in Nigeria.
They should recognise the
importance of human resource and utilise same appropriately
through the best incentives arrangement.
Managers of public enterprises in Nigeria should not constitute
stumbling blocks to progressive changes that can see for the
betterment of workers through the progressive use of reduction of
executive burn out/ instruments.
Public enterprises in Nigeria should integrate effective reduction of
executive burn out/instruments strategies in their human resource
managerial kits so that workers could adequately be influenced to
do their works.
Progressive organisations should employ in their managerial sector
proactive and studious managers who could effectively use the
various kinds of reduction of executive burn outinstruments, to
influence workers to perform optimally in public enterprises in
Nigeria..

46

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