Topic > Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation

In 1959, Frederick Herzberg, a behavioral scientist, proposed a two-factor theory or hygiene theory of motivation. According to Herzberg, there are some work factors that determine satisfaction while there are others that prevent dissatisfaction. According to Herzberg, the opposite of “Satisfaction” is “No satisfaction” and the opposite of “Dissatisfaction” is “No dissatisfaction”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThis means that to get higher performance from employees you need to eliminate the factors that create dissatisfaction to create some kind of foundation and then based on it you can build a motivational system by adding the factors that create satisfaction. Hygiene factors are: money (salary should be fair internally and competitive externally), supervision (employees must hear feedback, supervision should be effective, supportive and non-intrusive), working conditions, relationships within a group (culture of respect and dignity), job security. Remedying the causes of dissatisfaction will not create satisfaction. But it creates a foundation for motivation. To create satisfaction, Herzberg says you need to address the motivating factors associated with the job. He called it “job enrichment.” The motivations are: achievement, recognition, praise, work itself (interesting and meaningful work), responsibility (here we can see an application of theory Y, according to which people are motivated by responsibility and the possibility of solving problems), promotion, growth , learning opportunities. According to Herzberg, hygiene factors cannot be considered motivators. Motivational factors produce positive satisfaction. These factors are inherent to the job and motivate employees to achieve superior performance. Employees find these factors, which can also be described as "satisfying", intrinsically rewarding. Motivators symbolize psychological needs that are perceived as an additional benefit. The two-factor theory implies that managers must focus on ensuring the adequacy of hygiene factors to avoid employee dissatisfaction. Furthermore, managers need to ensure that the work is challenging and rewarding so that employees are motivated to work and achieve better and more challenging results. This theory emphasizes job enrichment so as to motivate employees. The job must make maximum use of the employee's skills and competences. Focusing on motivational factors can improve the quality of work. However, there are some weaknesses in the theory: Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay: The fact that people tend to blame failure on the external environment and take credit when things go well can influence the evaluation process. There is no overall measure of satisfaction: an employee may not appreciate a part of his work but appreciate it overall. Herzberg hypothesized, but did not investigate, the direct correlation between satisfaction and productivity. In any case, Herzberg's theory and the questionnaire based on it help to evaluate the level of job satisfaction of employees and to have some ideas on what can be done to improve it.