Motivation

Frederick Herzberg was a well respected American who has contributed greatly to the way in which managers think about motivation at work. He first published his theory in 1959 in a book entitled ‘The Motivation to Work’ and put forward a two factor content theory which is often referred to as a two need system. It is a content theory which explains the factors of an individual’s motivation by identifying their needs and desires, what satisfies their needs and desires and by establishing the aims that they pursue to satisfy these desires.

Herzberg’s original research was undertaken in the offices of engineers and accountants rather than on the factory floor and involved interviewing over two hundred employees. His aim was to determine work situations where the subjects were highly motivated and satisfied rather than where the opposite was true and his research was later paired with many studies involving a broader sampling of professional people.

In his findings Herzberg split his factors of motivation into two categories called Hygiene factors and Motivation factors. The Hygiene factors can de-motivate or cause dissatisfaction if they are not present, but do not very often create satisfaction when they are present. However, Motivation factors do motivate or create satisfaction and are rarely the cause of dissatisfaction. The two types of factors may be listed as follows in order of importance:

Hygiene Factors (leading to dissatisfaction):

•Company Policy

•Supervision

•Relationship with Boss

•Work Conditions

•Salary

•Relationship with Peers

Motivators (leading to satisfaction):

•Achievement

•Recognition

•The work itself

•Responsibility

•Advancement

•Growth