Leadership, Motivation, Organizational

Climate, and Job Performance of Project

Engineers in the Department of Public
Works and Highways: United Project
Management Office

2023
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Many organizations ignore the organizational environment. As a result, employee engagement

and performance at work can be very low. Organizational climate is notable for the way in which

individuals within an organization perceive and describe their environment in a way that is based on their

attitudes and values. For example, perceptions may include concepts of cooperation, leadership support,

trust, fairness, friendliness, conflict, performance standards, and commitment (see, for example, Cygler et

al., 2018; Kostic-Bobanovic and Bobanovic, 2013; Saeed et al., 2019; Viitala et al., 2015). Steinke et al.

(2015) argued that organizational climate reflects employees' perceptions of the policies, practices, and

procedures that are expected, supported, and rewarded for the organization's human resources.

Additionally, Ahmad et al. (2018) and Sroka and Szanto (2018) summarize that organizational

climate is considered an important factor that has important implications in human resource management

and organizational behavior. So, regardless of the size of the organization, it is important for the

organization to establish great relationships with its employees. For example, according to Hamidianpour

et al. (2015) organizational climate has a positive and significant impact on employee creativity in small

and medium-sized organizations. Organizational environment also has a positive and significant impact

on entrepreneurial orientation in small and medium-sized organizations. But mid-sized organizations are

inherently relatively large and their owners or managers may not be able to manage their employees as

they should (Hornsby and Kuratko, 2003; Newell and Scarbrough, 2002 ).

This study provides further evidence of the applicability of transformational leadership

concepts to curricula and educational programs that support leadership training for project

engineers.

Job Performance and Rewards

Employers are interested in the reward management because of a few reasons.

First of all, the reward management relates to the cost effectiveness and profitability

of the company. This depends on the relative cost of workers and the type of the
organization (Allen & Kilmann, 2001). Secondly, the company looks at the reward as

the force to influence the positive work attitude and behaviour of workers. In addition,

it is explained that a reward can influence the decision of the candidates to join the

company, to work with their best efforts, to join trade union and to accept additional

responsibilities (Bratton & Gold, 1999). Finally, the company must ensure that their

reward management policy meets the standard requirement of the employment law.

In the industry as well as in government service, “motivation goes hand in

hand with productivity” (Miller, Porter and Drummond, 1998, p.97). This means that

the motivation level of every employee is very important, if the motivation level of

the employees is low, the organization will not be able to achieve their goal and

objectives. So in an organization, the management have to look into what are the

types of motivation needed for each employee. For instance, most people agree that

money is the main motivator, but some people may think pleasant

surroundings, challenging work, achievement, recognition, personal sense of

accomplishment and the like maybe their main motivators to work (Tesone, 2005).

According to Werner and DeSimone (2006) there are three approaches to

explain motivation and these are: need-based, cognitive and non-cognitive. Need

based are deficiency states or imbalances, either physiological or psychological, that

energise and direct behavior. Cognitive process is based on a person’s thoughts and

beliefs because people attempt to explain the sequence of thoughts and decisions that

energize, direct and control behaviour. Non-cognitive explains behavior without

referring to unobservable internal forces such as needs or thoughts.

Most of the studies on motivation and job satisfaction were conducted utilizing

private companies as their case research. As the researcher is a public servant, this

study is being conducted in order to gauge the effectiveness of motivation to the

project engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways UPMO in

Mindanao in terms of their job satisfaction, inter-working relationship, and

performance.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This study is based on the following motivational theories: Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Adam’s Equity

Theory and Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory. However, the theoretical framework of

the study would be anchored on Organizational Behavior and Modification (OB Mod)

as based on the work of Frederic Herzberg (Newstrom, 2014).

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory is related to intrinsic factor like job

satisfaction and the extrinsic factor is related to job dissatisfaction. In Figure 1, it

illustrates the diagram on the motivators and hygiene factors (Robbins & DeCenzo,

2005).

The hygiene factor will be looking into the job security, working

environment, quality supervision, company policy, relationship with co-worker and so

forth of the employees.(Robbins and DeCenzo, 2005).

The motivators will be the factors that the employees are extremely satisfied

or not satisfied in an organization. These factors relate to the sense of achievement,

recognition, responsibility and so on. The motivators will affect the feeling of the

employees but it will not lead to dissatisfaction of the employees if they could not

receive it (Robbins and DeCenzo, 2005).

In this theory, employees without hygiene factor in an organization, it will

lead to employees being displeased and they will not be motivated to work harder for

the organization. The motivators are tools to help an organization to keep the co-

worker motivated such that they will strive harder for the company. It is an extra help

for an organization to be better than others, to have a competitive advantage over

other organizations and have more productive employees (Robbins and DeCenzo,

2005). According to Walker (2004) ‘ hygiene factor in an organization needs to be

met first then motivation will take place once the motivator factors are present.’ This

means Walker has also agreed with Robbins and DeCenzo about this theory, but
 according to Mullins (1995) this theory is only for employees who are inexperience,

unskilled or whose job is limited in scope. So this is a good theory for public

organizations but only for workers with low expectation of satisfying higher level of

needs but not for the management level employees. Opsahl and Dunnette (1966 cited

in Bassett-Jones and Lloyd 2005, p.5) have criticize that ‘Herzberg’s assertion that

money was more likely to act as a dissatisfier (hygiene factor) mystifying.’ They

concluded that there was no substantial support for a so-called differential role for

money in leading to job satisfaction or job dissatisfaction.’ But Herzberg’s had added

on, for employee to become motivated, it is dependent on the internally-generated

drives and not externally-stimulated incentive (Bassett-Jones and Lloyd, 2005).

