THE ROLE OF MOTIVATION IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF SECRETAIRES IN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA TEACHING HOSPITAL, ENUGU
ABSTRACT
    This research work on the role of motivation in solving the problems of secretaries in the UNTH, Enugu helped to assess the motivational strategies used by the management to influence secretaries to work harder.  It also revealed those problems confronting secretaries in pursuance of their jobs, which lead to low productivity and dissatisfaction.  The use of well structured questionnaire was adopted, oral interview and personal observation, to gather some information required.  The data collected were decoded, grouped, computed and arranged in tables for easy reference.  Both the descriptive and inferential statistics were equally used, in the data analysis.  However, this showed the motivational strategies used by management to get the best out of the workers, therefore recommended that management should provide those things that booster the morale of workers, to enable them to behave in a desired manner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:    
Introduction                                
1.1    Background of the study                        
1.2    Statement of the problem                    
1.3    The objective of study                      
1.4    The scope of study                          
1.5    Research questions                          
1.6    Null hypothesis                            
1.7    Significance of study                    
CHAPTER TWO
2.0    Review of related literature                    
2.1    Meaning of motivation                     
2.2    Problems or secretaries in their work place             
2.3    The role of motivation                         
2.4    Summary of the related literature                
CHAPTER THREE            
3.0    Research methodology                         
3.1    Research design                            
3.2    Area of study                      
3.3    Population for the study                      
3.4    Sample and sampling procedure                  
3.5    Instrument for data collection                      
3.6    Validity of the instrument                  
3.7    Reliability of the instrument                 
3.8    Method of data collection                       
3.9    Method of data analysis                         
CHAPTER FOUR                
4.1    Data presentation and analysis of results              
4.2    Summary of results/findings                       
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0    Discussion, implication, recommendation               
5.1    Discussion of results/conclusion                
5.2    Implication of results & findings                   
5.3    Recommendation                         
5.4    Suggestions for further studies                  
5.5    Limitation of study                      
References                                 
Appendices                                
 
