Factors affecting employee motivation in any given business organization can be sub-divided into two main categories: intrinsic motivation factors and extrinsic motivation factors. Intrinsic motivation factors include recognition, trust, promotion, self-respect, responsibility, achievement, equality, autonomy, fairness, relationship, participation, advancement, satisfaction, and enjoyment. Extrinsic motivation factors include monetary incentives such as additional pay and remuneration, fringe benefits, working conditions, job security, administration, and company policy.
The following are empirical studies done in various parts of the globe regarding factors influencing employee motivation in business organizations.
Factors influencing employee motivation among technical university employees
The study explored factors influencing employee motivation among technical university employees in Ghana. Specifically, the main objectives of the study included the following: to establish the effect of remuneration on motivation among university staff in Ghana, to find out the effect of leadership style on motivation among university staff in Ghana, to assess the effect of professional growth on motivation among university staff in Ghana, and to determine the effect of work environment on motivation among university staff in Ghana (Boadi et al., 2025).
The target population included staff of selected technical universities in Ghana. A sample size of 130 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. Regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of the predictor variables on the outcome variable. The findings were presented in tables as required (Boadi et al., 2025).
The results of regression-standardized coefficients indicated that when all factors are maintained at a constant, remuneration contributed to 31.2% variance in staff motivation in the target universities; leadership style contributed to 45.1% variance in staff motivation in the target universities; and professional growth contributed to 37.6% variance in staff motivation in the target universities, while work environment contributed to 50.2% variance in staff motivation in the target population. This means that work environment had the greatest influence on staff motivation in the target universities, followed by leadership style, professional growth, and lastly, remuneration (Boadi et al., 2025).
Factors affecting employee motivation at the Samarinda Centre for Food and Drug Control
The study explored factors affecting employee motivation at the Samarinda Centre for Food and Drug Control in Indonesia. Specifically, the study sought to address the following objectives: to establish the effect of incentives on employee motivation in the target firm, to find out the effect of social security on employee motivation in the target firm, to examine the effect of organizational culture on employee motivation in the target firm, and lastly, to evaluate the effect of employer policy on employee motivation in the target firm (Jubaidi & Yudha, 2024).
The target population included the 96employees of the Samarinda Centre for Food and Drug Control in Indonesia. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The findings were presented in tables as deemed appropriate (Jubaidi & Yudha, 2024).
The results of regression analysis indicated that when all other factors are held constant, incentives contributed to 13.8% variance in employee motivation, social security contributed to 50.4% variance in employee motivation, organizational culture contributed to 46.0% variance in employee motivation, and lastly, employer policy contributed to 43.3% variance in employee motivation in the target firm. These results imply that social security had the greatest influence on employee motivation in the target firm, followed by organizational culture, employer policy, and lastly, incentives offered to the employees by the firm (Jubaidi & Yudha, 2024).
Factors affecting the work motivation of office employees: survey at Intracom Group
The study focused on factors affecting the motivation of office employees at Intracom Group in Vietnam. The specific objectives of the study included the following: to determine the effect of the nature of work on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group; to establish the effect of colleagues on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group; to find out the effect of leadership on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group; to assess the effect of income on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group; to examine the effect of promotion & training on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group; and lastly, to evaluate the effect of working conditions on motivation of office employees at Intracom Group (Phong & Dung, 2023).
The target population included office employees of Intracom Group in Vietnam. A sample size of 136 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze the descriptive variables of the study. Regression analysis was employed to assess the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The results were presented using tables as deemed fit (Phong & Dung, 2023).
The results of correlation analysis pointed to the existence of a positive and significant relationship between the independent variables (including nature of work, colleagues, income, promotion & training, and working conditions) and the motivation of office employees in the target firm. The results of regression analysis indicated that the independent variables contributed to 66.5% variance in the motivation of office employees in the target firm. The results of the regression standardized coefficient indicated that when all factors are held constant, the colleagues dimension contributed to 9.6% variance in employee motivation, training & promotion contributed to 41.2% variance in employee motivation, the nature of work contributed to 25.2% variance in employee motivation, the income dimension contributed to 22.1% variance in employee motivation, and working conditions contributed to 11.8% variance in employee motivation (Phong & Dung, 2023).
Factors influencing employee motivation: a case study of Padma Kanya Multiple Campus in Kathmandu
This study explored factors influencing employee motivation at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal. The specific objectives of the study included the following: to determine intrinsic factors that influence employee motivation in the target organization; to establish extrinsic factors that influence employee motivation in the target organization; and lastly, to assess employee attitudes about existing motivational factors in the target organization (Shrestha, 2021).
