Page 93 - (DK) The Business Book

LIGHTING THE FIRE 91 91

See also: Leading well 68–69 ■ The value of teams 70–71 ■ Creativity and Frederick Herzberg
invention 72–73 ■ Effective leadership 78–79 ■ Make the most of your talent 86–87
US psychologist Frederick
Herzberg was born on April
JOB DISSATISFACTION JOB SATISFACTION 18, 1923. He attended City
College of New York and later
held a professorship at the
Achievement
University of Utah, USA.
Recognition Herzberg’s service in the
US Army, in particular his
Work itself
observation of conditions
Responsibility at the Dachau concentration
Advancement camp in Germany during
World War II, is thought to
Growth
have inspired his interest
Company policy and in motivational theory.
administration Herzberg’s two-factor Challenging the notion
Supervision theory illustrates the that workers are driven only
dichotomy of workplace
Relationship with supervisor by money and other benefits,
motivation—that for the
Work conditions most part, job satisfaction Herzberg suggested that
derives from fulfilment of achievement and recognition
Salary a different set of factors are powerful motivators. He
Relationship with peers (“motivators”) than those believed that managers should
that cause dissatisfaction create safe, happy workplaces
Personal life (“hygiene factors”). and make tasks interesting,
Relationship with subordinates challenging, and rewarding.
His work influenced a
Status Motivators
generation of managers.
Security Hygiene factors
Key works

Motivators include recognition, increase job satisfaction, but when 1959 The Motivation to Work
1968 One More Time: How do
responsibility, the opportunity for lacking, actually only result in low
you Motivate Employees?
advancement, a sense of personal levels of employee dissatisfaction.
1976 The Managerial Choice:
achievement, and potential for To Be Efficient and to Be
growth—as Herzberg put it “the Motivators in practice
Human
more a person can do,” the more Herzberg’s findings are significant
easily they can be motivated. for business leaders. The two-factor
Herzberg argued that job theory proposes that job design is environment and flexible working
dissatisfaction is as important crucial—it must create conditions policies. Initiatives such as the
as satisfaction. He believed that in which employees can feel a sense “friends and family contract”—in
unless hygiene factors were well of achievement, enjoy responsibility, which employees from the same
managed, no matter how good the and gain recognition for their work. family or friendship group can cover
motivators, staff would not be Levels of pay may be important for each other’s shifts—give staff a
inclined to work hard. They would, recruitment and retention, but it sense of shared responsibility, and
he suggested, be so dissatisfied as is less important in encouraging enhance loyalty to the company.
to be demotivated. He also believed staff to work effectively. The top-paying companies are
that hygiene factors do not, in Every day, thousands of people rarely ranked as the best employers.
themselves, motivate; but when around the world apply for jobs at Money matters, but job satisfaction,
fulfilled, they reduce dissatisfaction fast-food outlet McDonald’s. career advancement, management
and provide a foundation for Frequently rated at the top of “best attitude, and personal relations are
motivation. On the other hand, employer” lists, the chain is popular the workplace factors that most
motivators have great potential to because of a friendly working motivate us to work harder. ■