Contextual determinants of employee motivation

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the elements that motivate employees in small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Bangladesh. The data were obtained using a survey methodology targeting employees who work in small and medium-sized enterprises located in the northern geographic region of Bangladesh. The sample included 284 employees surveyed from May 2023 to June 2023. The paper utilized a five-point Likert scale to evaluate the responses. Regression techniques were used to test the hypotheses. Moreover, to evaluate the hypotheses, a significance level of 5% was utilized, and the data pertaining to the subject matter and purpose of this study were examined using the SPSS program. The results of the paper indicate that employee motivation at SMEs is significantly influenced by employee empowerment, job security, and job training opportunities. Employee empowerment (β = 0.583) has the highest effect on motivation compared to the other two factors. Additionally, a substantial correlation coefficient (r = 0.498) is found between employee motivation and employee empowerment. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the external determinants of employee motivation within small and medium-sized enterprises.