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework Diagram (as based on Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory)

Motivators Hygiene Factors

Achievement Supervision
Recognition Company Policy
Work Itself Relationship with peer
Responsibility Salary
Advancement Status
Growth Security

Extremely Neutral Extremely

Satisfied Dissatisfied

As based on theoretical framework of Herzberg, this study as a conceptual framework

would look into the demographic profile of the respondents as an independent variable as

illustrated in the diagram in terms of gender, age, civil status, rank/position, years employed,

educational attainment, and monthly income.

 The main independent variables that would be tested would be the following:

1. Motivators

A. Achievement

B. Recognition

C. Work Itself

D. Responsibility

E. Advancement

F. Growth

2. Hygiene Factors and Organizational Climate

A. Supervision

B. Organization Policy

C. Relationship with peer

D. Salary

E. Status

F. Security

The dependent variable in the is study would be the level of efficiency and effectivity

of the project engineers respondents of DPWH.

Figure 2 Schematic Diagram

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

DEMOGRAPHIC
PROFILE
Gender
Age
Civil Status
Rank/Position
Years Employed
Educational
Attainment
Monthly Income

LEVEL OF
EFFICIENCY AND
MOTIVATORS EFFECTIVITY OF THE
Achievement PROJECT ENGINEERS
Recognition OF THE
Work Itself DEPARTMENT OF
Responsibility PUBLIC WORKS AND
Achievement HIGHWAYS
Growth UNITED PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
OFFICE

HYGIENE
FACTORS
Supervision
Organization Policy
Relationship with
peer
Salary
Status
Security
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In the main, this study will examine the motivators, hygiene factors and

organizational climate in relation to the level of efficiency, and effectivity among the

project engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways United Project

Management Office. Specifically, it will answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the employee respondents in terms of:

A. Gender

B. Age

C. Civil Status

D. Rank/Position

E. Years Employed

F. Educational Attainment

G. Monthly Income

2. What is the extent of the motivators among the project engineers of the DPWH

UPMO in terms of:

A. Achievement

B. Recognition

C. Work Itself

D. Responsibility

E. Advancement

F. Growth

3. What is the extent of the hygiene factors and organizational climate in terms

of:

A. Supervision

B. Organization Policy

C. Relationship with peer

D. Salary
 E. Status

F. Security

4. What is the level of efficiency, and effectivity? and

5. What are the implications of the findings of the study in terms of strategies that

will result to more efficiency and effectivity of service delivery to the general

public?

Hypothesis/Assumption

The study has formulated the following null hypothesis for testing:

HO1: There are no motivators among the project engineers of the

DPWH UPMO

HO2: There are no hygiene factors no job satisfaction among the project

engineers of the DPWH

UPMO

HO3: The organizational climate is not conducive

HO3: There is no efficiency, and effectivity among the project engineers of

DPWH UPMO

Significance of the Study

This study is significant in the sense that this will contribute to theory and

knowledge about behavior modification and its impact on performance and job

satisfaction in organizations. Thus, this will benefit the employees and management

of the public organization in terms of being able to acquire actual information

regarding the relationship of their behavior modification programs to the performance

and work behavior.

University Professors. The study can be made as a reference for professors

in teaching management in this university as well as other schools and

institutions.
 Management Students. The study can also enlighten students in the graduate

school of management in terms of giving insights as regard to organizational

climate.

Management Association of the Philippines. The study’s findings can

provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of human resource management

in the Philippines and how to improve it. MAP can use these insights to enhance

and develop new policies, guidelines, and recommendations for all its member

states to achieve its goal of promoting management effectivity and efficiency.

Professional Managers. The study can give insight to professional managers

in terms of improving their handling of human resources in terms of job

satisfaction and motivation.

Future Researchers. The study can serve as a reference for future

researchers in management, job satisfaction, motivation, and organizational

climate.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study is only limited to the respondents and employees of the DPWH

UPMO. It is assumed by the study that the respondents will answer the survey

questions honestly and truthfully since the basis of the findings and conclusion will

depend upon their answer. The survey will be conducted at the DPWH UPMO by

February 2024.

Definition of Terms

Motivational factors. These are the factors of motivation operationally defined as

basic needs, security needs, social needs, ego needs, achievement needs, salary, and

fringe benefits.

Company support and system. This is operationally defined as company’s culture

and support, job content and job context.

Employee job performance. It is operationally defined as the level of the employee’s

job performance before and after the implementation of the incentive program.

Employee behavior at work. It is operationally defined as the nature of behavior of

the employees is showing during.

Job Satisfaction. This is the level of satisfaction of the employees in terms of their

level of agreement and satisfaction towards their work.

Organizational Climate. This refers to an employee’s long-lasting perception of the working

environment and culture of the business they work for. You can think of climate as similar to

personality: every person has a unique personality, and every organization has a unique climate.