Self-Efficacy and Motivation Among Women Employees in Self-Financing Colleges: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Self-efficacy and motivation are critical psychological factors that influence employee performance, professional development, and organisational effectiveness. In higher education institutions, particularly self-financing colleges, women employees often encounter unique workplace challenges that may affect their confidence, motivation, and ability to perform effectively. This study investigates the relationship between self-efficacy, motivation, and work performance among women employees in self-financing colleges while examining the influence of workplace support, training and professional development, and workplace environment on self-efficacy. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire administered to women employees working in self-financing colleges in Kottayam district, Kerala. Among 380 distributed questionnaires, 350 valid responses were considered for analysis. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, percentage analysis, reliability assessment, and one-way ANOVA through IBM SPSS Statistics. The reliability analysis confirmed the consistency of all measurement dimensions, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding the acceptable threshold. The findings revealed moderate levels of self-efficacy (M = 2.71) and motivation (M = 2.52) among respondents. Self-efficacy demonstrated a significant influence on work performance, with significant differences observed across years of experience (F = 5.232, p < 0.001). The combined motivation and self-efficacy dimension also showed significant variation across experience groups (F = 3.146, p = 0.015). Among the factors influencing self-efficacy, workplace environment emerged as the strongest contributor, with the highest mean score (M = 3.15), highlighting the importance of resource availability, modern facilities, and supportive working conditions. The study concludes that strengthening self-efficacy through improved workplace environments, structured training programmes, and institutional support mechanisms can enhance motivation and performance among women employees in self-financing colleges.