Motivating professional staff as a managerial task at a higher education institution

Abstract

The motivation of staff in higher education institutions, especially In Zimbabwe, has not received due attention over the years. This study investigated the factors affecting staff motivation at a Teachers' College in Zimbabwe. Staff perceptions of factors they found motivating and demotivating were established through the use of a qualitative methodology in which the semi-structured interview was used as the dominant method. Participant observation and the informal unstructured interview were employed in a complementary manner. The findings indicated that the factors respondents found motivating were those that tended to alleviate the needs for recognition, appreciation and self-actualisation. Demotivating factors included management policy and style, decision-making procedures and administration. The findings are discussed in the context of some dominant theories of motivation and recommendations are made regarding strategies to be used and what further research can be undertaken to address the problem.