Project Materials

MOTIVATIONAL TOOLS AND THE PRODUCTIVITY OF OFFICE PROFESSIONALS (A Survey of Selected Organization in Kaduna Metropolis)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 The Background of the Study 

Because the organisation is its employees, the greatest way to discuss employee motivation and productivity is from the perspective of the employees themselves, i.e., office managers. Put simply, when people are motivated and happy, they bring their A-game to work and excel at whatever they do.

This, in turn, boosts productivity for the organisation, as the success of the business directly impacts their personal well-being. Also, a rise in both productivity and profit is possible when office workers and other personnel are highly motivated by their employer. Abraham Maslow’s 1943

Every company has the same problem with management’s ability to inspire their staff: some believe their employees are highly motivated because of the company’s high net profit margin, while others maintain that management has failed to inspire them sufficiently. At any given moment in their lives, most people have at least one need.

People are worried about trying to meet those demands with the resources we have, which are limited and often unavailable. Certain actions must be taken in order to achieve the intended outcomes in order to fulfil those needs. What motivates people to act in this manner is their inner desire. This intrinsic desire serves as the impetus.

A manager’s motivational behaviour, action, or incentive is one that inspires employees to voluntarily see their work, take ownership of their responsibilities, and complete tasks to their satisfaction.

Every day, they raise their productivity even more, which helps the global economy as a whole. Things that employers put in place to motivate their employees are known as motivational tools.

Matt Krumine (2000) defines a motivational tool as “anything that helps people perform their jobs better and more efficiently, both within and outside of the company.” This includes both internal and external resources that managers can use to inspire their staff.

When utilised properly, motivational tools boost the efficiency of workers (officers and professionals). The overall effectiveness of a company or its workers, sometimes known as office professionals, is measured by their productivity, which is defined by Palik (2003) as the ratio of production to the total or partial amount of resources utilised to create that output.

The quality of the link between output and input resources is known as productivity, according to Currie (1972). The ratio of output to input is the central focus of productivity analysis. Grezor (2001) shares this view, arguing that productivity is the key to elevating the performance of office professionals to the next level.

An office professional handles the pressures and expectations of the job by taking charge of any crises that may arise as a result of managing the office’s resources, including its people, communication, information, and rewards.

Office professionals are defined by MTU in Medilyn and Urwin (1980) as those responsible for formatting, rewarding, and the storage of critical or confidential company papers that may not be accessible to certain executives.

Therefore, the main question driving this research is: how can office professionals be motivated to work more efficiently? Management motivation can be described as the behaviour, action, or incentive that encourages workers to voluntarily see and take responsibility on a daily basis, especially when that duty has an impact on the global economy. Employers can activate them using a variety of incentive tactics.

1.1 Statement Of The Problem

The impact of intrinsic motivation on employee output, according to motivation theorists like Abraham Maslow, is substantial.It was Abraham Maslow in 1943. But instead of focussing on their employees or human resources, some companies prioritise their structures, which include things like advertising and promotions.

In their view, success is inevitable regardless of whether they receive the necessary input from the workers or not. Lack of motivation and the instruments to motivate staff prevents some organisations from investing more money and resources without seeing improved performance and increased productivity.

In light of these considerations, the researchers in this study set out to examine the relationship between organisational success and the motivating techniques used by office professionals.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

Finding out what motivates office workers to be more productive is the overarching goal of this research. More precisely, the study will:

1. Figure out what kinds of incentives help office workers be more productive.

2. Take a close look at how demotivated workers affect business expansion.

3. Ascertain the function of upper-level management in identifying effective methods of employee motivation and output improvement.

4. Find out how office professionals’ performance is affected by motivational tools.

1.3 Research Questions

The following research enquiries formed the basis of this study:

1. How might an organization’s office professionals be motivated to work more efficiently?

2. How might office workers be inspired to work more efficiently?

3. How can a subset of an organization’s workforce demonstrate disinterest in incentive programs?

4. How much do motivated workers actually accomplish?

1.4 The significance Of The Study

Upon completion of the investigation into strategies for inspiring office workers, this study will have helped:

Companies: the company can use the study’s results to inform the development of new strategies to motivate employees and boost productivity.

Workers: It will help an organization’s administrative staff understand how they might be most motivated by their jobs and what methods work best for them.

Students: This will be helpful for students starting a project like this one.

Researchers interested in expanding this study will also find it useful, as it provides a wealth of information.

1.5 The Scope of the Study

Organisations in Kaduna metropolitan chosen for the study include the National Eyes Centre (NEC), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHVN), the New Nigerian Development Company (NNDC), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Office worker productivity and motivational techniques are two of the many linked topics that the study will address.

1.6 Definition Of Terms

Below this project’s content, you’ll find definitions of some terms:

The primary capacity to increase items or the estimated rate of producing goods is known as productivity.

Success in accomplishing one’s objectives. It is the state of perfect harmony among all production components that allows the most output with the least amount of work.

Enhancement of output: that is, efficiency

Employees or those looking for employment make up the workforce.

Administrative assistants: Administrative assistants are responsible for ensuring that a firm runs smoothly by planning, coordinating, and supervising the different organisational duties carried out by other personnel.

A place where information is received, stored, documented, reorganised, retrieved, and retained for future references is a literal office.

In an organised setting, people work together towards a common objective by following a predetermined chain of command that specifies who is responsible for what and how tasks are to be completed.

What motivates people to strive for their goals is defined by Olatunle (2003) as “all those line striving conditions derived as wishers, desire, drive, etc.” It’s a mind-numbing condition that gets people moving and focused on their objectives. “Whether felt cautiously or unconsciously, human motives are based on needs.”

The term “motivational tools” refers to the methods used to influence employee conduct in the workplace. Managerial motivational tools are those that facilitate efficient work.