By Adewole Kehinde
“No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave.” Calvin Coolidge
On Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the organization of the Police Awards Night, where he intends to honour officers with exemplary performances in the course of their duties across the country.
He said the event will come up on January 25, 2024, in the FCT Abuja.
Employee motivation has a significant impact on an organization’s overall performance. Employers want their staff to put in more effort and be adaptable. The relationship between incentive programmes and motivation is a complicated topic that is widely discussed in the literature on human resources.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a well-known theory of motivation. According to Maslow, human needs and wants are arranged in a hierarchy. The person will concentrate on fulfilling the requirements of the subsequent level in the hierarchy when the needs of the previous level have been satisfied. The basic human needs for survival (such as food and shelter) are at the base of the hierarchy. After these needs are satisfied, people want safety, which is followed by love, esteem, and, at the summit of the hierarchy, self-actualization, or self-fulfilment.
When reward programmes are analyzed using Maslow’s hierarchy of requirements, it becomes clear that very junior employees with extremely little pay will be more motivated to receive larger monetary prizes since it will allow them to satisfy their physiological demands. The hierarchy of needs indicates that other wants, such as work security, the capacity to reach one’s potential, and a sense of being needed, take precedence above monetary benefits when employees get paid more and more.
A reward system refers to all the monetary, non-monetary, and psychological payments that an organization provides for its employees in exchange for the work they perform.
Extrinsic and intrinsic incentives are both possible in reward systems. Extrinsic rewards are benefits that an employee receives as part of their employment, such as cash payments and favourable working circumstances. The gratification that comes from carrying out the work itself, such as a sense of accomplishment and a contribution to society, is referred to as intrinsic rewards.
What goals do companies have for their reward programmes? Listed below are some of the most crucial goals: To assist the organization’s aims by coordinating employee goals with them, to guarantee that the company can hire and keep a sufficient number of workers with the necessary expertise, Motivate staff members; align managers’ and staff members’ risk preferences with the organization’s; adhere to legal requirements; be morally upright; and be reasonably priced and simple to manage.
From the above analysis of the motivation of employees and the reward scheme, Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun’s dream of winning the award is becoming a goal, and action has been taken toward its achievement.
The IGP said that this renewed commendation system represents a significant advancement from the past, as it now covers all officers involved in every major case, moving away from solely focusing on arresting officers or commanders.
I firmly support the IGP because acknowledgement, gratitude, and praise are like food for the soul. We cannot develop and lose our sense of direction without them.
When you are in the habit of giving others specific and sincere commendations, they will naturally value what you have to say. They trust you to be on their side and are confident you have their back.
Then, when it is time to give constructive criticism, they see it as intended: a way to help them get better.
The initiative by the IGP Egbetokun will surely motivate police personnel to work harder and align their goals with those of the Force.
Individuals who excel in their careers and are recognized for their efforts serve as sources of motivation for everyone.
Additionally, recognizing an employee with a recognition award encourages that employee and the rest of their coworkers to give it their all at work.
When an employee is commended in front of their peers, they are ecstatic. They are filled with excitement because of their sense of accomplishment, and this joy fuels their desire to do even better.
To sum up, IGP Egbetokun’s timely award revival will undoubtedly boost police personnel’s motivation. Additionally, it will express gratitude, promote healthy competition, raise output, and foster a great work environment.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com
