A Framework of Incentives on Worker’s Performance among Academician in Nigerian Polytechnics

This article aimed to review a framework of incentives on workers performance among academicians in Nigerian polytechnics. The article examined incentives and employees’ performance in service industry in north east state polytechnics in Nigeria. Incentive builds engagement among employees to encourage teamwork boost morale and motivation. Employees are selected from six polytechnics state polytechnics service industries make up the population of the study. Using random sampling selection method, 301 academicians were drawn from six service industries to participate in the study. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data using SPSS version 23. The study found that financial and non-financial incentives significantly affect employee performance. The study conclude that incentives drive employee performance, and boosts organizational productivity. The study thus argue that enhanced performance of employees is achievable through incentives, and that incentives significantly influence the performance of employees; and recommends that management of service industries that seek improved employee performance should design methods for allocating financial and non-financial incentives to employees in order to boost their commitment to the service industries. And further researchers should research in manufacturing companies in northern part of Nigeria.


Introduction
It is well known that an organization's most productive and valuable asset is its people (Valaei and Jiroudi, 2016).In essence, an organization's human resource quality has a big impact on how well it performs.Similar to this, an organization's human resource quality is determined by the employees' level of education, training, and experience as well as their knowledge and skill set.Undoubtedly, there is a positive correlation between employee performance and Vol 14, Issue 6, (2024) E- ISSN: 2222-6990 To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i6/21862DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i6/21862 Published Date: 15 June 2024 training (Halawi and Haydar, 2018).Development in general, among other roles.The caliber of the lecturers hired is essential to carrying out these responsibilities well.While wellqualified candidates for first and master's degrees are occasionally hired as lecturers at HEIs, candidates for doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees are typically given preference.The PhD is the highest degree in academia, and those who hold one may be better qualified to do excellent research and teach students.Universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education make up Nigeria's higher education institutions (Agbionu et al., 2018).Every HEI in Nigeria is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME).But under the FME, they are particularly governed by several commissions or committees (Agbionu et al., 2018).The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) regulates polytechnics and monotechnics, whereas the National Universities Commission (NUC) oversees universities.
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) oversees the regulation of education colleges in a similar manner (Olusola and Alimi, 2015).The regulatory agencies were set up to support the nation's high standards for higher education (Agbionu et al., 2018).
The purpose of polytechnics is to give technical education that leads to diplomas, while universities are designed to offer education in nearly all subject areas that lead to the awarding of degrees (Oluwatusin and Daisi, 2020).The Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), which is awarded by the colleges of education, is specifically designed to provide teacher education (Olusola and Alimi, 2015).
For both individuals and companies, performance-whether it be at the individual or organizational level-is crucial (Mensah, 2015).As a result, it has drawn a lot of interest from academics and professionals.Employee performance was described as "observable things people do that are relevant for the goals of the organization" by Campbell et al (1990) (p. 314).Similarly, work performance was described as "the quantity and quality of employee contribution to the organizational goals in a direct or indirect way" by Audenaert et al (2016Audenaert et al ( ) (p. 1028)).Task performance and contextual performance are considered to be components of employee performance (Mensah, 2015).As stated in job descriptions for employees, task performance is considered to be one of the essential job duties (Kiyani et al., 2016).Beyond the formally assigned responsibilities of employees, contextual performance is defined as behavioral patterns that support the social and psychological setting in which task activities are conducted (Mensah, 2015).Teachers hired to instruct in HEIs are known as lecturers."The extent to which lecturers complete the teaching, research, and community service tasks, responsibilities, and activities intended to facilitate student learning and achievement of educational outcomes" (p.94) is the definition of a lecturer's work performance given by (Namutebi, 2019).Therefore, preparing and delivering lectures, seminars, and workshops to students, conducting research and publishing research findings, grading student assignments, and supervising student projects are among the primary responsibilities of lecturers (Kiyani et al., 2016;Namutebi, 2019).
In addition, curriculum development and revision, student mentorship, exam setting, administration, and marking, and consulting services are among the responsibilities of curriculum instructors (Namutebi, 2019).Since job performance is characterized as behavioral Sukirno and Siengthai (2011), intelligence, timeliness, resourcefulness, readiness to take on new responsibilities, and a positive work attitude are among the characteristics of lecturer performance (Kiyani et al., 2016).Textual performance extends beyond the formally defined responsibilities of employees and is defined as behavioral patterns that support the social and psychological milieu in which task activities are conducted (Mensah, 2015).Teachers hired to instruct in HEIs are known as lecturers.The degree to which lecturers fulfill the duties, obligations, and activities related to teaching, research, and community service is what Namutebi (2019) defines as a lecturer's job performance.
In addition to providing services to the community, lecturers are members of society.Through initiatives including public scholarship, community partnerships, participatory research, civil literacy scholarship, and public information networks, they support the growth of their communities (Namutebi, 2019).Many elements influence a lecturer's performance.The effects of academic rank and participatory decision-making on professor performance were investigated by Sukirno and Siengthai (2011) in Indonesia.They found that both factors considerably improve lecturer performance.

