Employees’ Appraisal and the Performance of Publicly Quoted Nigerian Firms: the Moderating Roles of Motivation and Target-Setting

In the management literature, several managerial techniques have been identified to influence organizational performance; these managerial techniques among others include the setting of targets by the firm for employees, provision of motivational incentives and efficient appraisal system. Given their vital roles in enhancing organizational performance, this paper assessed the moderating roles of motivation and target-setting on the relationship between employees’ appraisal and firm performance. Primary data (questionnaire) was the major instrument of data collection which was administered on two hundred and eight (280) respondents who are employees of ten (10) financial and non-financial publicly quoted firms on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Group. Data obtained in the survey were analysed via descriptive, post-estimation and inferential statistical techniques. In specific, the structural equation modeling result indicated motivational incentives and target-setting by firms for employees moderate on relationship between employees’ appraisal and firm performance. Notably, the theoretical and managerial implications of the results have been methodically discussed in this paper.