Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory

Also known as two-factor theory, it states that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction should be considered independently because they are influenced by two different types of factors. He calls them motivators and hygiene factors.

Hygiene factors

Extrinsic to the work itself, these are factors like: job security, salary, status, location, company policies, vacations. If all these factors are fulfilled, it won’t mean that you will be satisfied nor your job will be necessarily exciting. As Clayton Christensen puts it on How Will You Measure Your Life?

“This is an important insight from Herzberg’s research: if you instantly improve the hygiene factors of your job, you’re not going to suddenly love it. At best, you just won’t hate it anymore. The opposite of job dissatisfaction isn’t job satisfaction, but rather an absence of job dissatisfaction.”

Also, not having these factors fulfilled doesn’t mean that your job won’t be motivating, exciting or meaningful. It just means that it will be hard, but the sacrifice may be worthwhile if the job includes enough motivators.

Motivators

Things like: challenging work, recognition, responsibility, meaningful contribution, personal growth. If your work includes these factors, I’m sure you won’t need extrinsic motivation to do a great job, your excitement will be more than enough.

On the other hand, if you want to motivate people to do a better job or be more productive, it won’t be enough to just give them more compensation.

Making a choice

In many occasions in our lives we get the chance to choose between these factors. Try to think the last time it happened to you. Maybe you discovered that you are on the wrong career but you don’t want to change because it will mean a lower salary. What did you value more? Motivators or hygiene factors?