Performance Appraisal and Employees Productivity in Ebonyi State Civil Service

Promotion of workers is a crucial factor influencing overall performance of workers and success of any organization. This study examined performance appraisal and employee productivity in Ebonyi State Civil Service. Two-factor theory of motivation was employed as theoretical framework of analysis. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Simple random and stratified sampling was employed to draw target respondents for the study. The target population of 798 drawn from 10 selected Ministries of Ebonyi State civil service with sample size of 266 was used. Data were collected from primary sources through self-structured questionnaire, on a 5-point Likert scale. Findings revealed that promotion procedures and policies are not fairly and properly implemented; that there is incessant delay of promotion; and that workers in Ebonyi State civil service are dissatisfied with their job because of non-implementation of financial benefits accruing from promotion. The study concluded that promotion is one of the key factors that motivates and stimulate job satisfaction in workers and enhance performance. The study recommends that promotion procedures and policies should be standardized, promotion of workers from one grade level to another should be conducted annually and that financial benefits of promotion should be implemented immediately promotion results are released


Introduction
Promotion appears to be a crucial factor influencing workers' overall performance and success of any organization.Promotion, in other words, is the best motivation for employees, with it; they will compete in a healthy manner.It is an effective motivation apart from a salary increase.
Through promotion, workers are influenced or motivated to improve their performance and create employment stability within the organization.Promotion creates an opportunity for the promoted workers to inspire other workers to be more productive, take on new responsibilities, and improve the work environment.Adeniji (2011), identified that perception of promotion system affect organizational justice and job satisfaction.Provision of opportunities for promotion makes workers experience satisfaction because they feel a sense of achievement if they move from one level of experience to another and because it shows professional growth (Adeniji, 2011).
Promotion is always employees' ultimate career development.Promotion is one of the most motivating factors for any employee because it moves employee forward in hierarchy of concern organization added with other responsibility, higher respect, honour, with increase in pay and allowances.It stimulates self-development and creates interest in the job in one hand and reduces discontent and unrest in work environment.Performance of any organization largely depends on the performance of its employees; successful organizations are increasingly realizing that there are a number of factors that contribute to performance but human resources is clearly realizing that there are a number of factors that contribute to performance but human resources is clearly most critical (Mello, 2005).In spite of the size and nature of the organization, the activity it undertakes and the environment in which it operates, its success depends on its employees or workers, decision and their behavior.
According to Christian (2014), evaluation of performance of workers in organization is one of the major purposes of employing human resources practices.In competitive environment of modern era, organizations are persistently improving performance of their employees by improving human resource practices.Among the numerous approaches that organization use to motivate their workers is promotion.Promotion is the practice of placing workers form lower grades in the organization into higher grades with subsequent increase in salary on one hand and Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22423 responsibilities on the other.Promotion can be viewed as a reward for what an employee has contributed to the organization (Christian, 2014).However, promotion should not be considered as a means of merely rewarding employees but should be taken as a means towards placement of employees in position they fit (Bedfast, 2004).
In this view, promotion touches not only the welfare of the employee but also that of the organization or employers.Therefore, promotion of workers in organizations should be carefully implemented by following specific policies and procedures.Contrary to the above, promotion may turns into a setback to the workers' performance if not well handled (Christian, 2014).
Promotion is a move that increases the authority and responsibility of employees to higher positions within an organization so that their obligations, rights, status and income are greater.
Promotion means an increase in position, accepting powers and responsibilities that are greater than previous powers and responsibilities (Hasibuan, 2012).It is imperative to state that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure adequate provision of opportunities for promotion are provided for the civil servants to motivate them and enhance their performances.
Ebonyi State civil service is made up of various ministries organized according to distinct responsibilities, and headed by permanent secretaries.The state civil service commission oversees the Ebonyi State civil service.Ebonyi is made up various ministries grouped in a manner consistent with specific mandates of the service.Ebonyi State civil service originated from Enugu and Abia States respectively, following from the creation of Ebonyi State on October 1, 1996.The state civil service is an instrument of the government authorities as well as the implementer of the policies and programmes of the state government in the civil service sector.Workers' motivation in terms of promotion is related to organization commitment, effectiveness and increase performance.Workers' attain to the next level of needs after the first one has been achieved, and workers are motivated intrinsically through non-financial rewards and promotion benefits that met their self-esteem and actualization needs (Nwazufu & Ndukwe, 2022).It is rather disheartening and worrisome that Ebonyi State civil service commission since 2015 to 2023 appears to have no planned scheme for workers promotion and where it does; workers were promoted without financial effect.Lack of promotion and promotion without Promotion plays a crucial role to workers motivation both intrinsically and extrinsically (Flippo, 1961).Promotion involves a change from one job to another that is better in terms of status and responsibility.Ideally, the change to the higher job is accompanied by increase in pay and privileges.In this context, we can argue that employees are intrinsically motivated by promotion through increased responsibility and also extrinsically through the increased status, pay and privileges (Christian, 2014).Promotion tries to meet the employee's higher order needs for esteem and self-fulfillment or actualization as suggested by Abraham Maslow in hierarchy of needs.According to Maslow, people need to have respect of others and this is what he termed as "Esteem needs".These include desires for adequacy, achievement, reputation and status.In addition, employees need to develop their potentialities and skills to enable them attain what everyone believes is capable of Becoming; this is what is termed as "self-fulfillment" or "selfactualization" (Christian, 2014).
Promoting employee from lower level to the upper level creates a feeling of contentment among the workers.It improves their job satisfaction and motivation by providing greater income, status, and responsibilities.By building up loyalty, promotion reduces, labour turnover.
Promotion stimulates self-development and creates interest in training and development programmes (Gupta, 2011).Therefore, promotion of workers is a vital aspect for the survival of any organization, whereby various ways of promotion can be implemented such as merit and seniority.If well implemented, it leads to motivation (Christian, 2014).However, some organizations are not adhering to the procedures that lead to poor performance due to workers lack of satisfaction.In order to ensure effectiveness of the promotion practice in organization, clear policy and procedures must be laid down for guidance and implementation.
Over the years, monetary incentives have been the main tool of motivating workers in Nigeria and most theoretical literature and empirical studies seem to focus majorly on how workers are motivated by monetary incentives.It is believed that people join civil service to earn money basically, and despite regular increments of salary, there seems to exist presently high level of Specifically, the study aimed at achieving the following objectives: (1) To examine the implementation of promotion procedure in Ebonyi State civil service.
(2) To assess the positive effects of promotion to the individual workers and organization performance.
(3) To identify the factors that hinder effective implementation of appriasal results to workers of Ebonyi State civil service.

