Cronicon OPEN ACCESS EC AGRICULTURE Research Article Work Motivation Factors of Development Agents and Econometric Model Results: A Case Study in Selected Districts of Ethiopia Debebe Cheber Bezu 1 , Eric Ndemo Okoyo 2 * and Jemal Yousuf 2# 1 Lecturer at Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia 2 Assistant Professor at Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia *Corresponding Authors: Eric Ndemo Okoyo, Assistant Professor at Haramaya University, P.O Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Citation: Debebe Cheber Bezu., et al. “Work Motivation Factors of Development Agents and Econometric Model Results: A Case Study in Selected Districts of Ethiopia”. EC Agriculture 3.3(2016): 666-673. Received: March 11, 2016; Published: May 27, 2016 Jemal Yousuf, Assistant Professor at Haramaya University, P.O Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Abstract The study set out to investigate the work motivation level of Development Agents in Agarfa and Sinana Districts, Bale Zone, Oro- mia Regional State, Ethiopia and the factors that influence their motivation to work. For this study all the Development Agents of the two Districts with a total size of 135 development agents were included as the sample respondents. The ordinal logistic regression model was employed to determine the most significant variables influencing development agent’s motivation to work. The study found that a large majority of development agents (46.7%) belonged to medium level of work motivation, followed by 28.1% and 25.2% belonging to low and high level of work motivation, respectively. Results of the model showed, of the total eighteen variables considered in the model nine predictor variables were found to be of significance in explaining work motivation level of development agents. Accordingly, demographic factors (sex, marital status), work related environmental factors (promotion avenue), institutional factors (quality of work life, dependable supervisors, work incentive, recognition, policy environment of extension organization) and psychological factors (attitude of development agents towards their job) influenced work motivation at different significant level. It is therefore recommended that concerned agricultural extension managers, process owners, extension officers and supervisors should conduct periodic assessments to determine the level of work motivation of Development Agent’s and have to plan for improvement. Keywords: Work motivation; Development Agents Introduction Agriculture remains as the mainstay of the economy contributing on average about 45% of (Gross Domestic Product) GDP and 85%- 90% of export earnings of Ethiopia. The dynamics of population growth, low productivity, compounded with some other factors have remained major bottle necks to economic growth and poverty reduction for the country. In general, the livelihood of more than 85% of the work force in the country is based on agriculture. Although the main source of the national earnings is obtained from this sector, the sector is dominated by traditional, subsistence and fragmented type small holder farmers [1]. In this regard, improving the performance of agricultural sector is crucial for fast development of country’s economy. Among many problems that confront human kind today, hunger is the greatest of all problems. Now with the changing agricultural scenario and perspectives in the world, the time is ripe for making the need based appropriate extension strategy by which information on agricultural production technology may be transmitted to all the potential users who can adopt those and produce food for their consumption and make available for others [2]. For national progress to occur, change in agriculture is essential. Substantial change in agriculture is needed if diets are to be improved, if a surplus is to be produced for sale and if agriculture is to enter a phase of self sus- tained growth. A great deal of responsibility for bringing about this change rests on the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and thereby on the shoulders of Development Agents (DAs), who are at the front-line of the struggle for progressive change in agriculture in Ethiopia [3].