CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0. Introduction

It was shown in the proceeding chapter that, there are grounds for proposing that motivation does

have an effect on employee performance and organizational citizenship behavior. This chapter is

in two sections, the first section of the chapter will deal with the methodology to be adopted in

conducting the study. The chapter will be organized as follows; research methodology, research

design, research strategy, sources of data, population and sampling, research instrument, data

collection procedure, analyses of data and the second section is profile of research area.

3.1. Research Design

A research design is the arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner

that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. The

research design for this study will be a descriptive survey through questionnaire. The purpose of

using descriptive surveys is to collect detailed and information that describe an existing

phenomenon. From a review of literature, a survey questionnaire will be developed to collect

data for the study the primary data which will be collected through this form of questionnaire and

was hand delivered to the target employees. The questions will be filled by the participating

employees and will be returned. After that, the results will be furtherly analyzed using

descriptive statistical analysis method to find out how the motivational factors affect their

organizational citizenship behaviour. This study is a descriptive survey because it will adopt the

use of questionnaire aimed at finding the impact of employee motivation on organizational

citizenship behaviour.
3.1.2. Research Strategy
The research strategy is the way in which the research objectives are questioned (Saunders et al.,

2009). The three known strategies; quantitative, qualitative, mixed research is a research

strategy that emphasizes quantification in the collection and analysis of data. It also entails a

deductive approach to the relationship between theory and research, in which the accent is placed

on the testing of theories; has incorporated the practices and norms of the natural scientific

model and positivism in particular; particular; and embodies a view of social reality as an

external, objective reality.

Qualitative research on the other hand is a research strategy that usually emphasizes words rather

than quantification in the collection analysis of data (Bryman & Bell, 2011). It predominantly

emphasizes an inductive approach to the relationship between theory and research, in which the

emphasis is placed on the generation of theories; has rejected the practices and norms of the

natural scientific model and positivism in particular in preference for an emphasis on the ways in

which individuals interpret their social world; and embodies a view of social reality as a

constantly shifting emergent property of individuals’’ creation.

Mixed methods research is the type of research strategy in which a researcher or team of

researchers combines elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches (e.g., use of

qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, data collection, analysis, inference techniques) for the

broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration (Burke et al. 2011).
To this end the quantitative method research was chosen to obtain information on the effect of

motivation on employees” organizational citizenship behaviour: empirical evidence from three

(3) branches in the Greater Accra.

3.2. Sources of Data

Both primary and secondary data will be used in conducting the research.

3.2.1 Primary Sources

According to Blaxter (2011), primary data is defined as consisting of materials that one has

gathered by himself through systematic observation, information archives, the results of

questionnaires and interviews and case study which one has compiled. Data are primary if they

have been gathered according to one’s rational and interpreted by one to make a point which is

important to one’s own argument. To ensure that reliable and valid information are collected,

the researcher contacted staff of the Ernest Chemist Limited in the Greater Accra municipal.

Primary data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. A content analysis technique

was employed to analyze and interpret the qualitative data (interviews). The quantitative data

was however analyze using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

3.2.2 Secondary Sources

Sauders et al.., (2007) defined secondary data as data use for a project that were originally

collected for some other purpose. The secondary sources of information that the research will use

in the study include books, internet search articles and journals among others. These secondary

sources will help the researcher project to identify how others have defined and measured key

concepts, and how this research is related to the work of them.

3.3. Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

Population according to Bryman and Bell (2011) is the universe of units from which a sample is

to be selected. In other words, all elements, individuals, or units that meet the selection criteria

for a group to be studied and from which representative sample is taken for detailed examination.

Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g. people, organizations) from a population of

interest so that by studying the sample, a fairly generalized results is trace back to the population

from which they were chosen (Trochim, 2008). For this study, 276 employees with different

designation and experience level were chosen as target population over 3 branches of Ernest

Chemist Limited of 214 being permanent staffs and 62 being contract staffs.

The sampling done was using stratified sampling technique, the population are divided into

groups (in this case, designation wise and experience wise) based on factors that may influence

the effect of motivation i.e., 214 permanent staffs and 62 contract staffs. A convenient sample

was used in distribution questionnaires to the targeted population. The sample frame according to

Bryman and Bell (2008) is the listing of all units in the population from which a sample is

selected. The final sample size of 214 was obtained based on DeVaus (2002) formula as shown

below:

N
n = 1+ N ( a ) 2
¿
¿

Where:

n = sample size.