Concepts and Definitions
This study primarily discusses problems with worker performance framework incentives elements among academicians at Nigerian polytechnics.

Theoretical Background
Vroom (1964) established and proposed the Expectancy Theory.The majority of Vroom's work has been spent studying leadership and motivation in organizations.One of the most read and significant works on motivation in the industry was Vroom's work, Work and Motivation.He served as a consultant for more than a hundred companies, including both public and private ones like General Electric and American Express.
According to expectation theory, people make decisions based on what they believe will benefit them or lessen their chances of suffering.According to this view, the individual is more concerned with the effect that reaching the goal will have on them than with the ultimate objective itself.According to Victor Vroom's Expectancy Theory, an employee is unjust when they do a task because they believe that: i.The probability of completing the task and ii.
The possible outcome or consequence of completing the task.
Vroom's Theory of Expectancy deals with management and motivation.According to the hypothesis, an individual's level of motivation is determined by their presumptive perception of an outcome.It is aware that decisions increase enjoyment and reduce suffering (Young et al., 2017).The Law of Effect also argues that people engage in actions that have positive outcomes and refrain from behaviors that have negative ones.This is one of the concepts of reinforcement theory (Jaklič et al., 2018b).Vroom disproves earlier theories that claimed there was a straightforward comparison between an individual's work and its intended audience.Human factors, such as personnel performance, knowledge, and skills.This theory presents and analyzes the performance of the employees by highlighting the three key elements of valence, instrumentality, and expectation.As a result, a leader can effectively raise each follower's expectations thanks to these components.The study's findings will be a crucial tool for policymakers to understand the importance of other elements within the organization.Three elements make up Victor Vroom's theory of motivation.Since one effort is thought to affect performance, expectations can be definitive.In a practical sense, that will pay off.In a similar vein, the employee's value for the anticipated rewards is high.It is the cooperation of these three elements, according to Vroom's thesis (all based on worker's motivation and job pleasure perception).This influences an employee's motivation and level of job satisfaction or unhappiness.For instance, an academic will be rewarded with student learning or recognition, depending on what they value, if they feel that their efforts may make a difference.According to Vroom theory, the equity theory of motivation leads to job satisfaction.
Note that workers are similarly motivated at work, per (Frías-Jamilena et al., 2018).In a similar vein, the theory also asserts that in order to assess whether there is equity or unfairness at work, the perception of an employee's skill, knowledge, and experience regarding the compensation, benefits, and recognition for their output will typically be compared with information regarding the relationships between co-workers.According to the hypothesis, job satisfaction and awareness of unfairness are both improved by an equitable view, either in a beneficial or detrimental way.

