Measuring Motivating Potential Score of Diversified Academic Staffs of the Government Primary Schools in Bangladesh

Job Characteristics Model of Hackman and Oldham is an established tool that helps calculate the Motivating Potential Score (MPS) used in understanding the extent to which employees are motivated in their workplace from different perspectives. High MPS indicates positive work outcomes like high motivation, high employee satisfaction, high performance, low absenteeism, low turnover, etc. In human resource management, a motivating potential score (MPS) is used to track the perceived mental state of the workforce towards their jobs. Understanding this score is vital for both HR and line managers in decision-making. So it has become a part of regular action research by business professionals. This study measures the MPS of government primary school teachers while considering different dimensions of workforce diversity likeacademic qualification, educational background, level of experience, gender. The established formula for calculating MPS has been used here. A total of 100 school teachers working in different state-run primary schools of Bangladesh have been considered as respondents of this study. The study finds an overall MPS of 69.78 out of a maximum possible score of 125. However, the study does not show any significant change in MPS due to the presence of workforce diversity. Rather, it shows a moderate level of MPS for all. Policy makers and government officials working for workforce improvement of the primary schools can use these findings to take further steps, though a moderate score may indicate that they have already done a lot to develop the index. Similar studies considering a better sample size might provide better insights and help in decision-making. Moreover, since ensuring quality education is one of the pillars of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, this research is expected to be a good contribution in this regard as the ultimate intention of the study is related to ensuring quality education through skilled, motivated, engaged, and dedicated teachers.

government primary schools in Bangladesh where about 1,41,00,445 students are enrolled and around 3,56,366 teachers are employed (Rahman 2021; Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2021). Arnon and Reichel, (2007) found that students perceive individual qualities which include attitude toward profession, kindness, leadership, and expert knowledge which include knowledge of the subject matter and didactic knowledge as the substantial qualities for a perfect academic staff. The skilled teaching staff is a prerequisite to ensure quality education (Rashid, 2019). Quality education in schools cannot be ensured without improving teaching quality and facilities (Birdsall et al., 2006). Quality education depends mostly on the qualification and competency of the teachers. A friendly atmosphere for teachers with positive support, effective training, career development chances, good remuneration, and necessary facilities can help attract and retain quality teachers in the school (Joshi, 2018). Emphasizing quality academic staff to ensure quality education, Bangladeshi Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni indicated the government's initiative to arrange local and international training for teachers to enhance teaching quality and make them better prepared for the classroom (Daily Sun, 2019). Quality education helps prevailing equity in society and contributes to economic and social development.
Aristotle developed a theory related to motivation which is connected to the ongoing perception process of controlling outcomes (Dilts, 1994). Hackman and Oldham directed a Job Diagnostic Survey based on the Job Characteristics Theory (JCT) in 1974 and it is used as a tool for measuring assessment of job satisfaction. It is the most prominent, appropriate, and broadly accepted theory in the area of organizational behavior. Consequently, in 1975, a well-organized model was used by them for performing the work design. The motivating potential score has been measured using the established components namely-skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback (Hackman and Oldham, 1974). From the literature and scholarly statements, it can be decided that quality education mostly depends on the quality of teachers who are responsible for creating the next generations as human capital. So, their level of motivation is a matter of concern in this regard. In this paper, the focus has been given to the teaching staff by linking their motivation with their background that may help the policymakers to think from a human resource management point of view.

Literature Review Workforce Diversity
Diversity creates a heterogeneous workforce. Workforce diversity refers to the similarities in contrast to the differences among employees based on their age, physical abilities and disabilities, cultural background, professional qualification, religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, and so on. A diverse workforce feels contented collaborating with different perspectives and offers a larger pool of thoughts and experiences (Saxena, 2014). People are different from one another because of diversity (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2007). Work-force diversity remains in the employees because different socio-cultural backgrounds work in an ins-titution. Diversity is based on age, religion, sexual orientation, values, beliefs, national origin, disability, economic status, ethnic culture, language, physical appearance, etc (Wentling & Plma, 2000).

