Sunday, December 8, 2013

Herzberg's Two Factor Theory

In the last byte, we looked at the summary of the various need theories. In today's byte, we look at Herzberg's Two Factor Theory and attempt to understand it better.

If we look at our job, there are certain situations where we are extremely content and satisfied with the work we do, while there are certain activities which we are extremely dissatisfied with. In fact it is not the complete job itself but certain aspects of it which makes us feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the job. Herzberg studied this to a greater detail and formulated the Two Factor Theory.

Those work conditions that relate to the satisfaction of the need for psychological growth - are called motivational factors. Those work conditions that relate to dissatisfaction caused by discomfort or pain are called hygiene factors. This classification originates from the observation that, people have two sets of needs - one that relates to avoidance of pain and one relates to the desire for psychological growth. Thus, motivational factors are related to job satisfaction, while the hygiene factors are related to job dissatisfaction.

We shall initiate a discussion on the Motivational Factors now, which we shall continue in the next byte:

Herzberg says that job satisfaction is produced by building the motivational factors into a job. This process is called Job Enrichment. Some of these motivational factors are: Responsibility, Achievement, Recognition, Advancement and the work itself. The presence of such factors enhances the performance of an individual.

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