THE IMPACT OF WELFARE SCHEME ON THE MOTIVATION OF WORKERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE

The research project the impact of welfare scheme on the motivation of workers in public service. The objective of this study aimed at determining the relationship between employee welfare scheme and employee performance, determining the impact of fringe benefits on workers’ motivation in the public service and determining the impact of cash bonus on workers’ motivation in the public service. For this study, the survey research design was adopted. The choice of the design was informed by the objectives of the study as outlined in chapter one. This research design provides a quickly efficient and accurate means of assessing information about a population of interest. The population for this study were workers in Jigawa state government, Jigawa state, Nigeria. A total of 134 respondents were selected from the population figure out of which the sample size was determined. In conclusion, good welfare package has a strong influence on the performance level of the officers and men of the police force. To enhance job commitment on the part of the police personnel, mostly in the academy the management team of the force should design appropriate and adequate welfare packages for the officers and men of the force for high performance. The implication of the findings of this study is that effective wage and salary administration in the public sector will enhance the performance of civil service. The study therefore concludes that effective wages and salary administration has significant positive effective on civil service productivity. Therefore, government should always enhance the salary of civil servants so that their take-home pay can provide at least their basic needs so as to dissuade the few corrupt ones from engaging on sharp practices as a result of insecurity arising from such inadequate salary. It is believed that the nonchalance and laxity currently being observed among some civil servants is as a result of loss of confidence in the government to fulfill its own part of the contract of employment between it and its employees. Furthermore, the government should endeavour to identify the needs of the worker and address them promptly so that the employee can be at their best all the times. This is in line with Maslow’s theory of Hierarchy of needs; human beings have many needs that are different in nature, ranging from biological need at lower level to psychological need at the upper level.

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Approval page: 

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Abstract 

Introduction

Summary of Finding

 

 

Welfare is a corporate attitude or commitment reflected in the expressed care for employees at all levels, underpinning their work and the environment in which it is performed (Cowling & Mailer, 2002). Specifically, Coventry and Barker (2008), assert that staff welfare includes providing social club and sports facilities as appropriate, supervising staff and works' canteens, running sick clubs and savings schemes; dealing with superannuation, pension funds and leave grants, making loans on hardship cases; arranging legal aid and giving advice on personal problems; making long service grants; providing assistance to staff transferred to another area and providing fringe benefits (such as payment during sickness, luncheon vouchers and other indirect advantages). 

The welfare scheme on employee in an establishment are very important, as the performance of the employee is many dependent on. There are basically two types of welfare scheme. Both types are very vas if vividly considered. But for the purpose of this work and it’s clarity, we shall limit our scope to the effect of good welfare scheme on the performance of the employee. 

The influence of such may be sub-consciously subtle but real. This promoted a group industrial psychologist to stress the importance of such welfare schemes as salary or wages, safety training, sanitary facilities, employees privacy, working accommodation, shift work, availability of working equipments, transport facility and other factors or conditions that make up the general conditions of serves otherwise called remuneration. It is therefore the aim of this research work, to find out how welfare scheme, where they improved or unimproved, contribute to employee performance both negatively and positively, talking about wages or salary’s, it is a monthly or yearly recompense or reward in form of money for work done. The higher the value, the better motivated the employee would likely be. 

The safety, sanitary condition and privacy of the employee almost go together. When an employee is guaranteed of his safety at work washroom and safe drinking water, he automatically agree to go an extra mile knowing that if anything goes wrong he will be properly taken care of by the employer or the company. Working hours, shift, accommodation, transport and working equipment are other welfare scheme that must not suffer neglect. In a situation where a worker has to put in more than his body can accommodate i.e works averagely more than eight (8) hours in a day, he tends to break down too often hence leaving his bit of work to suffer during the period of his incapacitation, good accommodation and transport helps the employee relax enough to be up and doing during working hours and with the availability of good and adequate working materials, making for an uncompromisable turnover which is the aim of any employee or establishment, it is pertinent for manager to know the desires of their employees for a particular job, know and understand them individually if possible point out that “when good welfare scheme are neglected, obvious unskillfulness, lateness, frustration, sickness, corruption street and dissatisfaction takes over the system or establishment. 

