Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation in Office Space
Analysis by. Mustapha Hasnain
Part 1
“So, where’s the motivation?”, Peter Gibbons – Office Space
The first theory I am using is Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory found in Chapter 5, and is one of many theories that describe how employees are motivated. This theory states that “job satisfaction results from the presence of intrinsic motivators and that job dissatisfaction stems from not having extrinsic factors”. Intrinsic motivators, also called satisfiers, are related to the job content and are comprised of “feelings of achievement, meaningful work, opportunities for advancement, increase in responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth”.
According to Herzberg, if these conditions are present in a work environment and in employees, “they build strong levels of motivation that result in good job performance”. The more these factors are present, the higher is an employee’s job satisfaction. Extrinsic motivators, also called dissatisfiers or hygiene factors, are related to “the job context” and include “pay, status, job security, working conditions, fringe benefits, policies and procedure, and interpersonal relations.” Although the presence of these conditions does not necessarily motivate an employee, their absence results in dissatisfaction. Thus, the less of these factors present, the higher an employee’s job dissatisfaction.
This theory is considered to be the “most criticized” out of all the other motivation theories. Some of the reasons being: a limited sample of professions was used in developing it; oversimplification of the causes of job satisfaction; and it “requires people to look at themselves retrospectively”. Nonetheless, this theory is still used by academics and researchers. I find the theory to be very useful due to its simple and logical application in describing job satisfaction.
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