Antecedents and consequences of motivation: an examination of motivation as mediator to human and organisational performance

"Organisational behaviour researchers studied the link between motivation factors as input variables (e. g. work environment) and employee behaviour measures as output variables (e. g. individual performance) without taking into consideration the construct of human motivation as a mediator. Moreover, the components of most definitions of motivation (activation, direction, and maintenance of behaviour) are not explicitly examined. There have been many publications concerning either work motivation or human performance in the workplace, however, there is an almost total absence of research that examines the link between the two constructs. This study attempted to increase the understanding of work motivation as a mediator to human and organisational performance, in order to provide useful insights to managers who seek to improve the performance of their organisations through their employees. As far as the researcher is concerned, this study is the first of its kind to examine human motivation as a mediator to human and organisational Performance. Based on examining 10 total quality management (TQM) frameworks, 6 human performance technology (HPT) models, 9 motivation theories, and empirical findings from the literature, the study identified and developed seven independent factors and four dependent factors that relate to human motivation and performance in the workplace. The eight independent factors, grouped into a major construct named as ""Motivation and Performance Antecedents"", are: Work Environment, Relations with Manager, Leadership of Top Management, Resources, Clarity of Processes, Financial Benefits, and External Perception and Identity. The four dependent factors are: Motivation, Capacity to Perform, Individual Performance, and Organisational Performance. This study empirically examined the relationships between the five constructs (Motivation and Performance Antecedents, Motivation, Capacity to Perform, Individual Performance, and Organisational Performance). A structural equation model for motivation and performance that links these five constructs was developed from the literature. Using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, with the help of the AMOS 4.0 programme, the estimation of the Motivation and Performance Structural Equation Model yielded a ? /df ratio of 1.471, a GFI value of 0.812, a CFI value of 0.924, and an RMSEA value of 0.047. Although the GFI (0.812 < 0.900) suggests that the model is moderately fitting; the ? /df ratio (1.471 < 2.00), the CFI value (0.924 > 0.900), and the RMSEA value (0.047 < 0.060) indicate a well-fitting model as all these values are well within the recommended ranges of acceptability (? /df ratio ? 0.200, CFI ? 0.900, and RMSEA ? 0.060). Overall, this empirical study provided a strong support to the proposed Motivation and Performance model and pertinent hypotheses."