The Influence of Positive Reinforcement on Employee Motivation at the Nakuru County Government

Abstract

Positive reinforcement is a motivational technique meant to elicit and to strengthen new behaviors by adding rewards and incentives instead of eliminating benefits. When used correctly, positive reinforcement can be very effective. This could go a long way to increase employee motivation and improve the public image of the organization. However, positive reinforcement has not yet been investigated as a employee motivator in the context of the nascent county governments in Kenya. As such the extent to which it is applied to influence employee motivation remains largely unknown. Therefore, this study sought to determine the influence of positive reinforcement on motivation of employees focusing on the Nakuru County Government. This study adopted the case study design targeting 80 Nakuru County Government management and staff members using simple random sampling. The questionnaires were used as instruments of data collection. Data was analyzed in using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results revealed that positive reinforcement significantly (r = 0.404, p < 0.05) promoted employee motivation at the Nakuru County Government. The findings underscored the importance of positive reinforcement on employee motivation. Therefore, it is recommended that positive reinforcement of employees needs to be encouraged in organizations especially in the public sector in Kenya where demand for improved service delivery is rising as citizens become more aware of their rights and entitlements.