Conceptual Clarification
In this study, we explained such concepts as: promotion, performance, employee productivity and Civil Service.

Promotion
In the words of Gupta (2011) promotion refers to advancement of employees to a higher post carrying greater responsibilities, higher status and better salary.It is the upward movement of a worker in the organization's hierarchy, to another job commanding greater authority, higher status and better working conditions.Promotions are equally used to reward workers for better performance and to motivate them for greater effort.Promoting workers is the process of moving staff members of an organization up through the organizational ranks.Employee promotion is usually followed by a new job title, new or increased responsibilities, an increase in salary/pay and other benefits.Promotion means an increase in position, which is accepting greater power and responsibility than previous powers and responsibilities.Promotion is when an employee is transferred from one job to another with greater responsibility, higher level in the job hierarchy and higher income.Hasibuan (2012) posits that promotions are carried out by organizations with the following aims and objectives: 1.
To provide greater recognition, position, and remuneration for workers with high performance.

2.
Could lead to personal satisfaction and pride, higher social status, and greater income.

3.
To motivate workers to be more passionate about work, have high discipline, and increase their work productivity.

4.
To ensure the stability of staffing with the realization of promotions to workers on a basic and timely basis as well as honest assessments.

5.
Promotional opportunities can lead to a multiplier effect in the organization due to chain vacancies.

6.
Provide opportunities for workers to develop their creativity and innovation which is better than the optimal profit of the organization.