A person's motivational, job satisfaction and work performance is determined by the strength of these sets of needs and expectation and the extent to which they are fulfilled. Some people for example may choose to forgo intrinsic satisfaction and social relationships for a short term in return for high economic rewards and others vice versa. This goes to confirm Horlick (nd) assertion that the vast majority of people regard money as an important and a motivator at work but the extent of motivation depends upon the personal circumstances and the other satisfactions they derived from work (Mullins, 2005). According to Amman (2000) motivation is defined as the process of arousing enthusiasm in an employee so that he/she can performs his/her duties with pleasure and higher interest and pursuance of the organizational and personals goals. Celestine (2004) also defined motivation as the energizing force that induce or compel and maintains behaviors. He further said that, motivation is an internal psychological process which presence or absence is inferred from observed performance. Staff are the most valuable assets of any organization, they form the pivot on which other resources revolve and transform to finish and semi-finish product for human satisfaction (Iheanacho & Amgbare, 2010) Every organization needs committed and dedicated staff that can help drive the organization vision and mission. To achieve this, a sound welfare package to motivate the staff becomes imperatives. It is against this backdrop that this study sought to examine the impact of welfare scheme on the motivation of workers in public service in Nigeria. 

The problem of the public sector arose from the problem of securing higher income for civil servants and this has serious implication on performance. The issue of low income paid to workers has really generated a strong argument and counter argument on the part of government, labour and workers. Workers, through their labour representatives have always asked for improved conditions of services and can go to any length to press home their demands (Okeke, Nwele & Achilike, 2017). Also, many administrations have come and gone but not without deliberating on what constitutes the appropriate or minimum wage or salary of civil servants should be. In some situation, it has been without industrial disputes, especially during the military era while most of the civilian regimes were dominated by trade disputes initiated by major labour centers in the country (Obiora, 2013). Sometimes, the crises arising from such dispute leads to break down of law and order, especially when they are hijacked by miscreants in the society. The consequence of such actions has always been industrial actions of large proportion by the workers with negative implications for productivity and output (Olaleye, 2012). The results of past studies indicate that low performance and inefficiency has characterized the public sector organizations in Nigeria since post-independence era (Mbogu, 2001); and findings from other studies have equally revealed that the low performance and inefficiency associated with Nigeria’s public servants could be removed if they are provided with the right welfare package. Moreover, there is a dearth of knowledge on the impact of welfare scheme on the motivation of workers in the public service. This study therefore sought to fill the gap. 

The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of welfare scheme on the motivation of workers in public service in Nigeria. Specific objectives include;

The study sought to answer the following research questions:

H01: There is no significant relationship between employee welfare scheme and employee performance in the public service.

H02: Fringe benefits does not have any significant impact on workers’ motivation in the public service

H03: Cash bonus does not have any significant impact on workers’ motivation in the public service

In practical sense, the significance of this study is to bring together the various news and facts regards to subject matter against this backdrop, it is anticipated that the study will be of immensely help to different categories of people, both the managers and managers to be also student in various discipline, government, employees in different organization and employers at large. It will also go further to remove the amoloiguity between what motivate workers in work situation.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

This study is on the impact of welfare scheme on the motivation of workers in public service in Nigeria. The research study covered civil servants in public service in Abuja metropolis. The study covered a fair balance of male and female civil servants.

The demanding schedule of respondents at work made it very difficult getting the respondents to participate in the survey. As a result, retrieving copies of questionnaire in timely fashion was very challenging. Also, the researcher is a student and therefore has limited time as well as resources in covering extensive literature available in conducting this research. Information provided by the researcher may not hold true for all businesses or organizations but is restricted to the selected organization used as a study in this research especially in the locality where this study is being conducted. Finally, the researcher is restricted only to the evidence provided by the participants in the research and therefore cannot determine the reliability and accuracy of the information provided.

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

Employees: - These are individual employed in to an organization to work under the supervision or the employer. 

Welfare Scheme: - These includes the condition necessary for service or work. 

Performance: - This is the ability to work effectively its measurement them involves the method of procedures that provide quantitative index of the extent to which employees demonstrate certain work behaviour. Performance can also be measured by productivity. 

Salary: - This is the fixed amount of money which is paid to workers in their different place of work usually by and of every month. 

Motivation: Motivation is what explains why people or animals initiate, continue or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-directed behavior.