1.1 Introduction
Wages and salary payment is an integral part of organizational success because it inspires employees to exert more effort in discharging their duties within the workplace, which produces a positive influence on their effectiveness and efficiency, especially among teachers (Aamodt, 2007). Salary is significant because it provides income for workers and creates pertinent cost items for employers. Hence, the salary is for compensating employees for their work and capabilities (Aamodt, 2007). The minimum wage in Nigeria is known as the least monthly salary due to workers according to the existing minimum wage law (Onuegbu, 2010). The most significant teaching factor is the teachers’ motivation and not their teaching methods, techniques, or curriculum (Abiogu and Ugwuja, 2016).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Employer provides work for employees just as employee on the other hand enables organization and nation to provide or produce goods and services for the ultimate benefit of mankind (O’ Donnell 2000). This is essentially in the nation building process. When goods are provided and services rendered, economy benefits also come to play. According to an abstract of employment, employers pays workers for productivity and services. This is of a symbolic advantage because just as employee help employers to make profit, the employer also give wages and salaries to employees to enable them meet their personal and domestic aspirations.
Productivity is a measure of how efficient, a given set of resources is utilized to achieve an organisational goals and objectives. Teachers’ productivity is an index used to describe teachers’ effectiveness and efficiency with regards to the relationship between the characteristics of teaching acts and the effect they have on educational outcome through classroom teaching. According to Oguntoye (2002) cited in Togunloju (2015), the success of any school organisation in achieving its goals and objectives depends largely on the efficiency and effectiveness of its administrator and teachers.
Bornstein (2003) stated that in organisations where workers are exposed to stressful working conditions, productivity is influenced negatively and that there is a negative influence on the delivery of service. On the other hands, if working conditions are of quality, productivity increases and there is positive influence on the delivery service. It appears, some of the school heads are dictatorship. It also appears, some of the school heads are involved in nepotism and favouritism. Noble (2003) noted that extra attention should be given to identifying and dealing with working conditions because, when workers have negative perception to their environment, they sometimes suffer from very serious stress. Fairly to pay wages and salaries has resulted in very important conflict in labour and management relation. Therefore, wages and salaries according to Mackenzie is the most significant reward that would assist them to have a good standard of living.
Wages and salaries are used as motivational factors or strategies (Micheal A. 2005). This is explain by piece: rate system which allows payment of wages in relation to job done, in addition, people have been seen to converse for work in organization, wages and salaries are no charitable grant by organization but a significant aspect of the right of worker in the productivity process. Payment must be made for job done by labour. Profit made should not only be for growth and development of companies while workers suffer physically and economically. The idea of national minimum wage is based on the understanding of the fact that there must be a border line under which employers must not fall in the payment of salaries and wages to workers who need to maintain a living standard.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to evaluate the impact of wages and salaries on the productivity of secondary school teachers.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that despite the services rendered by the public sector, salary increment is still a problem. The agitation for more salary is still on because of increasing level of standard of living. The global economic crisis also has brought about the agitation for salary increment and this is the reason for almost all the industrial action being embarked by personnel working in government parastatals. In the case of salary increment, poor performance in government parastatals, this means that the services rendered are not commensurate to the money been paid an employee.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of wages and salaries on the productivity of secondary school teachers. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine the influence of wages and salaries policies on the performance of Secondary School Teachers in the area under study,
- To find out government policies with respect to wages and salaries in various public secondary schools.
- To determine the effectiveness of wages and salaries policies on the performance of teachers in public secondary schools.
- To find out the problems public secondary schools are facing in implementing teachers wages and salaries in the area under study.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there factors influencing wages and salaries policies on the performance of Secondary School Teachers in the area under study?
- What are the policies laid out by government with respect to wages and salaries in various public secondary schools?
- What is the effectiveness of wages and salaries policies on the performance of teachers in public secondary schools?
- What are the problems public secondary schools are facing in implementing teachers wages and salaries in the area under study?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Increase in salaries and wages does not influence the performance of Secondary School Teachers in public secondary schools in Nigeria.
- H1: Increase in salaries and wages influence the performance of Secondary School Teachers in public secondary schools in Nigeria.
Hypothesis Two
- H0: Teachers’ satisfaction with the payment of minimum wage in public secondary schools does not significantly influence their effectiveness.
- H1: Teachers’ satisfaction with the payment of minimum wage in public secondary schools significantly influences their effectiveness.
1.7 Significance of Study
The following are the reason that makes this study a worthwhile:
- The study is expected to create awareness among organizations especially government parastatals on the positive impact which wages and salaries policies can have on the performance of government workers.
- The study will also be of importance to student who are interested in knowing how wages and salaries policies can affect performance in organization.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the evaluation of the impact of wages and salaries on the productivity of secondary school teachers in Dom Domingos College in Warri-South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Salary: Salary is significantly provides income for workers and creates pertinent cost items for employers. Hence, the salary is for compensating employees for their work and capabilities (Aamodt, 2007).
Wages and Salary Payment: Wages and salary payment is an integral part of organizational success because it inspires employees to exert more effort in discharging their duties within the workplace, which produces a positive influence on their effectiveness and efficiency, especially among teachers (Aamodt, 2007).
