Herzberg Two Factor Theory

• In the 1950s and 60s, Herzberg was interviewing and surveying many managers, particularly in the accounting industry
• Herzberg found that different aspects of a job can be broadly categorized into extrinsic factors outside the job and intrinsic factors inside the job
• Extrinsic factors


  Related to hygiene factors that prevent workers from being dissatisfied
• Examples of hygiene factors

  • Working conditions
  • Basic pay
  • Company procedures or rules
• If hygiene factors are not present, it leads to dissatisfied workers
• Putting hygiene factors in place prevents workers from being dissatisfied, but it doesn't necessarily make them motivated
• Intrinsic factors


  Essentially the motivating factors in the two-factor theory
• Examples of intrinsic factors

  • Training and development opportunities
  • Responsibility
• Providing intrinsic factors like training and development opportunities and responsibility can motivate workers
• Motivated workers


  Are more productive, leading to greater output and potentially reducing absenteeism and labor turnover