Performance of civil servants as influenced by factors of motivation in government ministries headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

The focus of this study was to establish the role of motivation on workers' performance. The study was conducted among civil servants at the headquarters of five government ministries namely: Ministries of Medical Services, Water and Irrigation, Transport, Roads and Lands, all in Nairobi, Kenya. The study sought to find out the main factors that the civil servants regarded as critically essential in motivating them and whether there was a significant relationship between motivation and worker performance. It also sought to establish whether there was a significant gender difference in motivation and in the performance of the civil servants. A sample size of 133 subjects was used and an integrated sampling technique which had features of purposive, maximum variation and convenient sampling was utilized. The main findings of the study were that: different motivation variables are not regarded equally critical in motivating employees of public organizations; motivation has a positive and significant correlation with workers' performance and that there is no significant gender difference in workers' motivation and job performance. The study recommended that administrators of public organizations should eliminate the factors that cause dissatisfaction and provide characteristics that people find intrinsically rewarding in keeping with Herzberg's two factor theory of motivation. The management of public organizations should utilize participatory management style to enable workers to own the process of propelling organizations to achieve their goals. It also recommended that the government and other employers ought to give equal and fair opportunities to both men and women because the findings indicated no significant gender difference in worker motivation or in job performance.