The Effectiveness of Land Bank Day Care Center (LBDCC) as a Motivator for the Job Performance of Working Mothers at Land Bank Head Office

Abstract

Organizations are frequently faced with problems concerning employee motivation and job performance. The challenge lies in discovering what kind of motivation or motivator to use that would best suit employees, and in turn, lead to a favorable job performance.

This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of Land Bank Day Care Center (LBDCC) as a motivator for the job performance of working mothers at Land Bank Head Office. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1. to determine the effectiveness of LBDCC 2. to ascertain the benefits the working mothers derived from the LBDCC and its various services 3. to identify the motivating factors as to why working mother-employees of Land Bank Head Office send their children to LBDCC

This research's subject organization is the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), a government bank which seeks to promote countryside development, and the motivation is in the form of LBDCC located at LBP's Head Office, which is at the Land Bank Plaza, in Malate, Manila.

This thesis dealt only with the LBDCC, in the aforementioned location, and its effects on the performance of working mothers employed there, who have availed of the daycare services provided. It did not, however, measure the children's progress as a result of their enrolment at LBDCC.

This research has contributions to several sectors of society: companies, in general, that have mother-employees; companies which have day care centers; and working mothers who have not yet enrolled their children at LBDCC, to name a few.

This study is a descriptive-quantitative research, with its framework based on Victor Vroom's Expectancy Theory, and made use of a survey questionnaire as its key instrument. The researcher conducted a census and distributed her questionnaire to all 20 respondents-full-time, working mother-employees of Land Bank Head Office who enrolled their child/children at the Land Bank Day Care Center.

The summary of findings, coupled with short discussions, are as follows:

• The working mothers consider LBDCC as a top-notch day care center. The respondents were first asked what their qualifications of a top-notch day care center were, and which of those qualifications LBDCC met. Based on the respondents' ranking of their answers, in descending order, LBDCC has experienced caregivers, an excellent curriculum being taught, and high-quality teaching materials, among others.

• The main reasons, according to the respondents' ranking of their answers, why they enrolled their children at LBDCC is the sheer difficulty of finding a trustworthy nanny as well as their need to have their children geographically close to them while working. People seem to have become more vigilant in trusting potential nannies with their children. That, or perhaps just not too many people are applying as nannies these days. The respondents seem to have their maternal instinct intact in that they would prefer to have their children near them even while at work.

• Almost all respondents approve of LBDCC services, mainly, because their children seem to be learning a lot at their stay there. Approval of clients' services of a service provider is a good indicator of the establishment's effectiveness.

• LBDCC's strong points are the convenience it brings as well as its teaching materials. The convenience is actually the main strong point. The teaching materials are only secondary. Being in the same location as the parents' workplace surely provides convenience to both parent and child.

• The most mentioned area for improvement for LBDCC is its overall procedures. The respondents did not point out which exact aspect/s of the overall procedures they believe need changing.

• The most mentioned benefit the working mothers derive as employees is increased productivity, which, of course, is positive and sought after by organizations.

• Majority of the respondents agreed that discontinuance of LBDCC services will adversely affect their work because their attention will be divided. Having their children far from them while they are in the office would make them worry about their kids' welfare, as opposed to knowing that the children are in the same building as they are, they could easily give the Center a call or personally visit their children to check up on them.

• Seventy percent would enroll their children again next term, while 90% of respondents say that they would recommend LBDCC to fellow Land Bank parents. Asserting their plan to continue availing of LBDCC's services is a sign of the respondents' trust on the Center as well as its effectiveness as a daycare facility; while recommending a childcare facility to another parent indicates tremendous confidence as no parent would want to recommend something that is ineffective, especially when it comes to caring for children.

The cone!usions, in brief, that the researcher was able to make, based on the objectives set, are the following: First, LBDCC is effective as a day care center. Second, LBDCC is, indeed, effective also as an employee benefit, which ultimately can redound to the benefit of the company. Lastly, the motivating factors as to why the respondents enrolled their children at LBDCC, is due to proximity/near location, for educational purposes, the non-availability of trustworthy people to take care of their children, and difficulty in finding a good nanny, are but some of the identified.

The researcher commends LBDCC and Land Bank's Human Resources Development Department, which supervises LBDCC, and recommends for the sustenance of LBDCC services.