Assessing the effect of motivation on employee performance in Zambia: a case study of Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) headquaters in Lusaka district.
Date
2024
Authors
Kanenge, Abel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
The overarching focus of this study was to establish effects of motivation on employee performance at Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Headquarters in Lusaka District. The study objectives were to establish the types of motivation ZRA provided to its employees, examine the employees’ expectations of motivation, and lastly establish the effects of motivation on employee performance. The research approach of this study was quantitative, and a descriptive case study design was adopted. Stratified random sampling of participants was employed to select respondents from ZRA Headquarters and a questionnaire with Likert scale statements was distributed to 192 employees. Questionnaires were administered via email and 183 respondents returned them fully answered. The Likert Scale data were analyzed by descriptive analysis by calculating the mean and standard deviation of the results. The findings revealed that a myriad of motivation was provided by ZRA to employees. Then the study also revealed that employees also had expectations of the kind of motivation to be provided to them by their management. Regarding the effect of motivation on employee performance, it was revealed that motivation influenced individual hard work, reinforcement of morals and integrity, rejection of underhand bribes by clients and many other effects. The findings of the hypothesis showed that the mean values were skewed towards the Likert responses ‘agree’ confirming that motivation affected employee performance positively. The study concluded that motivation played a pivotal role where productivity through human effort was concerned. The study made three recommendations. The management and Board of ZRA should understand the human nature and their employees’ needs at the workplace as this determines the direction of rightful motivation to provide to them. ZRA should create a committee of incentives provision comprising of ordinary employees and management personnel to have inclusive suggestions of incentives that have a bearing on the needs of the employees. Then employees need to be informed and oriented on the role of motivation being different from their execution of job description tasks that motivation plays a specific role of boosting their daily work efforts. The study suggested areas for future research: Firstly, theirs need to ascertain the gender inclusiveness of motivation provision to employees at ZRA, to establish management’s parameters of motivation provision to employees at ZRA and to ascertain domesticated policies that directly propagate motivation provision to employees at ZRA.