The Impact of Motivation on the Work Performance of Health Workers (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital): Evidence from Ghana

Background: Motivation is a driver to health worker performance in most Ghanaian hospitals. In view of this, Ghana’s Ministry of Health has rolled out enough motivational policies to accentuate work performance of health workers. Objective: The focus of this study was to examine the impact of motivation and identify how intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors affect the work performance of health workers at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).  Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted for the study, and purposive sampling was used to select fifteen (15) health workers including both medics and paramedics. An in-depth interview guide and one-on-one interviews were adopted to collect data from the staff at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. Results: Key findings from the study revealed that job satisfaction, logistic provision, and an enabling work environment are intrinsic motivating factors that affect the work performance of health workers; extrinsic factors such as financial reward, accommodation, and transportation also impact work performance. Furthermore, motivation is key to the work performance of nurses. Conclusion: It is recommended that the National Midwifery and Nursing Council (NMC) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) adopt motivational policies based on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational blocks.