Mediating role of employee motivation for training, commitment, retention, and performance in higher education institutions

Abstract

The motivation of the individuals working in higher education institutions has been a topic of great interest for managers and researchers for a long while. This study has been taken to estimate the importance of faculty development program (FDP) as perceived by a faculty member, the role of FDP on faculty motivation and faculty performance, exploring whether faculty motivation mediates the relationship between FDP and employee performance. To achieve the stated aim, data has been collected from 311 faculty members associated with government and private sector institutions of higher education in Uttarakhand State (India). Important factors that motivate faculty to participate in FDP and its influence on faculty motivation and performance were analyzed using factor analysis, regression analysis, and Sobel test to establish the relationship. The findings indicate that FDP has a positive effect on the teaching of faculty, enhances their skills, helps control their emotions, and strengthens their capacity to perform academic and administrative duties. Moreover, FDP enhances work motivation and, in turn, helps faculty in improving their performances. To strengthen faculty motivation, the emphasis must be put on improving faculty recognition and reputation, making work more challenging and exciting, providing better career advancement prospects, and focus more on appropriate salary and compensation benefits for faculty members.