Factors affecting work motivation and the influence of work motivation on civil servants' job performance through job satisfaction as a mediator: an evidence from department of home affairs in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

Abstract

This thesis is purposed to identify factors affecting work motivation and then to test the influence of job satisfaction as a mediator on the relationship between work motivation and employee job performance of civil servants working in the Department of Home Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Literature relating to theoretical background, main key concepts as work motivation, job satisfaction and job performance were reviewed. In the literature review, the conceptualization and definitions of six motivational factors (work conditions, job security, supervisor support, coworkers support, rewards and recognition and job characteristics), job satisfaction as the mediator in the relationship between work motivation and job performance, as well as the prediction about correlations among them are outlined.

Besides, the methodology provides ways to design the research, describe the population and sample size, design questionnaire, collect and analyze data. Collected data is analyzed by SPSS 20 and Smart PLS 3.0 software to test the hypotheses. Specifically, qualitative study with five key informants (3 experts and 2 civil servants) was performed through interview. Quantitative approach with 43 observed items was used. Finding gave the understandings of factors affecting work motivation, the relationship of work motivation and job performance through mediator, job performance in the Department of Home Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City. The pilot testing and main survey were 2 main steps in quantitative approach.There are three steps of the survey: validity and reliability testing measurement scales and final testing of the hypotheses. This research adapted prior measurement scales to ensure the validity of all scales. These scales had been used and tested in many researches among various countries and now they are tested and confirmed in Vietnam. In pilot test, the questionnaire was distributed to 30 participants, then the collected data analyzed by SPSS to confirm the reliability by using SPSS 20. The result revealed Cronbach’s alpha reliability of all construct had value over 0.7, which is very good. So key constructs are valid, and it can apply for Vietnam. The author then submitted the final questionnaire to IRB committee in NIDA-Thailand regarding to ethnicity in research, the Certificate of Exemption is issued in March, 2021.

Furthermore, findings of this research illustrate that two factors (work conditions, supervisor support) had a positive significant influence on work motivation in different level, while job satisfaction plays as a mediator affecting the relationship of work motivation and employee job performance partially. Those findings give leaders managers and supervisors of the department a new and an overall look about the antecedents as well as the consequences of work motivation. Based on the research findings, the conclusion drawn is that if the advance in motivational factors is high enough, the work motivation among civil servants will be increased, then leads to the enhance in performance with the mediator effect of job satisfaction. The research may contribute some useful information with managerial implications so that leaders and managers could apply in the department to boost the work motivation at a higher degree to improve the performance of civil servants and the sustainable development of department as well.