Motivation as a Management Tool for Health Workers’ Productivity in Nigeria

Abstract

How does the organization propel the workers’ psychological process,
essentially in the health sector, to realise the best performance and service
delivery? Can motivation be a management tool for increasing health
workers’ productivity? Using Nigeria’s health sector as a case study, this
paper attempted to answer these questions. It argued that workers
motivation is of critical importance in the health sector and it is the
driving force towards improved performance. Health care delivery is
highly labour intensive and service quality, efficiency and equity is
directly affected by workers motivation. This is evident in the present
poor health care service delivery in the Nigeria health sector, caused
principally, by brain drain, incessant strike action and infrastructure
decadence. It is concluded from this paper that motivation remains the
only management tool that can be deployed to engage health workers to
ensure stability and increased productivity in the health sector. The paper
therefore, recommended that for ensuring increase in the performance
and productivity of health workers, government and managements of
health institutions in Nigeria should focus on motivation issues such as
remuneration, good working environment, training and retraining of
workers, infrastructure development, career progression, recognition
and award based on meritocracy.The paper also concluded that
motivation remains the only management tool available to retain and
sustain health workers as well as increase the productivity of the workers
in Nigeria Health Sector.