The target population included all administrative and unranked employees at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Kathmandu. The study adopted a case study design. Primary data were collected through interviews, observation, and focus group discussion. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (Shrestha, 2021).
The findings revealed that intrinsic factors affecting the motivation of administrative employees at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Kathmandu, included the following: autonomy, achievement & promotion, participation, responsibility, and recognition. On the other hand, unranked employees were motivated by the following intrinsic factors: equality, enjoyment, self-respect, and appreciation (Shrestha, 2021).
On the other hand, the results indicated that extrinsic factors affecting motivation for all employees at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Kathmandu, included the following: fringe benefits, campus policy and administration, working conditions, job security, basic salary, and additional remuneration. The findings also indicated that the employees in both categories felt that the existing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors in the organization should be improved and properly implemented for them to have more impact on staff motivation and overall performance (Shrestha, 2021).
A study on factors affecting employee motivation
The study explored factors affecting employee motivation in Bardoil. The specific objectives of the study included the following: to establish the relationship between remuneration & compensation and age & education; to determine the relationship between workplace environment and age & education; to assess the relationship between HR policy and age & education; to find out the relationship between employee welfare facilities and age & education qualifications; and lastly, to examine the relationship between safety & security and age & education qualifications in the target company (Bhupendrabhai & Pillai, 2021).
A sample size of 100 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s chi-square analysis was used to assess the relationship between study variables. The results were presented using tables as required (Bhupendrabhai & Pillai, 2021).
The results of the chi-square analysis indicated that there was a significant relationship between the following variables: remuneration & compensation and age; workplace environment and age; HR policy and age; employee welfare facility and age; and lastly, safety & security and age. In addition, the results showed that there was a significant relationship between the following variables: remuneration & compensation and education; workplace environment and education; HR policy and education; employee welfare facility and education; and lastly, safety & security and education (Bhupendrabhai & Pillai, 2021).
Factors affecting employee motivation in Bashanfer Trading PLC
The study investigated factors affecting employee motivation in Bashanfer Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In particular, the study sought to address the following objectives: to identify intrinsic factors that influence motivation in the target firm, to identify extrinsic factors affecting employee motivation in the target firm, and to determine the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic factors and employee motivation (Mulugeta, 2021).
The target population included all the 64 employees of Bashanfer Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data collection was accomplished using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used to analyze the descriptive variables in the study. Correlational analyses were used to assess the association between study variables. Regression analysis was used to establish the effect of predictor variables, that is, extrinsic and intrinsic factors, on the outcome variable, that is, employee motivation. The findings were presented in tables as required (Mulugeta, 2021).
The results of correlation analysis indicated the following factors had a positive and significant association with employee motivation: financial factors, recognition, work condition, job security, non-financial factors, co-workers, and supervision. The results of regression analysis indicated that the predictor variables (that is, work condition, job security, non-financial factors, co-worker and supervision factors, financial factors, and recognition factors) contributed to 65.1% variance in the outcome variable, that is, overall employee motivation in the target firm (Mulugeta, 2021).
Specifically, the results’ regression’s standardized coefficients indicated that when all factors are held constant, financial factors explained 27% variance in employee motivation; non-financial factors explained 20.1% variance in employee motivation; co-worker and supervision factors explained 7.6% variance in employee motivation; recognition factors explained 11.3% variance in employee motivation; while work condition and job security factors explained 50.2% variance in employee motivation. This means that work condition and job security factors had the greatest influence on employee motivation in the target firm, followed by financial factors, non-financial factors, recognition factors, and lastly, co-worker and supervision factors (Mulugeta, 2021).
Factors affecting employees’ motivation
The study explored factors affecting employee motivation in multinational corporations (MNCs) in Vietnam. The main objectives of the study included the following: to determine the effect of work nature on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; to establish the effect of work results on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; to find out the effect of work conditions on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; to examine the effect of training & promotion on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; to evaluate the effect of income benefits on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; to assess the effect of colleagues on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam; and lastly, to determine the effect of superiors on staff motivation in MNCs in Vietnam (Le et al., 2021).
The target population included staff working in selected MNCs in Vietnam. A sample size of 300 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. Regression analysis was employed to examine the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The results were presented in charts, graphs, and tables as deemed appropriate (Le et al., 2021).
