Sahel International Journal of Administration and Governance (SIJAG)
Effect of Motivational Factors on Employees Performance in Selected Tertiary Institutions in Adamawa State, Nigeria
Wycliffe Maigida — Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Administration and Management Sciences, Adamawa State University, Mubi, Nigeria
Sanusi Bello — Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Administration and Management Sciences, Adamawa State University, Mubi, Nigeria
* Corresponding author
Sahel International Journal of Administration and Governance (SIJAG) · Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026)
· pp. 84-94
Published 2 November 2026
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Published 2 November 2026
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Abstract
This study examined the effect of motivational factors on employee performance in selected tertiary institutions in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of promotion, job security, rewards, employee involvement, and remuneration on employee performance. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 5,818 academic and non-academic staff of Adamawa State University, Mubi; Modibbo Adama University, Yola; Federal Polytechnic, Mubi; and Adamawa State College of Agriculture, Ganye. Using Taro Yamane's formula, a sample size of 400 respondents was selected through convenience sampling. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed on a five-point Likert scale. The validity of the instrument was established through expert review, while reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.889 to 0.919, with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.919. Out of the 400 questionnaires administered, 379 valid questionnaires were retrieved and used for analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, multicollinearity diagnostics, and multiple linear regression with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. The findings revealed that promotion, job security and rewards all exerted positive and statistically significant effects on employee performance. The regression model further showed that the motivational factors jointly explained 71.5% of the variation in employee performance (R² = 0.715), indicating that motivation is a major determinant of employees' performance in tertiary institutions. The study concluded that effective motivational practices significantly enhance employee performance. It therefore recommended that management of tertiary institutions should implement transparent promotion policies, strengthen job security, establish equitable reward systems, encourage employee participation in decision-making, and provide competitive remuneration packages to improve employee commitment, productivity, and overall institutional performance.
Keywords: Employee, Motivation, Performance, Promotion, Job Security and Rewards