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)
Hackman and Oldham established the 'Job Characteristics Theory' in the mid-1970s. Since then this model has widely been used around the globe in measuring employees' perception towards their jobs based on a standard formula. In this theory, they emphasized five basic dimensions that affect motivation and assess the fulfillment of the job characteristics of the staff. These dimensions are-i) skill variety, ii) task identity, iii) task significance, iv) autonomy, and v) feedback. Moreover, Motivating Potential Score (MPS) is combined with five core dimensions which creates a single index for a job (Yaverbaum and Culpan, 2011).

Factors of the Five Core Dimensions for Measuring MPS
Five core dimensions of the formula for measuring motivating potential scores have been discussed below based on the statements of different scholars.

Skill variety
Skill variety denotes the degree to which a member of staff needs to use a variety of knowledge, skills, and talents for performing his/her duties, tasks, and res-ponsibilities (Price & Muller, 1986). Employees experience meaningless tasks with the absence of skill variety in work. Employees are not interested to do the job when it is monotonous and repetitive, and it turns to boredom (Kemboi et al., 2013;Pee, 2011). The job contains diversified work activities that challenge the worker's skills and abilities (Luthans, 2011).

Task identity
Task identity refers to the degree to which a job needs to complete. It denotes the fulfillment of the whole work or a distinct piece of work (Lunenburg, 2013). Employees do the job from first to last, at the same time outcomes must be visible and tangible. Consequently, it is crucial to point out the clearly defined beginning, middle, and end of the task. The job becomes meaningful when employees are attached to the whole process of the work. Hackman and Oldham, (1975) pointed out that task identity generates a sense of duty to complete the task and it works as a motivating driver. Coelho and Augusto, (2010) explained that task identity motivates the employee to do the work smartly when they feel that job is meaningful and worthwhile. Hackman and Oldham, (1974) indicated that task significance is the degree to which the work has a significant impact on other people. The impact can be in the internal or the external environment of the organization. A job becomes meaningful if it can help to enhance the psychological or physical well-being of other people. Staff's awareness about their job responsibilities and their performance creates a positive impact on others and motivates them to do better (Lynton & Pareek, 2000).

Autonomy
Autonomy refers to the degree to which a job provides liberty, authority for scheduling the work, and determine which procedure is to be used to continue the task (Hackman and Oldham, 1974). Job autonomy creates the opportunity that enables staff to break out of a routine and use new work procedures for doing the task (Wang et al., 2011). With the help of autonomy, employees are efficient to explore innovative ideas and learn from the consequences like failures and successes at work, and with the help of relevant skills, they can expand their domain (Coelho & Augusto, 2010).

Feedback
Feedback is well-defined by Hackman and Oldham, (1974) as the degree to which employees receive clear, specific, direct, and detailed information regarding the effectiveness of their task. Hellriegel and Slocum, (2011) indicated that job feedback provides the staff the right direction and clear information regarding the efficiency of an individual's performance. Feedback helps employees to monitor progress based on their tasks and responsibilities and it can be reviewed on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis (Kemboi et al., 2013). Hackman and Oldham built the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) which is used to assess the employees' perception of their jobs. Job Diagnostic Survey is used for detecting and identifying the weak points that show the effect of employees' performance and effectiveness (Casey & Robbins, 2009).
Source: Hackman and Oldham, 1975 MPS is calculated by summing up skill variety, task identity, and task significance and divide it into three, after getting the average it is multiplied by autonomy, and feedback (Hussein et al., 2016). This formula is used for a job record in the lowest score value 1 = (1×1×1), expressing the lowest dimension of motivation potential and a job record in the highest score value 343 = (7×7×7), expressing the highest dimension of motivation potential (Weaver, 2008). A five-point Likert scale has been used for measuring the value of MPS in this study. Therefore, the highest possible score value 125 = (5x5x5), expresses the highest dimension of motivation potential, and the lowest score value 1 = (1x1x1), expresses the lowest dimension of motivation potential. research showed that demographic characteristics of the study participants are presented in gender, marital status, education, and profession afterward present the descriptive findings of jobs with MPS.

