Two Factor Theory of Motivation

Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, also known as the dual-factor theory, holds that there are distinct sets of components in the workplace that either promote job pleasure or job misery, according to the two-factor theory (Teck-Hong, 2011). In general, these factors that improve job contentment are linked to personal development and self-actualization. Employee satisfaction was caused by a lack of cleanliness factors, according to Herzberg (Testani, 2012).

Herzberg saw that contentment and dissatisfaction couldn't be judged on the same continuum; therefore, he conducted a series of studies to understand what qualities in work environments promote satisfaction or unhappiness in the workplace. Herzberg and his colleagues analyzed the effect of fourteen factors on job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in terms of their frequency and duration of impact as Concluded by Malek et al., (2020).

 However, there is a distinction between sanitary concerns and motivating ones. In Herzberg's view, the opposite of pleasure at work was not job dissatisfaction, but a lack of job fulfilment. To put it another way, job dissatisfaction's opposite is a job that makes you happy. It's possible that someone may be comfortable with certain aspects of their work yet dissatisfied with others, thanks to these two separate measures of job and work satisfaction (Davidescu, 2020)

Motivation factors

1.Advancement

Herzberg described advancement as a rise in a person's rank or position within a business. In contrast, a negative or neutral work position indicates that progress is being made in the wrong direction.

2.Job responsibilities

Employees' well-being may be affected positively or negatively by the nature of their job duties. The level of difficulty and commitment required for a job may have a significant impact on whether or not an employee is pleased or not at work (Tatar, 2020)

  3. Opportunities

In the same spirit as Maslow's self-actualization, opportunities for growth exist; they are opportunities for a person to achieve personal progress and advancement in the workplace. Personal growth may lead to professional progress, as well as the chance to learn new skills and techniques, as well as the acquisition of information in the field will be gained as per Neumann & Linscott, (2018).

4. Recognition

Recognition encompasses both the responsibilities a person undertakes and the authority they are given to carry out those responsibilities. Giving people the responsibility and authority to make decisions makes them happy. As a result, a mismatch between duties and authority negatively affects work-life happiness. Recognition occurs when workers receive praise or awards for meeting or exceeding their goals at work or for delivering high-quality service. Negative praise includes criticism or scolding for a work that went awry that was concluded by Cameron et al.,(2001).

Hygiene Factors

1. Workplace elements

Workplace elements like as interpersonal ties and remuneration, as well as corporate regulations and administration, relationship with supervisors and working circumstances are more likely to be considered hygiene considerations than job content (Tatar, 2020). Relationships between employees, supervisors, subordinates, and peers are referred to as "interpersonal relationships" in this context. Workplace interactions and social exchanges, such as those that take place during informal break periods, might show signs of this which was stated by Kitsios & Kamariotou, (2021).

2. Firm’s Structure

The degree to which the firm's structure and management rules and procedures are clear or ambiguous is one issue included in the area of corporate policies and administration OECD (2015) Dissatisfaction with one's employment may be caused, for example, by a lack of transfer of power, unclear regulations and processes, and poor communication.

 

 

3.Supervision

In supervision, an employee makes judgments on the competency or incompetence of the supervisor, as well as the justice or unfairness of the supervisor's actions OECD (2015) For example, a supervisor's readiness to transfer responsibility or to each, as well as their expertise of the task at hand, are examples of this. Dissatisfaction at work may be reduced by poor leadership and management as per Parker, (2014).

4. Environment

Lastly, the physical surroundings of a job and whether they are good or bad are part of working circumstances. The quantity of work, the amount of space, ventilation, tools, temperature, and safety all have a role in the quality of a workstation as concluded by Cameron et al., (2005).

Herzberg realized that contentment and discontent couldn't be measured on the same scale, therefore he performed research on what factors in the workplace encourage contentment or dissatisfaction. Herzberg and his colleagues looked at the frequency and duration of influence of 14 variables on work satisfaction and dissatisfaction. These two distinct metrics of job and work satisfaction may cause someone to feel content with certain elements of their employment yet unsatisfied with others. It also means that decreasing "dissatisfies" would not always boost work satisfaction, but rather placation (Samira Alrawahi, 2020)

References:

 Cameron, J., Banko, K. M., & Pierce, W. D. (2001). Pervasive Negative Effects of Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation: The Myth Continues. Behavior Analyst, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392017

Cameron, J., Pierce, W. D., Banko, K. M., & Gear, A. (2005). Achievement-based rewards and intrinsic motivation: A test of cognitive mediators. In Journal of Educational Psychology (Vol. 97, Issue 4). https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.97.4.641

Davidescu, A. A., 2020. Work Flexibility, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance among Romanian Employees - Implications for Sustainable Human Resource Management, Bucharest: Department of Statistics and Econometrics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romana Square.

Kitsios, F., & Kamariotou, M. (2021). Job satisfaction behind motivation: An empirical study in public health workers. Heliyon, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06857

Malek, S. L., Sarin, S., & Haon, C. (2020). Extrinsic Rewards, Intrinsic Motivation, and New Product Development Performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 37(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12554

Neumann, S. R., & Linscott, R. J. (2018). The relationships among aberrant salience, reward motivation, and reward sensitivity. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1615

Parker, S. K. (2014). Beyond motivation: Job and work design for development, health, ambidexterity, and more. In Annual Review of Psychology (Vol. 65). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115208

Samira Alrawahi, S. F., 2020. The application of Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation to job satisfaction in clinical laboratories in Omani hospitals. Heliyon, 6(9).

Tatar, A., 2020. Impact of Job Satisfaction on Organizational Commitment. Saarbrücken: Lambert Academic Publishing.

Testani, A. M. (2012). A Comparative Analysis of Motivational and Loyalty Factors in Generation X and Genration Y. Capella University, April.

Teck-Hong, T., 2011. HERZBERG'S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY AND JOB SATISFACTION IN THE MALAYSIAN RETAIL SECTOR: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF LOVE OF MONEY. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 16(1), pp. 73-94.