The Impact of Limited Career Advancement on The Motivation of School Bursars or School Accountants in Botswana's Government Secondary Schools and Colleges

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of restricted career advancement on the motivation of school bursars and accountants in Botswana state secondary schools and colleges. Drawing on Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the research investigates how limited advancement opportunities influence the job satisfaction, performance, and turnover of finance administrators in the educational sector. The research employs a mixed- methods design founded on the integration of quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews of 150 school bursars in five education regions in Botswana. Findings reveal that limited career development has negative effects on motivation levels, where 78% of the respondents viewed highly limited prospects for growth and only 15% viewed clear avenues for growth. Motivation scores were 2.8 on a 5-point scale, representing below-average motivation levels. Respondents with greater career prospects had much higher scores on motivation scales (M = 4.1) compared to those with few career prospects (M = 2.3). Perceived career advancement was significantly correlated with job satisfaction (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). Quantitative coding revealed four main themes: frustration over professional stagnation, unrealized wishes for advancement, lack of appreciation, and detrimental effects on work performance. The study identifies the key motivation determinants as acknowledgement, professional development opportunities, and well-defined career paths of improvement. The study recommends establishing formal career improvement structures, setting promotion schemes on the basis of performance, developing expert training schemes, and establishing reward schemes for financial administrators in schools. The study sheds light on motivation in school administration and offers actionable recommendations for enhancing human resource management in Botswana's education sector.