The Effect of Human Resource Quality and Employee Motivation on Service Delivery in Ghana's Local Government Service

Abstract

The quality-of-service delivery within Ghana’s Local Government Service plays a crucial role in the country’s socio-economic development. This study examines how human resource quality (HRC) and employee public service motivation (EPS) influence service delivery quality (QOS) in this context.
To investigate the impact of HRC and EPS on service quality within Ghana’s local government service, and to determine whether EPS moderates the relationship between HRC and QOS.
Ghana’s Local Government Service has faced challenges delivering effective public services due to resource constraints and workforce-related issues. 
This study utilised a cross-sectional survey design, sampling 781 employees from the Local Government Service in Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation and regression analyses, to assess the relationships among the variables.
HRC significantly predicts QOS (β = 0.6535, p < .001), indicating the critical role of HR quality in enhancing service delivery. However, EPS did not significantly predict QOS (β = 0.0234, p > .05) and did not moderate the relationship between HRC and QOS, suggesting that motivation alone does not substantially impact service quality perceptions in this setting.
Local Government Service should prioritise Human Resource (HR) development through training and structured recruitment practices to improve service quality.
This study demonstrated that HR quality is a valuable asset for service delivery. It offers a practical model for enhancing service delivery through a combined focus on skill acquisition and employee support.