LIST OF TABLES
i.    MASLOW’S NEED HIERARCHY
ii.    RESEARCH QUESTION I
iii.    RESEARCH QUESTION H01
iv.    RESEARCH QUESTION II
v.    RESEARCH QUESTION H02
vi.    RESEARCH QUESTION III
vii.    RESEARCH QUESTION H03
viii.    RESEARCH QUESTION IV
ix.    RESEARCH QUESTION H04
CHAPTER ONE
1.0    INTRODUCTION
1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
    In many standard organizations, the achievement of high productivity is the sole arm of that organization.  To get at this depends largely on the performance of the workforce.  The behaviour of the workforce can either be beneficial or disadvantageous, hence the need for the management to study and know which course to follow.  Moreover, there are groups who might perform better than others.
    The secretary profession has become over welmingly indispensable in every management of modern business organization.  It is equally revealed that the success and failure of every organization depends largely on the effectiveness and efficiency of the secretary in the performance of his duties, but unfortunately the profession in yet to gain high and adequate recognition in Nigeria.  Those qualities in the secretaries activities could be traced to some factors such as experience and skill.  All these notwithstanding, they are posed with the problems of job dissatisfaction in their places of work.
    Apart from the afore-mentioned factors, differences in performance may al so be traced to a secretary’s willingness and derive, usually referred to as ‘motivation, indicated at any particular time and condition on how secretaries are being satisfied with their jobs in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu.
    Motivation is purely used to enhance the output, productivity and to maximize jobs satisfaction.  Motivation according to O’ Donnel (1992) is a means of inducing people to work in a desired manner and deggedness will be affected anytime they are not motivated.   For example, a secretary has so many needs to attend to in order to survive and when the management is not forthcoming in satisfying there needs, frustration sets in.  He later results achieving the organizational goals.  He will be motivated if he feels that his organization is helping to satisfy his needs.  Job satisfaction and motivation is an effective response of the worker towards his job, according to Smith (1969).  Obviously, a satisfied worker that is not being frustrated in his place of work should be expected to compliment the organization, by achieving its goals.  Other factors such as recognition of status, rapid promotions, participation, other fringe benefits etc, are relevant.
    In Nigeria to be précised, one noticed that salary and other fringe benefits are the only motivating factors used by most organizations to achieve their set objectives.  This features prominently in an organization with declaiming productivity, if the above are not there.
    In fact, the need for motivation as a means of increasing productivity can never be over emphasized.  This shows that the origin of motivation is as old as creation.  It is believed that before the attainment of mass production which resulted to the employment of more secretaries to enhance specialization, there has been trace of motivation as a stimulating factor for better performance in all human activities.  We can remember that our parents do gave us pert names, which comes out when better performance are expected or when appreciation is to be shown for shirts, shoes, etc, if one can conclude his assignments without blemish.
    Therefore, the nature of risks involved in secretaries performance necessitated the need for their motivation.  Secretaries are the Ambassadors of any surviving organization and this shows that their works towards achieving organizational goals are enormous, yet they are poor and frustrated.  Socially the lives of secretaries are quite different from other workers, especially at their work places.  Most often they do not have friends, because they would not want to disclose any official secrets to others.  They live a life solitude.  They equally do not have normal official hours of duty.  They are the first to come to the office and stay as long as their boys are in the office.  Moreso, woman in the profession encounter more problems than their counterparts, as they have little or no time for their families.  Since social problem arise from health especially, pregnant women, Nwachukwu (1988) on his lecture suggested that pregnant secretaries should be given enough time and less work.  Again most people believe that any woman that stays back after normal official hours has indecent affairs outside her home and this leads to home breakage.  All these and more constitute both psychological and social problems for the secretaries.
    Secretaries lack almost every thing that makes life meaningful, irrespective of what they do to help the organization grow.  The salaries paid to secretaries is not big enough to compare with their works.  At times this meager salary is not even paid regularly.  Other allowances are deemed them.  Promotion are made notional without financial benefit with effective date, to worsen their conditions, economically.
    Most secretaries still work with obsolete equipment which does not give job satisfaction, at this computer age.  They are not longer sponsored for further trainings, workshops, conferences, etc especially on the use of these modern office equipment.  Even the working environment of these secretaries are nothing to write home about; and there affect them and the work itself, negatively.
    However, the role of motivation in solving the problems of the secretaries in the hospital under study has the multiplier effects of increasing productivity of the workers, efficiency and enhance performance.  Their Morales which fuel the inspiration to go the extra mile when the situation demands are high because they are satisfied with they are satisfied with their jobs.
1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
    The problems of secretaries in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu are numerous and there affect their psychological social, political, economical and the achievement of the organizational goals in a negative way.
    Secretaries lack almost every thing that makes life meaningful, irrespective of their services to help the organization grow.
    In the first place, secretaries lack recognition of status by the Nigeria Labour Congress.  They suffer a lot of disregards by their boss, other cadres, including the visitors to the organization and that is where they problems started, according to Okeke (1991).
    They are no longer sponsored by their management for further training, seminars, conferences, workshops, for new innovation and better performances.  The more qualified that have reached the grade of management cadres are avoided during policy making.
    Secretaries are not paid salaries commensurate with the functions they perform.  That salary is not regularly paid.  They are not promoted as at and when due and they receive notional promotion that is, without financial benefit from the effective date of promotion.  The journal allowance approved to all the practicing secretaries are equally denied them, whereas other professional that are more important to them are being paid.
    Secretaries lack modern office equipment.  Some still work with obsolete machines which do not help the flow of information in the organization, especially at this computer age.  In addition to the above, the entire environment of secretaries leave much to be deserved, to mention but a few.  These do not give job satisfaction, rather it demotivate secretaries and the resultant effect is low productivity, when reviewed in chapter two.
1.3    THE OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
    The objective of this study is
(1)    To identify the motivational strategies in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.
(2)    To identify the current problems of secretaries working in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, (UNTH) Enugu.
(3)    To find out the effects of motivation in solving these problems.
(4)    To suggest to the management of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, the factors that can induce the secretaries to increase their productivity.
1.4    THE SCOPE OF STUDY    
    The scope of study is both junior and senior secretaries in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu.

1.5    RESEARCH QUESTIONS
    The following questions were designed to enable the researcher come up with reasonable answers.
(1)    What motivational strategies are used by the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu management to induce the secretaries to work harder?
(2)    What are the current problems facing secretaries working in UNTH Enugu?
(3)    What are the effects of motivational strategies on the performance of secretaries in UNZTH, Enugu?
(4)    What motivational strategies can the management of UNTH Enugu adopt to ensure increase in secretarial performance?
1.6    NULL HYPOTHESIS
H0i
    There is no significant difference (P<.05) between the mean perception of junior and senior secretaries of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu on what the motivational strategies are used by UNTH management to induce the secretaries to work harder.  
H02:    
    There is no significant difference (P<.05) between the means perception of the junior and senior secretaries of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu on the current problems facing secretaries working in UNTH, Enugu.
H03:    
    There is not significant difference (P<.05) between the mean perception of the junior and senior secretaries of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu on the effects of motivational strategies on the performance of secretaries in UNTH, Enugu.
H04:
    There is no significant difference (P<.05) between the mean perception of the junior and senior secretaries of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, on what motivational strategies can the management of UNTH, Enugu adopt to ensure increase in secretarial performance.    

1.7    SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
    This work will be beneficial to all the secretaries, the management, government and society, respectively.
(1)    The present condition of all the secretaries in UNTH, Enugu will be revived with these identified motivational strategies, if implemented
(2)    It will help the management of UNTH Enugu to understand the type of motivational strategies that are capable of inducing its secretaries to increase their productivity.
(3)    It will serve as a framework by the government for the planning and execution of the appropriate motivational packages for the secretaries, notion wide.
(4)    The entire society will be aware of the role of motivate to not only the secretaries in UNTH, Enugu but to all Nigeria workers.  It will also serve as a secondary data to any future researcher on this very topic.