Non-Financial Incentives and Staff Motivation in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between non-financial incentives and workers’ motivation in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service exploring five key variables of continuing professional development, performance feedback, employee employment, employee participation in decision-making and task autonomy. Survey research design was adopted involving the use of questionnaire to gather data from 392 respondents drawn from a population of 20465 civil servants in state using Taro Yamene Sample Size Determination Table. The sample was drawn across all ministries and departments through stratified and convenience sampling techniques. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The five dimensions of non-financial incentives were positively correlated with workers’ motivation from the results of the analysis. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) had the highest correlation value (r = 0.33, P<0.01). Also, the five null hypotheses were rejected implying that the variables of study influence workers’ motivation in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Nigeria with beta coefficients and t-values of CPD (0.29;4.313); PF (0.117; 3.500); EE (0.2.141); PDM (0.182; 2.935), and TA (0.231;2.817). It was concluded that since workers’ motivation is a vital tool to organizational effectiveness and growth, employers should explore more of non-financial incentives in formulating and implementing employee benefits related policies.