Abstract:
This study examined intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among academic staff in universities in South-South Nigeria, with emphasis on implications for educational management. The study was anchored on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and adopted a descriptive survey design. A total of 2,184 academic staff from federal, state, and private universities participated in the study. Data were collected using a validated Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that intrinsic motivation among academic staff was generally low to moderate, with weak scores in recognition, autonomy, and achievement, while job interest and responsibility were only moderately rated. Extrinsic motivation was also found to be low to moderate, with salary and workload balance rated low, while leadership support, job security, and work environment were moderately rated. Hypothesis testing showed no significant difference in motivation based on sex (p > 0.05), indicating that motivational challenges affect male and female staff equally. However, significant differences were observed across academic rank and geopolitical zones (p < 0.05), although all groups remained within the moderate motivation range. Institutional strategies for motivation enhancement were found to be weak and inconsistently implemented, particularly in areas of research funding, welfare packages, and promotion transparency. The study concludes that academic staff motivation is largely constrained by systemic and institutional weaknesses rather than individual factors. It recommends comprehensive reforms in salary structure, research funding, leadership accountability, infrastructure development, and promotion processes to enhance academic staff performance and institutional effectiveness. |
