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Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory

This document outlines Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation, which distinguishes between motivators and hygiene factors. Motivators like achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and growth can positively impact satisfaction, while hygiene factors like company policies, supervision, salary, and work conditions need to be adequately addressed to prevent dissatisfaction. The theory suggests that satisfying hygiene factors will not motivate employees but is necessary to avoid dissatisfaction, while motivators are needed to encourage satisfaction and performance. It also discusses limitations of the theory and implications for managers to focus on both hygiene factors and job enrichment through motivators.

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28 views6 pages

Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory

This document outlines Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation, which distinguishes between motivators and hygiene factors. Motivators like achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and growth can positively impact satisfaction, while hygiene factors like company policies, supervision, salary, and work conditions need to be adequately addressed to prevent dissatisfaction. The theory suggests that satisfying hygiene factors will not motivate employees but is necessary to avoid dissatisfaction, while motivators are needed to encourage satisfaction and performance. It also discusses limitations of the theory and implications for managers to focus on both hygiene factors and job enrichment through motivators.

Uploaded by

shadrick kasuba
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………..2
2. Herzberg's Theory Of Motivators And Hygiene Factors……………………….3
3. Hygiene Factors………………………………………………………………...3
4. Motivation Factors…………………………………………………………….4
5. Limitation of two factors theory........................................................................5
6. Implications of two factor theory……………………………………………..5
7. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………5
8. References…………………………………………………………………….6

1
INTRODUCTION
• Hrzberg investigated the behaviour of American white-collar workers. He wanted to
discover if professional workers were being motivated by a range of factors.
The main investigations were carried out using surveys and monitoring of workplace practice
and behaviour.
• Herzberg found that not all factors motivate, employees had expectations of treatment in
work, and if these expectations were absent it led to demotivation. So he argued that people’s
satisfaction and dissatisfaction are influenced by two independent sets of factors which he
named…
motivation factors and
hygiene factors.
• The two factors theory assumes that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are distinct from
each other, and therefore must be dealt with separately.
Motivators can motivate, but only if employers ensure that there are no de-motivating factors
in place - that is hygiene factors are satisfied.

2
HERZBERG'S THEORY OF MOTIVATORS AND HYGIENE FACTORS
Herzberg (1959) constructed a two-dimensional paradigm of factors affecting people's
attitudes about work. He concluded that such factors as company policy, supervision,
Inter-personal relations, working conditions, and salary are hygiene factors rather than
motivators. According to the theory, the absence of hygiene factors can create job
dissatisfaction, but their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction.

In contrast, he determined from the data that the motivators were elements that
enriched a person's job; he found five factors in particular that were strong determiners
of job satisfaction: achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and
advancement. These motivators (satisfiers) were associated with long-term positive
effects in job performance while the hygiene factors (dissatisfies) consistently produced
only short-term changes in job attitudes and performance, which quickly fell back to its
previous level.
Hygiene Factors
Supervisors : Hands- off and friendly
Working conditions: The working conditions should be safe, clean and hygienic. The
work equipment should be updated and well-maintained.
Working relations: The relationship of the employees with his peers, superiors and
subordinates should be appropriate and acceptable. There should be no conflict or humiliation
element present.
Pay and security: The pay or salary structure should be appropriate and reasonable. It
must be equal and competitive to those in the same industry in the same domain. The
organisation must provide job security to the employees.
company policies and administration: The company policies should not be too rigid.
They should be fair and clear. It should include flexible working hours, dress code, breaks,
vacation, etc.
Hygiene factors must be present to avoid dissatisfaction – but they do not lead to satisfaction,
or motivate

3
Dissatisfaction
Dissatisfaction------------------------------------------------No dissatisfaction
Control and close-Supervisors-Hands- off and friendly
Unsafe and uncomfortable-Working conditions- Safe and comfortable
 Management by intimidation-Working relations- Encouragement of social Activities and
friendly workplace
Low pay, fear of redundancy - Pay and security- Secure in jobs, well paid
 Clear and consistent Unclear, and arbitrary- Company policies and administration- Clear
& Consistent
Motivation Factors

