ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGIES FOR MOTIVATING STAFF OF UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA FOR MAXIMUM WORK PERFORMANCE
Dr. Eke N. Ukpai & Dr. Eke K. Oyeoku
Department of Educational Foundations,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
This study is a survey research carried out to determine the administrative strategies for motivating staff of universities in South East Nigeria for maximum work performance. The study was carried out in the ten public universities in South East Nigeria and was guided by three research questions and two null hypotheses. The study population was 831 respondents, comprising 677 heads of units and 154 senior administrative staff. The entire population was used for the study as a result of its manageable size. A structured questionnaire which underwent validity and reliability tests was used to collect the required data for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested with t-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study showed, among others, that the administrative strategies for motivating staff of universities for maximum work performance include: adequate and prompt payment of staff’s salaries and allowances, providing staff with good working conditions, providing staff with their welfare and security needs, periodic promotion of staff, giving considerable workload to staff and delegating duties to staff in order to recognize their personal worth and dignity. Based on the research findings, it was recommended that there should be adequate funding of universities in order to provide universities with sufficient funds required for adequate and prompt payment of their staff’s salaries and allowances, there should be prudent management of universities’ funds so as to enable universities have enough funds at their disposal to provide the various needs of staff which will motivate them for maximum work performance, among others.