7.
To expand knowledge and work experience to workers and this is a driving force for other workers.

8.
To fill the vacant position because of the official quit, so that the position is not vacant, other workers are promoted.

9.
Workers are promoted to the right position; enthusiasm, fun, and calm at work are increasing so that their work productivity also increases.
Promotion is a motivating factor for any worker because it moves worker forward in hierarchy of concern organization added with other responsibility, higher respect, honours, with increase in grade pay/salary and allowances (Maimuna & Rashad, 2013).

Performance
Performance refers to the degree of achievement of the mission at work place that builds up an employee job (Cascio, 2006).According to Barney (1991), performance is a continuous process to controversial issue between organizational researchers and scholars.Performance refers to the degree of the achievement of objectives or the potentially possible accomplishment regarding the important characteristics of an organization for the relevant stakeholders.Tatjana (2012) posited that the term "performance" is the level/degree of goal achievement of an organization/department rather than of individuals.Organizational performance does not only mean to define problem but it is also for solution of problem (Heffernan & Flood, 2000).
Performance is also described as the outcome of assigned tasks carried out by an employee.Job performance involves the willingness of employees to achieve new aspects of their job.Akanbi (2011) noted that performance means how well an employee or worker carries out his or her duties, which can be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively.Performance can equally be captioned from the behaviour of an employee, which aligns with the norms and values of the organization.Said, Ahmad, Zahari and Salelleh (2015), explained performance from the contextual performance.They stated that employees with higher contextual performance are more committed and satisfied with their job compared to those with low contextual performance.
This indicates that commitment and job satisfaction are orchestrators of contextual performance.
Performance of workers will improve when workers are dedicated and satisfied.

Civil Service
The word "civil service" described a group of people who are employed to perform the function of government (Nwizu, 2012).Civil Service can also be described as government officials who are employed on professional excellence and whose appointment are not based on the tenure of office of a political leader (Laximikanth, 2006).The civil service is the administrative structure employed in civil capacity to fulfill government policies and programmes (Abah, 2011).This can be viewed in terms of structures -ministries, department etc or the human occupants in public offices-permanent secretaries, ministers and higher administrative staff (section 206 of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria).The civil service is distinguished from the military service and police service in that while the latter two are principally covered with the safeguard of the country from external and internal dangers, the former is concerned with purely civil and non-technical affairs of the state (Abah, 2011).The civil service is one of the great political inventions of the ninetieth century in England.The first generation of civil servants was called "Court Servant" or "Court Clerks".Before the era of court clerks, the work of government was done by persons of the royal household Olaopa (cited in Murana, Salahu & Ibrahim, 2016).Hence, civil service could be conceived as: the management of public programmes; the translation of politics into reality that is of benefit to the people; the study of government decisions making; and analysis of the policies (Murana, et al., 2016).The origin of Nigerian Civil Service is traceable to the British Colonial administration and the Amalgamation in 1914.The civil service in Nigeria is supposed to be a vehicle by which government initiates, formulates and implements policies.In other words, it is the bureaucracy which regulates all aspects of the society (Eke, 2016).According to Eke (2016) civil services are so strategically located in roles, functions, activities, resources that their performance determines the state pace and level of development.For sometimes now, the civil service has been riddle with inefficiency, corruption, ineffectiveness, mismanagement, shoddiness, inertia, routine, poor responsiveness, conflicts, sectionalism, incompetence and low productivity, Ikelegbe (cited in Eke, 2016).
For the purpose of this study, civil service is conceptualized as the body of men and women employed by the government in a civil capacity with professional competences to assist government in policy formulation, advice, and implementation and render services to citizens in non-profit basis.It is the machinery of government through which policies and programmes are implemented.

