Motives and Personal Characteristics Mapping as Determinants of Employee Retention in the Civil Service of Selected States in Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of motives and personal characteristics on employee retention in the civil service of selected states in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey research design was used, and the questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection. The questionnaire was administered to six hundred (600) respondents, of which five hundred and twenty-four (524) were fully retrieved. The study sampled civil servants in three (3) states, which include Delta, Edo, and Rivers States. Data obtained were analyzed via descriptive, post-estimation, and inferential statistical tools. The multiple regression results revealed that motives (t-value = 5.2; P = 0000 < 0.05) and personal characteristics (t-value = 6.91; P = 0000 < 0.05) significantly and positively affect employee retention. It was recommended that motives and personal characteristics should be considered as vital components of strategic human resource management. In addition, regulatory bodies such as the Civil Service Commission should improve competency mapping on employee motives and personal characteristics. This can be realized by introducing new ways of mapping (intrinsic, extrinsic, social, achievement motivations, etc.) of employees during the phases of selection and placement of employees. This study contributes to knowledge using human capital theory in explaining the relationship between mapping and employee retention and also establishes that motives and personal characteristics significantly influence the level of employee retention. Received: 26 January 2025 | Revised: 3 April 2025 | Accepted: 26 May 2025 Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement The data that support this work are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Author Contribution Statement Henry Osahon Osazevbaru: Methodology, Resources, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration. Rowland Akpolo: Conceptualization, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft. Anthony Anyibuofu Kifordu: Resources, Data curation, Visualization.