The Employee Motivating Strategies to Work during Economic Hardship and the Employee Response

This study aims to analyze the impact of the response to motivation strategies on the performance of workers in difficult economic conditions, and to identify the most effective strategies in enhancing performance. The study population was identified from employees working in Iraqi private universities, totaling 8876, from which a random sample of 384 individuals was drawn. The research relied on the questionnaire as a data collection tool, designed based on previous studies, and distributed to sample members. The hypotheses were tested by calculating the Pearson coefficient, estimating the 's stability and bias for each hypothesis. The structural equation was also used through AMOS software to test the effect of the modified variable to analyze the relationship between response to motivation strategies and employee performance. Based on the results, it can be said that rewarding employees for their exceptional work consistently and according to clear criteria will generally improve their response, whether in terms of loyalty, job satisfaction, or morale. These results indicate the importance of providing suitable rewards for employees in private universities to improve overall performance and enhance loyalty and job satisfaction. As for financial constraints, they may affect the ability of private universities to provide rewards and benefits to employees. Therefore, other options for motivating employees can be considered, such as providing training and development opportunities, the possibility of internal promotion and similar promotions, and providing a healthy and safe working environment. By providing these alternatives, employee response can be improved without relying solely on rewards. The research also provided several recommendations, the most important of which is the adoption of a system of incentives and rewards based on objective and accurate criteria, and known and understood by university employees. Additionally, a selection and transfer system based on skills and competencies that are compatible with job descriptions and rely on performance evaluation results should be adopted.