Problems Statements
Ensuring quality education is one of the pillars of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (SDGs-United Nations, 2021). Achieving quality education is not possible without quality teachers. Furthermore, the teachers are needed to be motivated enough in order to get the best outcomes from them as well as to attract talented people in this sector. This is why enough concentration has to be given by the decision makers in attracting and retaining highly motivated teachers in the educational institutes. In this regard, action researches have to be conducted in a regular basis in order to track and take corrective actions in motivating teachers. By analyzing the job circular for the post of Assistant Teacher of the government primary schools in Bangladesh, it has been found that the government recruits different kinds of academic staff which brings workforce diversity from different dimensions like gender, academic backgrounds, age, educational level, experience, and so on. Despite having differences in academic qualification, academic background, experience, etc. all of them are having an almost similar career path, environment, compensation structure where the difference in job output is not that much visible. This scenario generally does not support Adam's 'Equity Theory' which suggests higher compensation, benefits, career path to the employees with higher competencies (Islam and Khan, 2000).  (Faraji et al., 2015) showed the relationship between Motivating Potential Score and employees' organizational commitment. Similar researches have been conducted worldwide depicting the link between MPS and other variables. However, studies focusing on the relationship between the diversity of the workforce and motivating potential score (MPS) are very few. Moreover, no study has been found measuring the MPS of the academic staffs of the government primary schools of Bangladesh though concerned authority of the country should know the potential score of the diversified groups in order to take better policy to make them motivated and ensuring equity in compensation, promotion, career path, incentives, and other benefits.

Objectives of the Study
The general objective of the study is to measure the Motivating Potential Score (MPS) of the academic staff of government primary schools of Bangladesh and show the relative impact of workforce diversity on MPS. The overall objective will be obtained through the following specific objectives:

METHODOLOGY: Research Design
This study is quantitative that demonstrates facts and Figure showing the motivating potential score in a measurement scale mentioned in the questionnaire section. A mathematical formula has been used in this study for measuring the MPS. For dealing with numbers, the quantitative approach of study is justified as suggested by Zikmund et al. (2010).

Questionnaire Design
The study questionnaire has been divided into three segments namely demographic, workforce diversity, and the motivating potential score. For measuring the MPS (section 3), a five-point 'Likert Scale' has been used since here the perceived scores have been collected against each of the job characteristics where these are originally qualitative but have been quantified (Hussein et al., 2016).

Population Size, Sample Size, and Sampling
According to a publication of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, (2021) under the Ministry of Planning, the total population of the study is the number of academic staff working in the government primary schools in Bangladesh which is 3,56,366. Sample size has been calculated using a table of sample size (Singh and Masuku, 2014) considering a 90% level of confidence and a 10% margin of error where the sample size is 100.

Data Collection and Analysis
The collected quantitative data have been organized and then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software 16.0. The Motivating Potential Score (MPS) of the academic staff has been calculated using the formula mentioned in the literature review section. Then, the MPS score has been converted into a percentage using a simple mathematical way that is-(MPS × 100)/125. Researchers have developed the following scale of classifying the MPS level based on Bahrami et al. (2016) where they classified the MPS score into three levels (poor, moderate, and good). In this study, five levels of MPS have been developed using the following scale.   Participants' demographic characteristics are presented from the above  So using the formula of MPS mentioned earlier, the average Motivating Potential Score of the academic staff can be calculated as the following way-Source: Hackman and Oldham, 1975 Here, the Motivating Potential Score = (4.04+3.6 9+4.31)/3×4.20×4.14 = 69.78 which is the overall MPS of the respondents. In percentage, this will be (69.78×100)/125= 55.82%. This value of MPS shows that the overall Motivating Potential Score of the academic staff working in government primary schools is moderate.

Condition of Each of the Dimensions of MPS
The chart shows the mean value of each of the dimensions of MPS. Among the five dimensions, task significance carries the maximum mean value of 4.31 where the minimum value is carried by task identity (3.69). The mean value of skill variety, autonomy, and feedback are 4.04, 4.2, and 4.14 respectively. Mean values of all the dimensions except task identity are between 4.00-5.00. In order to maximize the average MPS of the academic staff of the government primary schools, the policymakers should work towards increasing the task identity first.