The results of regression analysis indicated that the independent variables contributed to 72.2% variance in staff motivation in the target MNCs in Vietnam. Specifically, the results of regression-standardized coefficients indicated that when all factors are kept constant: The nature of work contributed to a 7.3% variance in staff motivation; work results contributed to a 19% variance in staff motivation; work conditions contributed to a 13.6% variance in staff motivation; training & promotion contributed to a 12.8% variance in staff motivation; income benefits contributed to a 27.2% variance in staff motivation; a superior contributed to a 22.6% variance in staff motivation, while colleagues contributed to an 18.8% variance in staff motivation (Le et al., 2021).
Factors affecting employees’ job motivation: a study on Addis Ababa City Road Authority Lot Three projects office
The study investigated factors affecting employee motivation in the City Road Authority Lot Three projects office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In particular, the study addressed the following objectives: to determine the effect of job satisfaction on employee motivation in the target organization; to find out the effect of reward on employee motivation in the target organization; to establish the effect of recognition on employee motivation; and to assess the effect of training & development on employee motivation (Deme, 2020).
The target population included the 512 permanent employees working in the Addis Ababa City Road Authority Lot Three project offices. A sample size of 224 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Correlation analysis was used to assess the association between study variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to explore the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The results were presented using tables as needed (Deme, 2020).
The findings of correlation analysis indicated that the independent variables, including job satisfaction, rewards or incentives, recognition, and training & development, had a positive and significant association with employee motivation. The results of regression analysis indicated that the independent variables explained 42.8% variance in employee motivation. Specifically, the results of regression-standardized coefficients indicated that when all factors are held constant, job satisfaction explained 48.7% variance in employee motivation, reward explained 23.2% variance in employee motivation, and training & development explained 19.8% variance in employee motivation. On the other hand, recognition was found to have an insignificant effect on employee motivation (Deme, 2020).
Factors affecting employees’ motivation at Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur
The study focused on factors affecting employee motivation at Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur. Specifically, the main objectives of the study included the following: to establish the effect of rewards & recognition on employee motivation; to find out the effect of salary & benefits on employee motivation; to determine the effect of work & relationships on employee motivation; and job security & environment on employee motivation (Rahman et al., 2018).
The target population included 365 employees in IUKL in Kuala Lumpur. A sample size of 127 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. Multiple regression analysis was done to explore the effect of the predictor variables on the outcome variable. The findings were presented using tables as deemed appropriate (Rahman et al., 2018).
The results of regression analysis indicated that the independent variables, including rewards & recognition, salary & benefits, work & relationships, and job security & environment, explained 49.4% of the variance in employee motivation. Specifically, the findings of regression-standardized coefficients indicated that rewards & recognition explained 25.4% variance in employee motivation; work & relationships explained 41.2% variance in employee motivation, while job security & environment explained 28.2% variance in employee motivation. On the other hand, salary & benefits had an insignificant effect on employee motivation (Rahman et al., 2018).
Factors affecting employee motivation towards employee performance: a study on the banking industry of Pakistan
The study focused on factors affecting employee motivation in the banking industry in Pakistan; specifically, the objectives of the study included the following: to establish the effect of benefits on employee motivation in the Pakistani banking industry, to find out the effect of job enrichment on employee motivation in the Pakistani banking industry, to determine the effect of empowerment on employee motivation in the Pakistani banking industry, to assess the effect of recognition on employee motivation in the Pakistani banking industry, and to explore the relationship between employee motivation and individual performance in the banking industry in Pakistan (Khan et al., 2017).
The target population included staff working in the selected banks’ sector in Pakistan. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of the predictor variables on the outcome variable. The results were presented in tables as required (Khan et al., 2017).
The results of regression analysis indicated that the predictor variables contributed to 88.8% variance in the outcome variance, that is, employee motivation. The results also indicated that employee motivation contributed to 52.2% of the variance in the performance of individual staff. Specifically, the results indicated that when all factors are held constant, benefits contributed to 26.2% variance in employee motivation, job environment contributed to 16.9% variance in employee motivation, and empowerment contributed to 31.5% variance in employee motivation, while recognition contributed to 25.5% variance in employee motivation (Khan et al., 2017).
A study of factors associated with employee motivation in IT multinational corporations
The study examined factors associated with employee motivation in IT multinational corporations (MNCs) in Indore. The target population included employees working in the IT department in MNCs in Indore. A sample size of 103 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Factor analysis was employed to identify motivational factors affecting employees in the target firm. The results were presented using tables (Eena & Tripathi, 2016).
