MOTIVATIONAL DETERMINANTS AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG EDUCATIONAL MANAGERS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR ADULT EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND COUNSELLING PRACTICE

Abstract

This study investigated the motivational determinants of job satisfaction among educational managers in public universities in Enugu State, Nigeria, with implications for adult education, educational management, and counselling practice. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 197 educational managers drawn from four public universities in Enugu State, and a census approach was employed to include all respondents. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Motivational Determinants and Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MDJSQ), which yielded an overall Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while multiple linear regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that financial motivation (M = 3.78), job security (M = 3.76), recognition and reward systems (M = 3.74), and promotion opportunities (M = 3.73) all influenced job satisfaction to a very high extent. Furthermore, the regression analysis indicated that the four motivational determinants jointly explained 72.4% of the variance in job satisfaction (R² = 0.724, Adjusted R² = 0.718, F(4,192) = 125.83, p < 0.001), with financial motivation emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by job security, recognition and reward systems, and promotion opportunities. The study concludes that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors significantly enhance the job satisfaction of educational managers in public universities. It is therefore recommended among others that university administrators and policymakers strengthen financial incentives, implement transparent promotion policies, institutionalize effective recognition and reward systems, and promote employment security to improve employee satisfaction, leadership effectiveness, and institutional performance.