Examining the role of motivation on employee performance in the public sector in Ghana

Motivation is crucial for organizations to function; without motivation employees will not put up their best and the company’s performance would be less efficient. The situation is even more serious in developing countries where working conditions are unattractive. The upper west region is also bedevilled with low level of education, poor infrastructure and poor road network and for that matter northern Ghana has been the concern of many people, especially of northern exaction. The reasons for this situation are partly due to the slow progress in the development of the north. It is in view of this that this study seeks to assess the role of motivation on employee performance in the public sector with particular reference to employees of the University for Development Studies (UDS) at its Wa Campus in the Upper West Region. The case-study approach was adopted for the study with both qualitative and quantitative techniques such as stratified sampling and accidental sampling techniques were employed. Key informant interviews and questionnaires were the methods of data collection for the study and SPSS software was used to analyze data collected from the field. The study found that, motivation packages for the staff of UDS Wa Campus were inadequate. This was evident in the non-availability of residential accommodation and transport for staff. Though senior members enjoy professional allowance, book and research allowance, free medical care, off-campus allowance and entertainment allowance they complained that the amount involved was insufficient. However, on the part senior and junior staff, it is only free medical care they benefit from. Monetary rewards and a conducive-working environment were the preferred form of motivation for workers revealed by the study. The effects of poor motivation on work performance on the Wa Campus were absenteeism, low output and high labour turnover. The study therefore, recommends that management should liaise with GETFUND and other donor agencies such as Habitant International to build residential accommodation for staff and institute end of year awards ceremonies to motivate staff.