Achievement Recognition Interesting and challenging work Responsibility


Promotion and growth in responsibilities Motivation Factors.
The motivators must be present if satisfaction is to be gained from work done
 Recognition: the employees should be praised and recognized for their
accomplishments by the managers
 Achievement: the employees must have a sense of achievement. This depends on the
job. There must be a fruit of some sort in the job.
 Responsibility: the employees must hold themselves responsible for the work. The
managers should give them ownership of the work. They should minimize control but
retain accountability.
 The work itself: the work itself should be meaningful, interesting and challenging for
the employee to perform and to get motivated.
 Growth and promotional opportunities: there must be growth and advancement
opportunities in an organisation to motivate the employees to perform well.
Satisfaction
Satisfaction---------------------------------------No satisfaction
Recognized and rewarded –Achievement- Ignored and unrewarded
Communication and involvement- Recognition – Passed instructions and orders
Effective task design, a job that grows -The work itself – Repetitive, undemanding
Complete tasks, empowerment – Responsibility – Hierarchical, monitoring
Training, and promotion - Advancement – Stuck in a rut and growth

Limitation of two factors theory

4
The two factor theory is not free from limitations:
1. The two factors theory overlooks situational variables.
2. Herberg assumed a correlation between satisfaction and productivity. But the research
conducted by Herberg stressed upon satisfaction and ignored productivity.
3. The theory’s reliability is uncertain. Analysis has to be made by the raters. The raters
may spoil the findings by analysing same response in different manner.
4. No comprehensive measure of satisfaction was used. An employee may find his job
acceptable despite the fact that he may hate/object part of his job.
5. The two factor theory is not free from bias as it is based on the natural reaction of
employees when they are enquired the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
6. The theory ignores blue-collar workers.
Implications of two factor theory
The two factor theory implies that the managers must stress upon guaranteeing the adequacy
of the hygiene factors to avoid employee dissatisfaction. Also, the managers must make sure
that the work is stimulating and rewarding so that the employees are motivated to work and
perform harder and better.
This theory emphasize upon job –enrichment so as to motivate the employees. The job must
utilize the employee’s skills and competencies to the maximum. Focusing on the motivational
factors can improve work quality.

Conclusion
Satisfiers describe a person's relationship with what she or he does, many related to the tasks
being performed. Dissatisfiers, on the other hand, have to do with a person' relationship to the
context or environment in which she or he performs the job.
The satisfiers relate to what a person does while the dissatisfiers relate to the situation in
which the person does what he or she does.

5
REFERENCES

Bellott, F.K., & Tutor, F.D. (1990). "A Challenge to the Conventional Wisdom of
Herzberg and Maslow Theories." Paper presented at the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of
the Mid-South Educational Research Association. New Orleans, LA.
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B.B. (1959). The Motivation to Work (2nd
ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row.
Tutor, F. D. (1986). The Relationship between Perceived Need Deficiencies and Factors
Influencing Teacher Participation in the Tennessee Career Ladder. Doctoral
dissertation, Memphis State University, Memphis, TN.

Common questions

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Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory implies that for job design to promote job enrichment effectively, it should focus on enhancing motivation factors, such as incorporating meaningful and challenging work that offers opportunities for achievement and recognition . Job enrichment encourages managers to design jobs that maximize the use of employees' skills and competencies, fostering personal growth and satisfaction . By going beyond merely avoiding dissatisfiers through job design improvements, organizations can enhance intrinsic motivation and performance, leading to enhanced work quality and personal development among employees .

