CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Over some years ago, psychologist, manager and the student of management have given increase attention to the need for human motivation at the work place.  They found this concept useful to both explaining human behaviour, particularly in work situation to increase the productivity of workers.

          The purpose of motivation is to optimize one’s performance and to attain a standard of excellence in any endeavour manager in all types of organisation are continually faced with the problem of vast difference that exist in the formance or output of individual workers some employees also perform at high level and need little or no supervision and appear to enjoy what they are doing, other employees perform only at marginal level and required constant attention and direction and are often absent from their duty posts. The reason for the difference performance are varied and complex, involving the nature of the job, the behaviour of the manager and the characteristics of the workers.  The big question is, how can the manager maintain the high performance of the first group and also increase that of those producing marginally, when it comes to those highly productive on the job, to performing with little or no direction and to being a real contribution to the organization. What can only usually say is the cause?  Does money count first i.e. the desire to draw bigger pay pocket?  Is threat the principal factor?  Or is it the sheer enjoyment of being part of the busy co-operative – professional team that makes some employees perform high?  It has been recently shown that this variation is caused by the motives of workers, whether the employee or manager are high or low in achievement motivation make a real difference in the effectiveness of financial incentive.

Several studies have shown that offering additional financial reward for doing a task does not make a strongly achievement oriented person to work harder or better.  A group of aggressive achievement minded salesmen would certainly be angry if their extra effort were not recognized with much greater financial reward.  Yet offering them bonus is not what produce the extra effort, this may seen like a psychological distinction without a difference, but the interpretation of the bonus plan genuinely effect performances.

People with relatively low achievement motivation, on the other hand, will work harder for increased financial rewards, however, does the money got by doing it interest them primarily as a major of accomplishment?  Rather, it has other values for them.

This work therefore will attempt to probe into the motivational tools employed by the management of Enugu State transport company limited to motivate it employees.  The finding will help to evaluate the problem and prospect of the organisation in the area of motivation and to suggest ways of improvement.

Enugu State transport company limited is a big company and also a strategic one because of the place of transportation in any economy.

The government invested a huge amount of money to set up ENTRACO and therefore, expected reforms from the investment that is why it is a profit – oriented organization.  It is only through effective performance of the employees that returns from the investment can be achieved.  This is why it is necessary to know how they are being motivated to work and achieve their organisation’s objectives.

1.2     PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANISATION

Enugu State Transport Company Limited (ENTRACO) came into existence to alleviate the transport problem facing the people of the state.

The then Anambra State Government attempted to tackle the situation and that give birth to the Transport Company of Anambra State (TRACAS) launched in 1988.  This was with the intention to provide cheap, reliable and efficient transport service to the people.  But with the state creation exercise by the then head of state Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the Enugu State came into existence, the assets and liabilities of TRACAS were then shared between the two state i.e Anambra and Enugu and with it, came the birth of Enugu State Transport Company Limited on the 10th of October 1991.

In October, 1996, more state were created under the head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, Ebonyi State were created out of Enugu State which led to the sharing of Entraco’s Assets again between Ebonyi and Enugu State.

After that, ENTRACO inherited 17 operational buses.  As at 1997 ENTACO’S staff strength fell to 120.  The same year 1997 ENTRACO made a loss of eleven million naira, right now, ENTRACO does not have more than 7 (seven) cars both luxurious and some cars.

Infact, the Enugu State Government has made serious plan so that the company might go back to its former position.

ENTRACO now few depots located in different towns of Enugu, Anambra and other state of the federation with its head quarter located along Enugu – Abakaliki express road, Emene Enugu its major routes are:

Enugu         -        Abuja

Enugu         -        Port Harcourt

Enugu         -        Abakaliki

Enugu         -        Udi/Oji River

Enugu         -        Nsukka

1.2            STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In a workplace individual employees have different aims and aspirations, for instance, some would prefer to work very hard and yet be satisfied at least for working hard, some employee aims might be just to contribute to the job, others might have aims of showing appearance in the office and would not like to be usefully engaged, still some would prefer working for short periods hence their aims would be to reduce the time they spend in the workplace to a minimum level.  When duties and authority of jobs are carefully described, then it would appear that accountability and responsibility could be determined.