Motivation And Performance In Project-Based Organizations: Evidence From Abia State, Nigeria

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/10/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 5 (2026)

Article No.

073

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-7TUV7MA3

Received

25 Sep 2026

Views

24

Downloads

9

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between motivation and performance in project-based organizations in Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated the influence of intrinsic motivation on individual performance; the effect of extrinsic motivational factors on team performance; the mediating roles of knowledge sharing and collaborative behaviors in the motivation–innovation performance relationship; and the moderating role of corporate culture in the motivation–project performance relationship. The study adopted a pragmatist philosophical position and a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were obtained through a structured questionnaire from 402 valid respondents out of 420 distributed questionnaires, representing a 95.7% response rate, while qualitative evidence was obtained from 22 semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression, Hayes PROCESS mediation and moderation procedures, and thematic analysis. Results showed that intrinsic motivation strongly predicted individual performance (β = 0.634, R² = 0.402, p < 0.001), while extrinsic motivation significantly predicted team performance (β = 0.492, R² = 0.242, p < 0.001). Knowledge sharing and collaborative behaviors significantly mediated motivation and innovation performance, with indirect effects of 0.152 and 0.127, respectively. Corporate culture significantly moderated the motivation–project performance relationship (interaction B = 0.192, p < 0.001), with the model explaining 42.0% of variance. The findings indicate that project-based organizations should combine intrinsic and extrinsic motivational practices with supportive cultural conditions and structured knowledge-sharing mechanisms.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.