Concept of Incentive
The idea of incentives is essential to motivating staff members and creating an excellencefocused culture in higher education.A variety of incentive schemes adapted to the particular dynamics of academic environments have been the subject of recent research.Hensley and Utley's (2021) research, for example, emphasizes the significance of intrinsic incentives-like autonomy, mastery, and purpose-in inspiring faculty and researchers.These intrinsic motivators align with the academic community's intrinsic ideals, which include intellectual curiosity, knowledge acquisition, and scholarly contributions.Furthermore, in higher education contexts, extrinsic incentives like tenure considerations, performance-based bonuses, and recognition programs are relevant.According to research by Clark (2020), a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards can successfully boost worker commitment and performance in academic settings by coordinating personal aspirations with organizational aims.Furthermore, the notion of incentives in higher education include group incentives that support cooperation, teamwork, and transdisciplinary research in addition to individual rewards.Research conducted by Gupta and Gupta (2019) highlights the significance of collaborative projects and team-based incentives in promoting innovation and improving organizational performance in higher education and research institutions.Higher education institutions can address difficult societal concerns and advance scientific knowledge by leveraging the combined experience of their staff and researchers through collaborative efforts and information-sharing programs.Moreover, mentorship programs, career growth pathways, and professional development opportunities are all included in the notion of incentives in higher education.According to research by Steele and Dagefoerde (2021), these developmental incentives are crucial for drawing in and keeping top talent, fostering a culture of lifelong learning, and guaranteeing the viability and long-term performance of academic institutions.Promotion: Promotion as a reward is still a critical tactic used by companies to inspire employees and raise engagement levels.The importance of promotions in creating a sense of recognition and achievement among employees has been highlighted by recent studies.
According to research by Maslow (2019), promotions have intrinsic value because they satisfy workers' higher-level demands for self-actualization and esteem.Promotions act as material rewards for workers' devotion and diligence, strengthening their morale and commitment to company objectives by offering chances for career progression and more responsibility.Furthermore, by providing workers with a clear path for advancement within the company, promotions can aid in talent retention initiatives (Saks & Gruman, 2019With today's highly competitive labor market and strong demand for qualified workers, the possibility of progression can be a potent motivator for attracting and retaining talent.However, the fairness and openness of the promotion process are critical to the effectiveness of promotions as incentives.The significance of perceived fairness in promotion decisions is highlighted by recent research by Rousseau and Tijoriwala (2020).This is because employees are more likely to be motivated by promotions when they feel that prospects for development are based on merit rather than bias or favoritism.Therefore, organizations need to make sure that promotion criteria are well-defined and consistently used, and that choices are based on competency assessments and objective performance evaluations (Saks & Gruman, 2019).Furthermore, giving staff members feedback and growth chances can make promotions more meaningful by helping them see how their work affects their ability to advance in their careers within the company (Maslow, 2019).Organizations can use promotions as powerful incentives to boost employee performance and organizational success by cultivating a culture of justice and meritocracy in their promotion procedures.
Growth and development: Opportunities for growth and development are becoming more widely acknowledged as effective motivators for raising worker engagement and performance in businesses.Current studies highlight the critical impact that skill development and ongoing learning play in inspiring staff members to reach their greatest potential.Tett and Burnett's (2019) research indicates that providing training programs, workshops, and educational tools to staff members indicates that a company values their professional development.These kinds of programs not only give workers the information and abilities they need to succeed in their current positions, but they also set them up for potential career progression in the future.Organizations may produce a workforce that is flexible, adaptable, and driven to contribute to the success of the company by establishing a culture of learning and development (Phillips & Phillips, 2020).Furthermore, by giving workers a sense of direction and joy in their work, growth and development incentives support attempts to retain talent.According to research by Cable and Edwards (2019), workers are more inclined to stick with companies that value their professional and personal growth.Organizations can assist employees' long-term career goals by providing opportunities for cross-functional training, job rotation, mentoring programs, and career development pathways.These programs not only help workers feel more engaged and satisfied at work, but they also help them feel more devoted and loyal, which boosts output and performance (Tett & Burnett, 2019).
Fringe Benefits: Fringe benefits are essential for motivating staff performance in high-level institutions, such as research centers, universities, and colleges.In order to attract and retain top talent in academics, fringe perks outside standard remuneration are important, according to recent studies.Comprehensive fringe benefit packages, including as health insurance, retirement plans, flexible work schedules, and professional development opportunities, may have a big impact on employee engagement and happiness, according to research by Clark and Oswald (2020).Furthermore, ancillary perks like research funding and tuition help can act as strong inducements for academic staff and researchers to pursue intellectual activities, which enhances the institution's standing and performance in the academic community (Wheatley, 2019).Elite universities may improve employee engagement, motivation, and performance by providing appealing fringe benefits that are customized to meet the specific requirements and preferences of their academic staff.
Furthermore, the performance and productivity of employees in high-level institutions can be directly impacted by fringe benefits on their general well-being and work-life balance.According to research by Kossek and Lautsch (2018), work-life balance initiatives-like childcare assistance and parental leave policies-are crucial for supporting employees' personal and family commitments while also allowing them to stay engaged and productive at work.A healthier and more resilient workforce also lowers absenteeism and improves overall performance.Examples of fringe benefits that support employee wellbeing include gym memberships, mental health resources, and wellness programs (Kossek & Lautsch, 2018).
Bonuses: Bonuses are a useful tool in high-level organizations like research institutes, universities, and polytechnics for raising staff morale and performance.The effects of performance-based bonuses on academic employees, administrators, and researchers are highlighted by recent studies.According to studies by Schunk and Bartz (2020), incentives linked to individual or team accomplishments can motivate staff members at elite universities to put up more effort, be more productive, and be more creative.Bonuses can also act as concrete incentives for outstanding achievement, praising and confirming desirable actions and results.Bonuses for faculty members could be dependent on publications, grants for research, evaluations of their instruction, or other measures related to their duties and responsibilities (Schunk & Bartz, 2020).Bonuses can also encourage administrative workers to optimize workflow, boost productivity, and support the institution's overall success.However, the fit between bonus requirements and institutional objectives, as well as the openness and equity of bonus distribution procedures, determine how successful bonuses are as incentives in high-level institutions.Prendergast ( 2019)'s research emphasizes the perceived equity in bonus distribution as well as the significance of precise performance indicators and conditions for bonus eligibility.Employee trust and faith in the incentive system can be increased by transparent bonus policies and procedures, which will inspire them to pursue excellence in their work.To guarantee that bonuses function as significant incentives for ongoing development and professional progress, they should also be paired with frequent feedback and performance reviews (Prendergast, 2019).

