The effectiveness of non-monetary incentives in motivating employees in NGO sector in Kenya: A case of concern Worldwide

Abstract

Employeemotivation has become a key component of performance in organizations as a result of their competitive nature. Greenberg (2009) defines motivation as the psychological process of arousing, directing, and maintaining behavior toward a goal. Arousal involves the drive or energy behind our actions and direction of behavior is concerned with what directs behavior towards a specific goal. The main objective of this study was to establish the effectiveness of non-monetary incentives in motivating employees in NGO sector. The study conducted a case study of Concern Worlwide where the specific objectives of the study were: To establish the influence of promotion onemployees motivation in the NGO Sector in Kenya: To establish the extent to which teamwork motivates staff in the NGO Sector in Kenya: To determine the extent to which career development motivates staff in the NGO Sector in Kenya: To assess the effect of fringe benefks in motivating staff in the NGO Sector in Kenya. The descriptive research design was preferred in this study becauseit allowed for analysis of different variables at the same time and thus enabled the researcher to establish the effectiveness of non-monetary incentives in motivating employees in NGO sector. Thepopulation of the research study was 80 employees at Concern Worldwide. A census of all of theemployees was used in collecting the data. Data for this study was collected using questionnaires andinterview schedules, which were structured, based on the research objectives. The questionnaires were semi structured and contained both closed and open-ended questions. The questionnaires facilitated the determination of the relationship between the independent variables and the effect they had in motivating employees in NGO sector. The researcher sought the permission from the management of the NGO and afterwards got a letter from the University postgraduate department as a confirmation of the purpose of the research. The researcher distributed the questionnaires and a brief introduction for the purpose of the research to the NGOs' staff and collected the questionnaires once the respondents had finished filling them in. This study employed descriptive statistics to analyze the data obtained. At the end of the study, the researcher expected to have established the effectiveness of non-monetary incentives in motivating employees in NGO sector. The findings established that non - monetary incentives are a motivator to staff in the NGO sector, all the four variables tested indicated that they do motivate staff, with medical benefit having the highest rating. Promotion was the second critical factor considered by the respondents as a motivator. This indicates that a promoted employee would be more motivated since this would come with other benefits including even monetary to the staff. Career development and Team work are also key in employee's motivation in the NGO sector. This calls for good team dynamics that should be set by management and a prudent Team culture. Employees also need to develop in their careers and hence would be motivated by a sound career development environment since positive growth is admirable