Herzberg’s Motivation Theory
What is Herzberg's Motivation Theory?
Herzberg's motivation theory—also known as Herzberg’s two-factor theory, Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, and the dual-factor theory—proposes that job satisfaction is influenced by two distinct sets of factors: hygiene factors and motivator factors. Hygiene factors pertain to external conditions such as the workplace environment and salary, while motivator factors are typically intangible elements like receiving recognition or opportunities for personal growth.
The Basic Idea
Staying motivated to complete our work tasks day in and day out can sometimes feel difficult. There are so many factors that influence our motivation, whether or not we procrastinate, and if we feel satisfied by the work we are completing.
Herzberg’s motivation theory is a type of content theory (a theory that focuses on what motivates people), which recognizes that these factors are both internal and external and interact in complex ways. In Herzberg’s theory, these internal and external factors are referred to as motivation factors and hygiene factors, respectively. Motivation factors, which include having responsibility, receiving recognition, or being interested in the work, all contribute to satisfaction. Hygiene factors, such as work conditions, salary, and company policies, do not necessarily cause an employee to be more satisfied, but if they are absent, they will cause an employee to be dissatisfied. Herzberg occasionally refers to hygiene factors as “KITA” factors, with KITA being an acronym for Kick In The Ass.12 These factors motivate someone to act either through incentives or the threat of punishment. Examples include reducing time spent at work (incentive) or losing a bonus (punishment). However, they only provide short-term success. It is the motivation factors that actually determine when there is satisfaction in the job.
One novel component of Herzberg’s motivation theory is that job satisfaction is not seen as the opposite of job dissatisfaction.1 The two are separate phenomena influenced by different factors. Dissatisfaction is impacted by hygiene factors, while satisfaction is obtained through motivators. Following this logic, the opposite of job satisfaction is no job satisfaction, according to Herzberg.
Let’s look at an example of Herzberg’s concept as it relates to employee compensation and career growth opportunities. Suppose a company offers low salaries, poor job security, and an unpleasant work environment. These are hygiene factors, and their absence will likely cause employee dissatisfaction. If the company improves these conditions by providing fair salaries, stable contracts, and a comfortable workspace, employees will no longer be dissatisfied. However, that does not necessarily mean they will be truly satisfied or motivated. To achieve employee job satisfaction, the company needs motivating factors, such as recognizing employee achievements, offering career development opportunities, and providing meaningful, challenging work. This demonstrates Herzberg’s idea that eliminating dissatisfaction does not create satisfaction; it only brings employees to a neutral status, while true motivation comes from intrinsic factors that drive engagement and fulfillment.
The psychology of motivation is very complex and multidimensional. What we do know about it is relatively little, considering how much it impacts our lives. Herzberg’s theory is one of several theories of motivation, each one providing a different lens through which to understand human behavior and its influencing factors.
It’s the job of a manager not to light the fire of motivation, but to create an environment to let each person’s personal spark of motivation blaze.
– Frederick Herzberg2
About the Authors
Dan Pilat
Dan is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at The Decision Lab. He is a bestselling author of Intention - a book he wrote with Wiley on the mindful application of behavioral science in organizations. Dan has a background in organizational decision making, with a BComm in Decision & Information Systems from McGill University. He has worked on enterprise-level behavioral architecture at TD Securities and BMO Capital Markets, where he advised management on the implementation of systems processing billions of dollars per week. Driven by an appetite for the latest in technology, Dan created a course on business intelligence and lectured at McGill University, and has applied behavioral science to topics such as augmented and virtual reality.
Dr. Sekoul Krastev
Dr. Sekoul Krastev is a decision scientist and Co-Founder of The Decision Lab, one of the world's leading behavioral science consultancies. His team works with large organizations—Fortune 500 companies, governments, foundations and supernationals—to apply behavioral science and decision theory for social good. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from McGill University and is currently a visiting scholar at NYU. His work has been featured in academic journals as well as in The New York Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg. He is also the author of Intention (Wiley, 2024), a bestselling book on the science of human agency. Before founding The Decision Lab, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group and Google.
