Supervisor-Supervisee Relations and Job Performance: Study of Healthcare Field Officers in Chongwe, Zambia

Abstract

The power of praise in the workplace can move employees from apathy or resentment to happiness and productivity. Reinforcement such as positive reinforcement makes people feel appreciated and encouraged, which can be motivating and rewarding. An observational study aimed at examining the relationship between motivation and employee performance using through the lens of the Reinforcement Theory of Motivation and The Law of Effect was conducted on a Team of Healthcare Field Workers. Purposive sampling of twenty (20) Healthcare Field Workers from Chongwe Rural District of Zambia was done with whom a series of both negative and positive reinforcement strategies were applied. The final outcome of the study revealed a significant positive change from 5% to 30% of the overall staff performance on the targets in just four (4) weeks. Such an outcome definitely demonstrated that by carefully and genuinely using a system of positive or negative reinforcements, individuals can learn the correct set of responses for any given stimulus especially in relation to their job performance. Research reveals that when managers are more supportive of autonomy, employees perceive the value of their work efforts and are able to perfom as expected.