CONTINGENT PAY AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY: A STUDY OF SELECTED BANKS IN ONITSHA METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

This study sets out to examine the impact of contingent pay on employee performance in the banking industry. Probabilistic sampling technique has been used for the study. Four research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. To achieve this, data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire from five banks in Onitsha Metropolis. The data were presented in frequency tables and analyzed using chi-square test statistics. The result of the analysis showed that, there is a significant relationship between contingent pay and employee performance, that contingent pay has impact on the employee performance. Employee performance has greatly improved since the introduction of performance-based pay. The main recommendation of the study is that organizations should introduce performance-based pay in order to reduce their staff cost instead of mass retrenchment. They should also seek the input of the employee in setting performance standards.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1.  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the 80s, there were great similarities between banking job and civil service. Bankers were not given targets and can stay in the office, drink coffee and attain to their customers. Staff rarely go out prospecting except few occasions they are mandated to recover bad loan. Customer on their own accord went to bank to open accounts. Grades were determined by the year of experience and qualifications. Salary was based on grade and everybody in the same grade received the same salary irrespective of one’s competence, skill, knowledge, and contribution. Nepotism was the order of the day. The banking environment was not really challenging. Once the people have confidence in the bank, the bank would have all business. Competition was not fierce as it is now and the cost of doing business was not so high. There was no need to invest huge funds in software and other security gadgets. The sophisticated crimes and fraud witnessed today in banking industry were not so then. The challenging investment

opportunities were not there. But a lot have change in 21st

century. The business environment has become turbulent and complex. For managing in turbulent environment, there is a requisite variety imperative, which states that the complexity and subtlety of the firm’s response must match the complexity and subtlety of the environment (Roy Ashby, 1956). The requisite variety theory can be seen as a contingent theory (Onwuchekwa, 2000)

In order to survive in such unpredictable, turbulent and complex business environment, banks have adopted measure for survival. Hence the introduction of contingent pay packages. Every business organization is in business to either maximize profit or minimize cost. It is a fact that all employees do not have the same education, experience, strength, skills, competence, motivation, passion or attitude. Some organization could no longer bear the wage bill but still understand the importance of having a satisfied /motivated workforce.

Banks and some other organizations in a strategic move for survival, have embarked on a search for motivational tools that have the capacity to sustain high performance, reward performers, punish non-performers and reduce staff cost. Hence this has informed the choice of the title of this study.

1.2.  THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:

The equity theory of motivation forms the theoretical framework for this study. This theory was propounded by Adam Stacy J 1963 It states that a major input into job performances and satisfaction is the degree of equity (or inequity) that people perceive in their work situation. It is based on the assumption that a major factor in job motivation is the individual’s evaluation of the equity or fairness of the reward received. Equity can be defined as a ratio between the individual’s job inputs such as effort or skill and job reward such as pay or promotion (Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert, 2005). Most discussions and research on equity theory focus on money as the most significant reward in the work place. People compare what they are being paid for their efforts with what others in similar situations receive for theirs. When they feel inequity exist, a state of tension develops within them which they try to resolve by appropriately adjusting their behaviour (Robins, 2000).

This research is based on this theory since every staff in the bank is rewarded based on their skill, knowledge, effort, education, experience competence and performance.

1.3.  STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Banks are not charitable organizations and every staff must add value and must earn his/her pay. They must justify their continuous stay with the bank. Employees’ experience, education, skill and competence are not the same and they should not be rewarded equally. The cost of doing banking business in Nigeria is so high and banks have observed that greater percentage of their cost is staff cost. The bank cannot afford to spend their hard earned profits on who are contributing little or nothing to their profit. In recent times, a bank in Nigeria announced that most of its business offices are making loss and can no longer bear their current wage bill. As a result, a lot of staff were retrenched. Right sizing could demoralize other staff; expose bank’s technology and security software to competition and fraudsters. It could affect the

bank’s image. Most banks have resorted to a system of contingent pay. A payment structure that is based on performance, contribution and competence. Work is not inherently distasteful. People who contribute meaningfully to the accomplishment of the bank objectives should be fairly rewarded.

Staff who are lazy, who avoid responsibilities and lack passion, ambition or creativity should be made to rewrite their scripts.

1.4.  OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The major objective of this study is to find out what an organization stands to gain or lose when the issue of contingent pay is not properly addressed. To do this, we hope to address the following:

a.           To identify various performances based rewards used in banks

b.           To investigate the impact of contingent pay on employee performance

c.           To find out how contingent pay acts as motivational tool

1.5.  RESEARCH QUESTIONS