Employees Productivity
Productivity means using resources effectively and efficiently.Resources include time, personnel, idea, facts, finance, tools, space, force and materials (Mandara, Ibrahim, Zailani, Ali & Badiya, 2019).Output/input ratio is what is referred to as productivity.It is seen as an assessment of how organization makes use of elements like capital and labour in an efficient and effective manner in their production.It may be seen as performing things rightly and in a right way as to get optimum efficiency and value.It assesses output and input relationship and may be seen as the ratio of production to that of the required production.It may also be from the utilized resources (Gronroons & Ojasalo, 2004;Calabrese, 2012 measures how some factors such as capital and labour are manipulated to give out a required output level.Productivity is taken to be a key factor for economic growth and competition and, that is why it is seen as an elementary data for international statistical comparisons and national performance judgment (Mandara et al., 2019).Yunus and Ernawati (2017) defined employee productivity as the capability to produce goods and services in order to achieve the goals of the organization.The productivity of employees reflects the efficiency level indicating the time taken to perform a particular task.
Ligare, Wanyama and Aliata ( 2020) carried out a study on job promotion and employee performance among the administration police in Bungoma County, Kenya.The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of job promotion and on the performance of Administration Police.The study adopted a descriptive survey design.The target population was 1,318 Administrative Police Officers in Bungoma County with sample size of 384 respondents.
Questionnaires were the main instrument of primary data collection.Stratified random sampling, simple random sampling and systematic random sampling techniques were used.Data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.Cronbach Alpha was used to test reliability of the instrument.Results of the study revealed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between job promotion and employee performance.The study concluded that if job promotion was executed in the administration police, the performance of the staff would be enhanced.The study therefore recommends that organization should adhere strictly to its promotion policy, ensure promotion process is fair and that employees are promoted based on merit.The implication of the findings is that police management, policy makers, the government and other stakeholders should take cognizance of the relevance of job promotion in the administration police which aimed at improving performance of staff.
Abdul, Sarpan and Ramlan (2018) studied the influence of promotion and job satisfaction on employee performance.The purpose of the study were to know promotion positions held, employee job satisfaction, employee performance, and the influence of promotion and job satisfaction on employee performance in Makasar Government Region, either simultaneously or partially.The study adopted a descriptive survey and explanatory designs.A sample size of 50 respondents, and frequency distribution and path analysis were used as method of analysis.The

Theoretical Framework
This study adopted the Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation propounded by Fredrick Herzberg (1959) as framework of analysis.The theory postulates that there are some factors at work place which cause satisfaction to workers while there are some other factors that cause dissatisfaction.According Herzberg (1959), job satisfaction and dissatisfaction act independent The theory argued that providing or attaining the lower needs which are hygiene or meeting higher level needs (intrinsic or motivators) result in job satisfaction (Yusoff, Kian & Idris, 2013).
The strength of the theory comes from recognition that motivation comes from within the person and not from external factors.The theory also has provided a practical application by managers on workers satisfaction and commitment (Baah & Amoako, 2011).
Applying the two-factor theory to enhance workers commitment, the Ebonyi State civil service commission should strike a balance between motivation factors (intrinsic elements) and hygiene factors (extrinsic elements).There should be adequate and standardized compensation which should take the form of basic pay/salary, attractive retirement package, fringe benefits, among others.The promotion procedures should be achievable and implemented as at when due. Ebonyi State civil service commission should not stagnate any worker in certain job positions for long.
Finally, Civil service code of conduct should be well outlined clearly (Yusoff, Kian & Idris, 2013).

