The impact of extrinsic rewards on organisational performance and turnover intentions among academic staff at a selected higher education institution

The study investigated the impact of extrinsic rewards on organisational performance and turnover intentions among academic staff. The primary objective was to assess how extrinsic rewards influence both the effectiveness and efficiency of the HEI and the turnover intentions of the academic staff. The study was guided by positivist research paradigm, which emphasises objectivity, measurement, and statistical analysis. Furthermore, the study adopted a quantitative research approach and descriptive research design. the data was collected using structured and adapted questionnaire which was administered online through Google Forms. The target population comprised of permanent academic staff members at the selected HEI, and a total of 400 completed questionnaires were obtained. The collected data were analysed using IBM statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 30 for Microsoft Windows. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to determine the nature and strength of the relationships between extrinsic rewards, organisational performance, and turnover intentions. The findings revealed that extrinsic rewards have a low but significant positive influence on turnover intentions and a moderate positive influence on organisational performance. Moreover, turnover intentions showed a strong positive relationship with organisational performance indicators such as effectiveness and efficiency. The study concludes that extrinsic reward practices play a critical role in shaping both employee retention and institutional outcomes. These results align with Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Equity Theory, highlighting the importance of fair and adequate rewards in promoting satisfaction, commitment, and organisational success. The study recommends that policymakers implement transparent and equitable reward structures to reduce turnover intentions and enhance overall institutional performance.