According to the results, five factors were identified as the key contributors to employee motivation. These included accountability, self-progression, emoluments, association, and safety. According to the results, the following factors were identified as key contributors to employee motivation in order of preference: job security, career development, freedom to make decisions, high salary, promotion in the organization, appreciation of work, challenging work opportunities, healthy relationships with colleagues, good working conditions, and flexible work schedule (Eena & Tripathi, 2016).
Extrinsic and intrinsic factors influencing employee motivation: lessons from AMREF Health Africa in Kenya
The study investigated extrinsic and intrinsic factors influencing the motivation of employees in AMREF Health Africa, Kenya. Specifically, the study aimed at achieving the following objectives: to determine intrinsic factors affecting employee motivation at AMREF Health Africa in Kenya and to establish extrinsic factors affecting employee motivation at AMREF Health Africa in Kenya (Nyambegera & Gicheru, 2016).
The target population included the 412 employees of AMREF Health Africa in Kenya. A sample size of 96 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze descriptive variables of the study. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between study variables. The results were presented in tables as required (Nyambegera & Gicheru, 2016).
The results of correlation analysis showed that the following extrinsic factors had the greatest influence on employee motivation in the target organization: job enrichment, effectiveness of information dissemination, and management of organizational information. In addition, the results of correlation analysis indicated that the following intrinsic factors had the greatest impact on employee motivation in the target firm: employee perception about contributing to the firm’s growth, employee perception on skill development, influence of employee view of the job, degree of skill requirement, and appreciation of the employees by the organization (Nyambegera & Gicheru, 2016).
An analysis of factors affecting the employees’ motivation based on Herzberg’s Hygiene Factors Theory (The study: Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex’s Staff)
The study examined factors affecting employee motivation among the staff of the Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex using Herzberg’s hygiene factors theory. In particular, the objectives of the study included the following: to assess the effect of salary & wages on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; to find out the effect of personal life on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; to determine the effect of work conditions on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; to assess the effect of supervision & relations with authorities on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; to examine the effect of peers’ relations on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; to evaluate the effect of organizational policies on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex; and lastly, to establish the effect of job security on staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex (Ali et al., 2012).
The target population included the 640 employees of Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex. A sample size of 147 respondents was selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage, were used to analyze the collected data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used to assess the effect of the predictor variables on the outcome variable. The results were presented using tables as deemed fit (Ali et al., 2012).
The results of Pearson correlation analysis indicated that all the predictor variables, including wages and rewards, personal life, work conditions, supervisory practices, relations with peers, organizations, and job security, had a positive and significant association with staff motivation at Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex (Ali et al., 2012).
Citation
Ali, S.B., Attafar, A., and Ali, R.J. (2012). An analysis of factors affecting the employee’s motivation based on Herzberg’s Hygiene Factors Theory (The study: Golpayegan City Saipa Corporation Industrial Complex’s Staff). Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6(8), 115-123.
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Boadi, S., Amoako, R., Adu-Yeboah, S.S., Asare, A. (2025). Factors influencing employee motivation among technical university employees. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(1).
Deme, T.W. (2020). Factors affecting employees’ job motivation: a study on the Addis Ababa City Road Authority Lot Three project office. Unpublished Master’s Thesis submitted to the College of Business and Economics, Jimma University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Eena, S. and Tripathi, B.K. (2016). A study of factors associated with employee motivation in IT multinational corporations. International Journal of Management and Commercial Innovations, 4(1), 20-23.
Jubaidi, and Yudha, D.T. (2024). Factors affecting employee motivation at the Samarinda Centre for Food and Drug Control. Enrichment: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 1(10).
Khan, A., Ahmed, S., Paul, S., Kazmi, S.H.A.K. (2017). Factors affecting motivation towards employee performance: a study of the banking industry of Pakistan. Munich Personal RePEc Archive.
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Mulugeta, E. (2021). Factors affecting employee motivation in Bashanfer Trading PLC. Unpublished Master’s Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, St Mary’s University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Nyambegera, S.M. and Gicheru, C.N. (2016). Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Influencing Employee Motivation: Lessons from AMREF Health Africa in Kenya. International Journal of Business and Social Research, 6(9).
Phong, D.V. and Dung, D.N.P. (2023). Factors affecting the work motivation of employees: survey at Intracom Group. Revista De Gestao Social E. Ambiental, 18(2).
Rahman, A., Abidin, N.S.Z., and Hasan, M.M. (2018). Factors affecting employees’ motivation at Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics, and Law, 17(2).
Shrestha, R.K. (2021). Factors influencing employee motivation: a case study of Padma Kanya Multiple Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal. Tribhuvan University Journal, 36(1), 146-160.