Methodology
The study adopted a descriptive survey design to examine performance appraisal and employee productivity in Ebonyi State civil service.It employed descriptive analysis and the administration of questionnaire to assess how promotion enhances performance in civil service sector in Ebonyi State.The respondents were drawn from ten (10) selected ministries with the total population of 798 (as at December, 2022) in Ebonyi State civil service.Two hundred and sixty-six (266) workers formed the sample size of the study simple random and stratified   1 above is an indication that promotion is exercised in Ebonyi state ministries, but they are significant number of people who did not affirm this, as well as those who did not take a stance.Thus, 25 (10.04%) and 46 (18.47%) strongly disagreed and disagreed, while 49 (19.67%)neither agreed nor disagreed.Then 85 (34.14%) and 44 (17.68%) agreed and strongly agreed respectively that their work provide promotion opportunities.This goes to show that promotions do happen but faulty in certain aspects.More than half of the respondents (69.88%) refuted the questionnaire item that promotion process and its procedures are fair at their work place.Table 2 above only 16 of the respondents, representing 6.43% strongly agreed; 26 of them (10.44%)agreed, while 33 (13.25%) neither agreed nor disagreed.The vast majority of affirmation is an indication that promotion exercises in Ebonyi state ministry is not reasonably done.A direct probe into the situation regarding promotions in Ebonyi state ministries revealed that majority of the respondents (67.47%) rejected that they are promoted as at when due in the ministry.102 (40.96%) disagreed, 66 (26.51%) strongly disagreed, 29 (11.65%)neither agreed nor disagreed; while 14 (5.62%) strongly agreed and 38 (15.26%) agreed as can be seen in table 3.   69.48% of the respondents indicated that promotion is notionally done in the understudied ministries.This can be seen from the nature of responses in table 6 where only 13 (5.225) and 26 (10.44%) strongly agreed and agreed to the questionnaire item that financial effects of promotion are applied once promotion result is released.Most of the respondents 85 (34.14%) and 88 (35.34%) strongly disagreed respectively, while the remaining 37 (14.34%) did not take a definite stance.The frequency distribution of responses in table 7 above revealed an almost unanimous opinion (87.55%) that workers in Ebonyi state ministries are dissatisfied with their job due to nonimplementation of financial benefits when promoted to the next position.114 (45.78%) and 104 (41.77%) agreed and strongly agreed to the questionnaire item, 15 (6.02%) neither agreed nor disagreed, while 6 (2.41%) and 10 (4.02%) strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively.

Discussion
We discovered in the course of our investigation that workers are not satisfied the civil service promotion policies and procedures as exercised in their ministries, which has not been effective in enhancing their performance.Evidence revealed that promotion is exercised in Ebonyi state ministries, but faulty in relevant aspects as most of the respondents (69.88%) said promotion process and its procedures are not fair at their work place.When we directly probed into the situation further, we discovered that there is incessant delay in promotions which demotivate the workers.A major anomaly discovered is that promoted staff in the ministries does not actually advance accordingly to the next level with the accruing benefits.
Our investigation revealed that the promotion irregularities in Ebonyi state ministries, especially the delay in promotion de-motivates workers as we discovered that promotion of staff in the ministries are notionally done with financial effects of promotion not applied as promotion results are released.Hence, workers in Ebonyi state ministries are dissatisfied with their job due to non-implementation of financial benefits when promoted to the next position.In our findings, vast majority of the respondents are dissatisfied with the civil service promotion policies and procedures and this was strongly correlated to the poor performance in service delivery of the civil service vis-à-vis the ministries over the years.

Findings
The study made the following findings 1. Promotion procedures and policies in Ebonyi State civil service are not implemented fairly and properly in various ministries studied.
2. Promotion of workers is not done regularly because of incessant delay in promotion exercise or outright stoppage of promotions by the government of Ebonyi State.
3. Workers in Ebonyi State ministries are dissatisfied with their job due to nonimplementation of financial benefits when promoted to the next position.

Conclusion
This study examined the effect of promotion on workers performance in Ebonyi State civil service.Promotion was examined under the variable of promotion procedure, workers and organizational performance and factors that hinder effective promotion implementation.Findings revealed that promotion procedures and policies are not implemented fairly and properly; that promotion of workers is not done regularly and that workers in Ebonyi State civil service are dissatisfied with their job due to non-implementation of financial benefits when promoted.This specifically revealed that promotion is one of the key factors that motivates and stimulate job satisfaction in workers and enhance efficient and effective performance in any organization.

