Hertzberg Motivation Theory Essay

Understanding what motivates different people, in different situations is a topic that has been studied and written about in countless books, journals and other publications. In order to get the best productivity out of any workforce as well as assist employees in achieving both personal and professional goals, it is paramount that Human Resource professionals have a basic understanding of what motivates employees.

The Hertzberg Motivation Theory Frederick Herzberg first published his motivational theory in his book, The Motivation to Work which was authored in 1959. His theory focus’s around the idea that “satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work nearly always arose from different factors” (Businessballs, 2016). He cites several motivating

McClelland observes that most people are motivated by a combination of the three needs, with one of the group’s being more dominant over the other two, depending on the person. He asserts that people with a high need for achievement will typically seek to excel while those employees with a high need for affiliation are more likely to go along with a group, and do not wish to stand out. Further, McClelland divides power into separate and distinct two categories, personal power and institutional power. The latter can also be referred to as social status which includes someone’s status within an organization or company. McClelland theory is a means to identify the internal motivating factors in employees who are successful, and understand the underlying values and attitudes of those workers. Additionally, several studies using his theory reflect the idea that financial incentives may actually reduce an employee’s achievement levels, and “produce only short-term gains or cause employees to underperform over time” (Patrick, 2010). Motivators which will work produce the best results under this theory are likely to be things like challenging work or assignments, a group or team roll, and could include a promotion to a position of authority over other employees. For most individuals, an incentive which incorporates one of the three needs is the best approach, however for some people, a combination or hybrid approach with a heavier emphasis on what motivates that particular employee, will yield quality