Herzberg's theory suggests that job enrichment, which focuses on motivation factors like providing challenging work, offering growth and advancement opportunities, and enhancing responsibility, can significantly enhance employee motivation and performance . By enriching the job, employees are more likely to find their work meaningful and satisfying, which in turn leads to better performance and motivation . Job enrichment involves utilizing employees' skills and competencies to the fullest, which helps in improving work quality and achieving long-term positive effects .

Managers can apply Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory by first ensuring that hygiene factors, such as fair company policies, safe working conditions, and adequate salaries, are adequately addressed to prevent dissatisfaction . Once these are in place, managers should focus on enhancing motivation factors by providing employees with challenging and meaningful tasks, recognizing achievements, offering responsibility, and creating opportunities for advancement and personal growth . This dual approach of removing dissatisfiers and promoting satisfiers can cultivate a more motivating and engaging work environment .

Herzberg's theory emphasizes the separation of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction to highlight that these are influenced by different sets of factors: motivation factors and hygiene factors, respectively . This distinction suggests that merely addressing factors that prevent dissatisfaction (such as improving working conditions) will not lead to job satisfaction or motivation, highlighting the need for management to separately enhance intrinsic job factors like achievement and responsibility to motivate employees . Thus, management strategies should aim to both eliminate dissatisfiers and promote satisfiers to improve overall job satisfaction and employee performance .

Motivation factors, such as achievement, recognition, and responsibility, are intrinsic to the job and lead to satisfaction and increased motivation. These factors are associated with the content of the job and are necessary for job satisfaction . On the other hand, hygiene factors, including company policy, supervision, and pay, are extrinsic to the job. These are necessary to prevent job dissatisfaction but do not lead to job satisfaction or motivate employees when present . Satisfiers relate to what a person does (the job itself), whereas dissatisfiers are related to the context or environment of the job .

Herzberg categorized motivation factors, such as achievement and recognition, as intrinsic elements that lead to job satisfaction, while hygiene factors, like company policy and working conditions, prevent dissatisfaction but do not create satisfaction . To derive these categorizations, Herzberg conducted surveys and monitored workplace practices and behaviors among American white-collar workers . Through analyzing this data, Herzberg identified distinct sets of factors influencing employee attitudes toward their work .

The limitations of Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory include its initial neglect of situational variables and its assumption of a strong correlation between satisfaction and productivity without sufficient emphasis on productivity . It is also criticized for not accounting for different interpretations of satisfaction by raters, and for not using a comprehensive measure of satisfaction as employees may accept a job despite disliking certain aspects . Notably, the theory primarily focuses on white-collar workers and largely ignores blue-collar workers, potentially limiting its applicability across all types of work environments .

Herzberg's theory differentiates between satisfiers related to the job content (motivation factors) and dissatisfiers related to job context (hygiene factors). This separation implies that management should ensure that hygiene factors like a safe work environment and adequate supervision are addressed to prevent dissatisfaction. However, to truly motivate employees, management needs to focus on motivation factors by providing opportunities for achievement and recognition, making the work interesting, and promoting personal growth . This dual approach suggests an emphasis on job enrichment, which can lead to better performance and higher work quality .

One criticism of Herzberg's theory is the methodology, where data collection through surveys and interviews could be subject to bias, particularly how raters interpret responses, questioning the reliability of the findings . Moreover, it assumes a correlation between satisfaction and productivity, but primarily focuses on satisfaction, ignoring direct productivity measures . Herzberg also did not use a comprehensive measure of satisfaction which could lead to incomplete conclusions . Additionally, the theory's focus on white-collar workers limits its generalizability across different job classifications, especially blue-collar settings .

Herzberg's investigation concluded that while hygiene factors like salary and supervision are necessary to prevent dissatisfaction, they do not lead to lasting job satisfaction or motivation. Their influence results only in short-term improvements in job attitudes and performance, which often regress once job conditions are normalized, as these factors fail to address the intrinsic aspects of the job that truly motivate employees . This evidence supports the notion that hygiene factors stabilize the work environment but do not inherently improve long-term job satisfaction or performance .

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