AN APPRAISAL OF THE RELEVANCE OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO WORKERS MOTIVATION -- 3

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study In the word of Armstrong (1988), the process of motivation is initiated by the conscious and unconscious recognition of an unsatisfied need. A goal is then established which, it is thought will satisfy the need and of course action is determined that lead towards the attainment of a goal. Management should provide incentive schemes and pay workers on the basis of the result they achieve on the job instead of the more physical routine performance series activities and to retain them on their job making them feel satisfied, a motivationally-oriented wage system must adequately distinguish “Naira” wise between the different levels of efficiency for the people performing essentially job and different job categories and specialization. In every organization, the management emphasis on high productivity, quality of services, quality workmanship, industrial peace, cooperative labour etc. On the other hand, employees need fair wages, job satisfaction, good working conditions, participation in decision making, self recognition and opportunity for advancement. Organizations and managers have suffered tremendously in trying to utilize their human resources, they usually encounter frequent industrial conflicts and several unresolved agitations by workers and different categories of employees basically steaming from one form of dissatisfaction or the other. The main point of misunderstanding between management and employees/workers in most cases is found in the arrears of inadequate and inequitable monetary rewards. Financial incentive as we all know is a process of guiding the conduct and influencing people so that they strives individual or group towards the achievement of group goals. Every employee comes to an organization with one motive, to earn a living and financial incentive play a vital role in the lives of these employees. Taking away financial incentive might jeopardize this individual or the group interest. Management on the other hand, established the organization for the purpose of return of investment and profit making, high productivity, quality of services, industrial peace, cooperative labour and to remain a going concern. Skinner B. F. (1953), states that by providing properly scheduled rewards is possible to influence behaviours. The objective and purpose of this study is to examine whether or not financial incentives has contributed to workers performance and industrial harmony in National Board for technical Education. This research is by no means exhaustive but will help the establishment to take a second look that financial incentives has a significant role to play in maintaining industrial peace, increase productivity and boost the morale of the employees in an establishment. It has generally been observed and noted that in a sample group of workers performing the same type of job, some do it better than others. This observation will raise and arouse the notion or questions or psychological tendencies, interest and differences in performance. One school of though holds the view that “differences in performance reflect varying characteristics, abilities and skills on the part of ‘workers’. F.B. Skinner, (1985), an Industrial psychologist argues that differences in performance of workers doing the same kind of job, might be as a result of extra monetary rewards attached to the job, conductive working environment or friends they meet in the workplace. As a result of these possibilities, recognition and thorough understanding of workers needs/wants before adopting any form of motivational techniques such as financial rewards (money) human relations, conducive, working environment, leadership and good supervision among others, becomes apparently important since these factors has different influence and impact on different categories of workers and individuals.