N = population universe and

a = the confidence level

The formula adopted a confidence level of 90% and the margin of error is therefore 10% which

is acceptable in social science research. The brake down for each of the group is calculated as

follows:

Contract Staff

N = 62

62 62
n = , n= , n=38
1+ 62(0.1) 1.62

Permanent Staff:

N = 214

214 214
n= , , n=176
1+ 214 ( 0.1 ) 2 1.214

Table 3.1: Distribution of respondent of questionnaires

Respondent Sampled Respondents

Contract Staff 38

Permanent Staff 176

Total 214

3.4. Research Instrument

The researchers used one major research instrument and this is the questionnaire (close-ended

questions). According to Trochim (2013), a questionnaire is a type of survey method that utilizes

a standardized set or list of questions given to individuals or groups, the results of which can be

consistently compared and contrasted It can be used to reach large number of respondents, lower

costs than interviewing, reduced interviewer bias and among others are advantages associated

with questionnaire. It drawbacks are low response rates, clarity issues, possible language and
literacy issues, et cetera. The questionnaire was in five section, the first section requested

general personal information about the respondents. The second section requested for

respondents’ opinion on factors that motivates employees in the Administrative Department.

The questions address the key dimensions of factors of motivation identified in the literature.

The third section requested respondents to indicate factors that lead to job satisfaction or

dissatisfaction in the Production Department.

Motivation questionnaire (scale) which was adapted includes 16 items containing two

dimensions and was developed by Dondar et al, (2007). Extrinsic motivation was measured by 8

items. The sample items for extrinsic motivation were “I have promotion prospects” and “I think

the feel is enough to get from my work”. A mean score was determined for the items matching

the two dimensions of the motivation scale. The resulting Cronbach alpha values of the main

study were 0.79 for Intrinsic Motivation, 0.54 for Extrinsic Motivation and 0.90 for motivation

(the aggregate dimension of motivation). Employee Citizenship Behavior developed by

Podsakoff et al.’s (1990) was adapted. This questionnaire, participants evaluated each behaviour

by using a 7-point Likert scale (from 1 = it doesn’t describe me at all to 7 = it describes me

completely).

3.5. Analysis of Data

At the end of the entire data collection process and plausible checks were conducted and

inconsistent data was also cleared appropriately. Quantitative analysis is the use of tables or

diagrams that show the frequency of occurrence and using statistics such as indices to enable

comparisons, through establishing statistical relationships between variable to complex statistical

modeling (Saunders et al, 2015). The results were analyzed and converted into tables and
percentages. Data for the various research questions were analyzed using percentages obtained

to show the distribution of opinions and perceptions of respondents. The statistical summaries of

the result were presented in the form of percentage and tables using computer data analysis

package such as the statistical package for social science (SPSS) and other relevant software to

help interpret results.

3.5.1. Instrument Validity

The validity of an instrument is the extent to which an instrument measures what it is supposed

to measure and performs as it is designed to perform (Denzin & Lincoln, 2008). Questionnaire is

one of the reliable and valid instruments for gathering information from selected respondents to

enable the respondents to easily fill them. The questionnaires will be verified for content validity

by randomly discussing it with some few respondents. In order for accuracy, the language to be

used will be simple. Besides, they have high degree of accurate result since much time is given

for the completion of the questionnaire.

3.6. Procedures of Data Collection

The data collection followed the procedures described below. A letter of introduction was

acquired from the Business Department of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) to introduce

the researchers to the organizations. This was sent to the various respondents to seek permission

to conduct the study. The questionnaires were delivered to the respondents by the researchers.

Respondents were given ample time to fill the questionnaires.

3.7.1. Ethical Consideration

The researchers made some ethical considerations. This will be very necessary because the

study was involved staff of Administrative Departments at Ernest Chemist Limited. The
researchers were concerned about seeking the consent of the participants. Participants’ consents

were soughed before the questionnaires administered. Additionally, the researchers will assure

them of their confidentiality and also respected their privacies.