Question

Consider the motivation factors and hygiene factors in Herzberg’s theory and compare them to a job you have held. How do the motivating and hygiene factors relate to how you experienced that job? Did other aspects of the job motivate you? Do you think what motivates today’s employees is the same as what motivated employees in Herzberg’s time? What motivation or hygiene factors have changed, if any?

Answer 1

Herzberg’s theory states there are two factors –

• Motivation factors that cause job satisfaction- Achievement, Recognition, The work itself, Responsibility, Growth
• Hygiene factors that are necessary to avoid job dissatisfaction –company policies, Relationship with supervisor and peers, Work conditions, Salary, Status, Security

Hygiene factors though they do not cause much motivation, they are necessary for avoiding dissatisfaction

I worked in a start-up. I was excited by working for a new concept. Start-ups are highly achievement-oriented and they give us lots of responsibilities. Also, you tend to work in so many departments and there is a lot of room for growth to top positions like brand managers in short period. The experience is quite rich. It is a good felling to handle so many things and knows about various aspects of a business from scratch. The work is also interesting.

But I had to exit because of work conditions, salary, and lack of salary-hygiene factors. This goes perfectly with Herzberg’s theory. Even without motivation we can still get around. But the absence of hygiene factors leads to quite a dissatisfaction that led me to exit the job

            The theory still holds true in modern times. I don’t think they have changed. Even a recent research by Harvard professors Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer (The Power of Small Wins), shows that achievement is a primary motivator for managers. This shows that the basic factors of motivation said in Herzberg still holds true. Probably, the emphasis may shift from one factor to another over the course of time.