Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory: Hygiene Factors & Motivation - Quiz
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NOTE: The transcript from the video is listed below the quiz for your reference.
1. ____________ is attributed as having developed the two-factor theory.
- Abraham Maslow
- Fredrick Herzberg
- Henry Mintzberg
- Clayton Alderfer
2. ____________ cause dissatisfaction in the workplace, are extrinsic to the work itself, and are linked to things such as compensation, job security, organizational politics, working conditions, quality of leadership, and relationships between supervisors, subordinates and peers.
- Progression principles
- Hygiene factors
- Leadership issues
- Motivators/satisfiers
3. ____________ are linked to employee motivation and arise from intrinsic conditions of the job itself.
- Motivators/satisfiers
- Leadership issues
- Progression principles
- Hygiene factors
4. Remedying the causes of dissatisfaction does not lead to satisfaction, nor will adding satisfiers eliminate dissatisfaction.
- TRUE
- FALSE
5. The opposite of satisfaction is ________________ and the opposite of dissatisfaction is ______________________.
- no satisfaction / no dissatisfaction
- dissatisfaction / satisfaction
This lesson describes Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory, which is based on the idea of how hygiene factors and satisfiers or motivators are used to provide satisfaction to employees in work environments.
Finding Balance
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a staple of American children's diets everywhere. If you have ever made one or had the pleasure of eating one, you know it is all about finding the right balance between the peanut butter and the jelly. Too much peanut butter and your mouth is going to be sticky. Too much jelly will leak out of the sides and make a mess. Likewise, too little peanut butter and you lose that salty effect, whereas too little jelly and you lose the sweetness. Indeed, it is all about finding that right balance of salty and sweet without leaving you thirsty and wearing jelly on your shirt. Balance is a challenging thing to find in many aspects of life. This is also true of employee satisfaction and motivation. One person who was interested in helping managers find out how to offer that balance for their employees was Frederick Herzberg.
Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
Frederick Herzberg was a psychologist interested in the correlation between employee attitude and workplace motivation. He wanted to find out what made people feel satisfied and unsatisfied when it came to the workplace. After spending countless hours interviewing employees about what made them feel both good and bad about their jobs, Herzberg developed a theory of workplace motivation called the two-factor theory. The two-factor theory is based on the assumption that there are two sets of factors that influence motivation in the workplace by either enhancing employee satisfaction or hindering it.
The first of the two are called hygiene factors and no, I am not talking about the personal hygiene of your co-workers, though that can certainly be questionable at times. Rather, Herzberg used the term 'hygiene' to describe factors that cause dissatisfaction in the workplace, are extrinsic (or independent of the work itself), and are linked to things such as compensation, job security, organizational politics, working conditions, quality of leadership, and relationships between supervisors, subordinates, and peers.
The second factor is motivators or satisfiers. These are linked to employee motivation and arise from intrinsic, or dependent, conditions of the job itself. Factors for satisfaction include responsibility, job satisfaction, recognition, achievement, opportunities for growth, and advancement.
Applying Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
One would think that an easy way to improve employee motivation would be to decrease things that cause dissatisfaction and increase those things that cause satisfaction. However, it is not that simple. Herzberg argued that remedying the causes of dissatisfaction does not lead to satisfaction. Nor will adding satisfiers eliminate dissatisfaction. That is because the opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction, and the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction.
A manager must be sure to provide sufficient hygiene factors while at the same time building satisfiers or motivators into employee jobs. In essence, hygiene factors are necessary to be sure a subordinate is not dissatisfied, and satisfiers are needed to motivate an employee to work towards a higher level of performance. Much like making your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it's all about finding the right balance.
To begin eliminating things that are causing employee dissatisfaction, the manager needs to fix problems related to things such as ineffective policies, noncompetitive wages, and job insecurity. Then, a manager should begin to foster a supportive culture, provide meaningful and challenging work, and offer effective leadership, showing respect and dignity for subordinates. Each of these activities helps a manager to reduce job dissatisfaction and make the first step towards motivation.
As a manager, you should be sure to take the time to get to know your employees. Find out why they are happy and why they are dissatisfied. Offer your employees the opportunity to take on additional challenges and reward them accordingly. In essence, make sure you give your employees their wings.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. Frederick Herzberg studied the connection between workplace motivation and employee attitude. His research led him to develop the two-factor theory, which is based on the assumption that there are two sets of factors that influence motivation in the workplace by either enhancing employee satisfaction or hindering it. The first of the two is called hygiene factors, which cause dissatisfaction in the workplace, are extrinsic to the work itself, and are linked to things such as compensation, job security, organizational politics, working conditions, quality of leadership, and relationships between supervisors, subordinates, and peers. The second factor is motivators or satisfiers. These are linked to employee motivation and arise from intrinsic conditions of the job itself. Factors for satisfaction include responsibility, job satisfaction, recognition, achievement, opportunities for growth, and advancement.
Herzberg argued that remedying the causes of dissatisfaction does not lead to satisfaction. Nor will adding satisfiers eliminate dissatisfaction. This is because the opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction, and the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction. A manager must be sure to provide sufficient hygiene factors while at the same time building in satisfiers or motivators into the employee's job. In essence, hygiene factors are necessary to be sure a subordinate is not dissatisfied, and satisfiers are necessary to motivate an employee to work towards a higher level of performance.