Concept of Workers Performance
Higher education establishments such as universities, colleges, polytechnics, and research institutes have several aspects that affect worker performance.These factors include institutional culture, extrinsic incentives, and intrinsic motivations.First off, academic curiosity, the need for intellectual fulfilment, and the quest of knowledge are some of the inherent motives that frequently propel academics, researchers, and staff at higher education institutions.A major source of motivation for many academics is the chance to further knowledge, as many of them have strong academic passions.Academic staff members who are given the freedom to pursue their research interests, participate in scholarly activities, and innovate within their fields perform at high levels because they feel fulfilled and have a sense of purpose (Hensley & Utley, 2021).In higher education, extrinsic incentives are also very important in determining how well employees perform.Opportunities for advancement, tenure considerations, and recognition for intellectual accomplishments are significant motivators for academic staff members and researchers.Individuals in tenure-track positions are motivated to maintain high levels of productivity and intellectual production because they provide job stability and opportunities for professional progression.Research grants, teaching honors, publishing incentives, and other performance-based compensation offer concrete acknowledgment for scholarly achievements and encourage sustained success (Clark, 2020).Furthermore, chances for professional growth, mentorship initiatives, and competitive pay all play a part in how happy and productive employees are in universities.Furthermore, employee performance in higher education is highly influenced by the work environment and institutional culture.Employee engagement and productivity are enhanced by a collaborative, encouraging culture that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and academic freedom.The presence of multidisciplinary collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and mentorship opportunities fosters a dynamic academic environment in which individuals flourish.On the other hand, organizational elements like red tape, scarce resources, and onerous administrative requirements can impede employee productivity and lower morale (Steele & Dagefoerde, 2021).

Research, innovation:
Research is referring to systematic resource and material study to arrive at new conclusions and ideas.Employees need to research to innovate new ideas and new strategy into the system, as a result, will enhance the performance of employees.
Writing and publication: The degree of academic staff involved in writing and making the content available to the public will be significant to the employees because it brings awareness to the public and cordial relationship among the academies.Consultation: It involves the professional practice of academic staff that provides the students or institution with expert advice within a specific field.It is not compulsory for all staff, only those who have an interest; it helps the performance of the institution and students even better.