Recommendations
Based on the findings above, the study made the following recommendations  Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission should ensure that promotion of workers as contained in the Ebonyi State Civil Service condition of service that provides for annual performance assessment and promotion is strictly implemented annually to enhance job satisfaction and improve performance.
3. Financial effect or benefits of promotion should be implemented immediately promotion results are released to motivate workers for optimal performance.The financial effect of promotion of employees should be implemented in accordance to the lay down rules and regulations guiding promotion in Civil Service.The increment in salary as a result of promotion is one of the motivating factors of improved productivity on the part of employees and should be implemented to avoid de-motivation of workers.
16(2) (December, 2023):421-441 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22425 discontentment and demoralization among civil servants in Nigeria and Ebonyi State in particular, on the basis that monetary incentives do not really compensate for outstanding performance, achievements, contributions and accomplishments on the job.However, the government of Ebonyi State in 2015 stopped all forms of promotion in the civil and public service and where promotion was allowed, financial effect of such promotions were not implemented.It is disheartening and worrisome that Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission since 2015 to 2023 appears to have no planned scheme for workers promotions and advancement in the civil service sector.This study is undertaken to examine performance appraisal and employees productivity in Ebonyi State Civil Service.
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22426 : 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22430 results of the analysis revealed that promotion position in Makasar Government Region were in accordance with the field and expertise, job satisfaction of employees currently considered satisfied, employees were considered to have a high job performance as well as job promotion and job satisfaction affect the performance of employee of the government, but when viewed partially, it turns out that the promotion of dominant positions affects their performance positively.The study, therefore, recommends that promotion should be considered in terms of creativity in the job performance, job satisfaction with interpersonal relationship should be encouraged, and that a good personal integrity should be considered in promotion implementation.Aulia (2022) carried out a research on determination of career development and performance:Analysis of job promotion and employee transfer (Human Resource Management Literature Review).The study reviewed and analyzed job promotions and employee transfer, a human resource management literature review analysis.The study aimed to build a hypothesis of the influence between variables to be used in further research.The results of the research showed that job promotion has an effect on career development, employee transfers have an effect on career development, job promotion has an effect on performance, employee transfer has an effect on performance and career development has an effect on performance as well.The study concludes that job promotion affect career development and job promotion affects performance of employees in organization positively.
of each other.These two factors include: Motivators (intrinsic) which cause or results in positive satisfaction arising from intrinsic conditions of the work itself and Hygiene factors (extrinsic) that do not result or cause positive satisfaction, although dissatisfaction occur from their absence or non-availability in work place.The theory as one of the content theories, established that 16(2) (December, 2023):421-441 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22431 factors which made workers feel exceptionally satisfied or good were connected to the job itself or job content and he referred to them as motivators; while factors which made workers feel exceptionally bad or dissatisfied are connected to job context, and referred to them as hygiene factors.Motivators may include recognition, challenging work, achievement, professional growth, promotion, among others.Hygiene factors may include; company policy and administration, supervision, relationship with the boss and colleagues, work conditions, salary, security, among others.

1.
Promotion procedures and policies should be standardized and implemented fairly by the Ebonyi State civil service commission to all levels in the ministries.Performance assessment should be based on well-developed and standardized rules backed up by government policies and laws that should be fair and just to all employees in Ebonyi : 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.22438 State Civil Service.The Civil Service Commission should establish promotion policy which should provide guidelines to all stakeholders on how best assessment and promotion programmes will be implemented and that should indicate the commitment of the commission towards promotion to its employees.2. Promotion of workers from one grade level to another should be conducted annually by the Ebonyi State civil service commission in accordance to the condition of service.This will lead to attainment of workers job satisfaction and enhancement of performance.

Table 4 : Delay in My Promotion De-motivates Me
Table 4 above revealed an absolute majority of 71.89% in the number of responses which affirmed that delay in promotion de-motivates them at work.Only 9 respondents representing

Table 5 : Promoted Staff in Our Ministry Actually Advance Accordingly
Only 12 of the respondents representing 4.82% in figure24, table 5 above strongly agreed to the questionnaire item that promoted staff in their ministry actually advance accordingly with the accruing benefits.Though 27 (11.24%) of them agreed, but majority of them 71 (28.51%) and 72 (28.92%) strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively; while 66 (26.51%) neither agreed nor disagreed.