Herzberg theory of Motivation – BMS Notes
The Motivation Hygiene (Two-Factor) Explanation, which Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, proposed, is a new theory of motivation that builds upon Maslow’s work. Herzberg studied 200 engineers and accountants working for companies in and around Western Pennsylvania for a motivational research that was extensively publicised.
He asked them to recount two significant work-related incidents: I a time when they felt very positive about their employment, and (ii) a time when they felt extraordinarily negative about their jobs. He collected data using the critical incident technique.
Analysis of the replies revealed that they were quite consistent and very fascinating. Responses from respondents who felt positive about their occupations differed markedly from those who felt negative about them. Positive sentiments were often linked to work satisfaction, whereas negative ones were linked to job discontent. Herzberg referred to work dissatisfiers as hygienic or maintenance considerations, and he labelled job satisfiers motivators. The motivators and hygiene elements together are often referred to as Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation.
Herzberg argues that discontent is not the inverse of satisfaction. He claims that the fundamental explanation is that eliminating unsatisfactory aspects of a work does not always result in a more fulfilling position. He is of the opinion that there are two continuums. “No satisfaction” is the reverse of “satisfaction,” while “no discontent” is the opposite of “dissatisfaction.”
Herzberg asserts that today’s motivators are tomorrow’s hygiene as the latter cease to have an impact on people’s behaviour once they have acquired. In light of this, one’s cleanliness may inspire another.
- Nevertheless, Herzberg’s paradigm is also tagged with the following critique:
- In general, when things go well, people want to claim credit for themselves. They attribute failure to other factors.
- Essentially, rather than motivating, the approach explains occupational pleasure.
- Not even work satisfaction is evaluated overall. It is possible for someone to detest a portion of their work yet nonetheless find it satisfactory.
- This view ignores the role that situational factors have in inspiring people.
- Due to its widespread presence, pay often appears in both motivational and health-related contexts.
Herzberg’s “two-factor motivation theory” has garnered significant attention despite its critics, and some managers seem uninterested in adopting his suggestions. His suggestions are mostly useful for organising and managing staff labour.