Motivation problem
A study carried out by a researcher among middle level public officials in one of African states established that they had a problem of job and work avoidance. The study linked the problem to interferences from senior officials, lack of decision-making abilities, monotony, lack of feedback among others causes. Middle level officials resorted to job and work avoidance because they lacked a sense of owning the work, never got any credit for their outstanding performance, and lacked feedback.
In this context, job and work avoidance covered absenteeism with no explanations, lateness, and irregular signing out. During working periods, public officials had tendencies to concentrate on activities not related to their duties. These tendencies included politics, long lunch and coffee breaks, serving the public reluctantly and more often, procrastinating duties.
Job characteristics theory
Public officials lack autonomy in their jobs. They do not feel personally responsible for their work, and thus they do not own the outcomes. This is due to both internal and external interferences in tendering processes from their senior level counterparts and influential politicians. Furthermore, they lack decision-making abilities to control projects within their level of work. They feel that their personal efforts are not worthwhile (Latham 120).
Task identity due to interferences no longer exists among the middle level public officials. They do not see a distinct sense of beginning and ending in their works. Middle level public officials are unable to identify with their work as a whole task. Hence, there is no sense of pride they derive from their work outcomes. For instance, in the evaluation of tendering processes, senior level officials tend to interrupt the process by introducing their preferred bidders. Therefore, middle level officials do not see the task from its beginning to end, and there is no satisfaction they get from such tasks.
Some middle level officials consider their tasks to be of limited significance to the ministry. These are mainly officials who moved up in the job grade but never changed their roles. For instance, the clerk at the ministry store claims that his job almost lack significance in relation to his peers’ jobs. Therefore, he only derives low level motivation.
Most middle level public officials have multiple skills for performing a job. However, their lines of duties are rather monotonous. For instance, a clerk at the ministry store does not use his computer skills to keep his records. This is because his department has no computers. Therefore, he is unable to apply his various skills to perform a task resulting into low level of motivation.
Feedback from work gives the middle level officials awareness of their effectiveness in converting their efforts into performance. Occasionally, they do not get involved in works from beginning to end. They rarely get the knowledge outcomes from the work. For instance, senior officials mar the bidding processes by favoritisms, which they do in secrecy. As such, middle level officials cannot get any knowledge outcomes in such processes. Therefore, they lack the vital feedback information which they can use to improve on their performances (Daft 283).
In short, the theory anticipates that job performance, satisfaction, and attendance should be higher when the above five characteristics are present. In fact, it clarifies that all the five must be present for these consequences to accrue.
Solutions to the problem
Lack of autonomy among middle level public officials arises from both internal and external interferences. Senior public officials should stop meddling in the job of their juniors such as evaluation of tendering processes and making recommendations. The ministry should review job descriptions of different management levels and provide and reinforce clear cut job functions of each official. In order to ensure job autonomy, middle level officials should make decisions on bidding and awarding of tenders, evaluation of the bidding processes until the task is complete.
The ministry should introduce computers in the department to enable the incumbents exploit the varieties of the task skills they have to deliver on their job performances. Officials should also combine tasks e.g. a secretary can combine her clerical and administrative skills with training new secretaries, and getting the ministry annual reports published. Finally, job interferences prevent middle level officials from owning their jobs from start to end. Consequently, officials do not get feedback to use in the future for task performance. For instance, official should be involved in procurement processes from gathering of information, requesting for tenders, background reviews of selected firms, negotiations, tender fulfillment to tender renewal in the future.
Works Cited
Daft, Richard L. The Leadership Experience, 5th Edition. Mason, OH: Southwestern Publishing , 2008. Print.
Latham, Gary. Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research, and Practice. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2007. Print.