Determinants of Work Motivation of Agricultural Development Agents: The case of Ambo District, West Shewa Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Field level agricultural development agents are crucial for any change in agriculture in Ethiopia. Their work ethic and motivation are critical to the country's ability to expand its agriculture more quickly. The study assessed various motivational factors and level of work motivation of development agents working in Ambo district, West Shoa zone of Oromia National Regional State. In order to meet the purpose of this research, all the development agents, numbered eighty-three, were considered as target respondents from which the required empirical data was collected through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussion checklists. Data analysis was done using a binomial logistic model and descriptive statistics. To evaluate relationships between relevant variables, the chi-square, the t-test, and Spearman's rho correlation tests were also conducted. Results of descriptive analysis showed that about 59.04% of the development agents‟ work motivation is low and need efforts to improve. From different variables analyzed through a binary logit model, the outputs showed that, at different probability levels, eight explanatory variables, viz. Age, distance of work location, salary, supervision, promotion opportunities, work condition, sense of achievement and the work itself were found to be significant in explaining the variability in work motivation among development agents. Out of the total sampled respondents from both low and highly motivated DAs, 21.69%, 16.87% and 16.87% of them responded that the major challenges of work motivation of DAs in this area are Technical, institutional and ICT-related challenges, respectively. As they responded, socio-cultural, environmental and economic challenges accounted for 15.66%, 15.66% and 13.25% of the total respondents, respectively. In light of this, the study suggested that in order to improve the motivational strategy of development agents, higher policymakers as well as management at the grassroots organization (the office of agricultural development in the study area) concentrate on the factors that were retrieved as significant. Finally, by conducting periodic needs assessments and addressing the identified factors that impact work motivation, administrators can create a more conducive and motivating work environment for DAs in Ambo district, ultimately leading to improved performance and job satisfaction among Development Agents.