Continuing Professional Development (CDP):
In this type of circumstance, a person uses their knowledge base to grow by engaging in a continuous process of reflection and achievement (Yu et al., 2018a).As an example, CDP is a way to authorize and support people to achieve greater performance and achievement (Garay et al., 2017a).Furthermore, the knowledge, expertise, and abilities needed to carry out tasks and responsibilities prevent the need for CDP from developing at the workplace (Hetland et al., 2018).Furthermore, the environment of higher education has changed significantly, and CDP has been highlighted as a major driving force that can enhance personal development (Flostrand et al., 2019).(Torres et al., 2018).Students increasingly regard themselves as customers who demand and demand top-notch instruction and training (Liu et al., 2017).Many universities have high standards for the material and programs they offer for teaching and learning (Wang and Ashokan, 2021).Additionally, CDP is becoming more and more recognized as a requirement rather than an option in the context of an educational institution.According to Kimura et al. (2018), CDP is usually acknowledged as a requirement rather than an option in the setting of an educational institution.Additionally, CDP is a planned learning style that can be slow in order to guarantee fitness for the lecture, gather evidence, and be appealing in terms of information, services, and requests for actual competence (Vlajčić et al., 2019).Any necessary learning activities, whether formal and scheduled or informal and self-directed, can be included in CDP.In today's world, education has become a distinct profession with several factors contributing to educators' job dissatisfaction because, in their opinion, CDP is more of a story than an accurate representation.In the meantime, they exhibit neither fear nor title (Yu et al., 2018a).As a result, the oversight policy is ineffective.2019'sFrank et al.
Several research, including those by Larivière et al ( 2017), suggest that speakers need ongoing assistance in the form of maintaining professional development activities that will strengthen their convictions about their ability to influence students' learning.For example, more study (Lee et al., 2020).Mention the reasoning from above.These writers continually contend that a highly qualified lecturer can influence both the overall performance and the quality of the instruction.
Constructivist and transformative learning theories are linked in the Expanded Model of Learning in Professional Practice to create a comprehensive and integrated understanding of knowledge acquisition (cain, 2018).explains how professionals learn things at first and then adjust their understanding via experience.Furthermore, because the approach enables facilitators and providers of CDP programming to collaborate with professionals and participants in creating tools that support knowledge production in the context of practice, learning, professional development, and context are linked together.Thus, this will improve how CDP learning is applied in real-world scenarios (Wang and Ashokan, 2021).(Gentina et al., 2018).Moreover, educators felt at ease and saw no need for CDP to be one of the elements used in performance evaluation.Also, several of Nigeria's polytechnics, including Kaduna Polytechnic, have already started incorporating CDP among the components when assessing teaching staff quality.

Adopted Model
The adopted model for this study is vroom's expectancy model

Conclusion
In conclusion, the researcher's framework model of incentives and academic performance in Nigerian polytechnics' higher education satisfies the study's goal.at order to identify and close theoretical and practical gaps that could improve and affect the framework's development using incentives and academic performance at Nigerian polytechnics, a comprehensive literature study served as the foundation for the framework's development.
This conceptual study provides an overview and significance of the factors that influence the adoption of incentives in Nigerian polytechnics and how they relate to one other.

Contribution and Recommendations
It appears that the framework model, which was created based on previous and on-going research by eminent scholars, is not only applicable to Nigerian higher education but can also be used by practitioners, non-governmental organizations, and the ministry of education to incorporate into their educational plans in order to improve academic performance in Nigerian polytechnics and use incentives in this regard.

Limitations
The academics in Nigerian polytechnics are the subject of this paper.Future studies should concentrate on different groups and generations.Future research should broaden the scope and incorporate other countries.

Acknowledgement
Additionally, Schlegel et al (2018)  suggested that polytechnics use CDP as a tool to help students connect their work with the vital areas, as these schools are frequently focused only on the job at hand or the future growth of the occupation.Based on a review of the literature, CDP can improve all forms of instruction and training(Bouzguenda, 2018).It is commonly known that six factors have a correlation with CDP.The characteristics of the school context and the educator experience, the practices and values of educators, the necessity of participation in several gifted development activities, and school norms and environment

Figure
Figure 1 Source: Vroom's Expectancy model I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Beni Wildarman Yus Kelema, and Prof. Nur Naha Abu for their invaluable guidance, unwavering support, and exceptional help with my first conceptual paper.I also appreciate the support from federal polytechnics that allowed me to study at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.Lastly, my wife Asha deserves the greatest gratitude for her enduring support.