Adapting Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory to a VUCA World – A Repertory Grid Study

Abstract

Employee motivation is a key driver of organizational performance and employee retention. An increasing shortage of skilled workers forces companies to think of ways to motivate and retain their employees. Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation provides an insight which factors are relevant for motivating employees. The theory founded on research carried out in the 1960’s. Since then, the practical and theoretical tenet of supervision and management has shifted to a different leadership approach. Additive the economic environment is found to be more volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguity. VUCA has made its way into organizational science resulting in a focus on agile working methodologies. To add up a generation of millennials demanding for feedback, open communication and team-based workplaces starts to integrate into labour market. Does Herzberg’s theory persist in this new economic environment? Can it be adapted or is a completely new approach inevitable? This organizational psychology related study is aimed to test Herzberg’s theory in a contemporary environment by applying the theory of personal constructs as an investigative method. 61 qualitative repertory grid structured interviews elicited n = 782 personal constructs to investigate the theory. The personal constructs are clustered and compared to the theory of Herzberg.

Psychological Factors Affecting Strategy Implementation in Organisations. A Review of Related Literature

“…According to Steers et al (2004) in Bundtzen (2020:145), the theory approaches the topic on motivation from an organisational perspective as it concentrates on the job itself and work activities, their influence on an employee's motivation and performance. The theory concludes that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two distinguishable dimensions of work-related values of growth needs and lower-order needs (Knoop, 1994in Bundtzen, 2020.…”

“…Knoop (1994) in Bundtzen (2020:146) adds that satisfaction characteristic of hygiene factors refers more to the gratification of needs and wants of an employee and have an extrinsic character whereas motivation factors are of an intrinsic nature as they result in more motivation if put into practice by an organisation. Motivational factors include achievement, recognition, work itself and responsibilities (Herzberg, 1966and Herzberg et al, 1959, in Bundtzen, 2020. According to Lawler (1969) in Bundtzen (2020:146), satisfaction indicates an employee's motivation of coming to work but only indirectly influences the motivation for doing the job effectively.…”

Do Personalities and Motivation Affect Job Performance? An Evidence From a Rural Bank in Central Java

“…Herzberg reveals that a person can be motivated by the presence of two factors: the motivational factor and the hygiene factor (Robbins and Judge, 2015). Empirical research using two Herzberg has recently been carried out by researchers such as Bundtzen (2020), Ozsoy (2019), Mitsakis, Galanakis, Mitsakis, & Galanakis (2022) and Ganapathi, Sharma, & Yarlagadda (2022). However, few research, particularly in Indonesia, have applied Herzberg's two-factor theory to rural banking..…”

Research on Motivation of New Generation Knowledge Employees -- A Study of Huawei Company in China

“…When it comes to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, five kinds of needs are divided in work and life, including physiological needs, security or safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs [9]. Furthermore, Bundtzen (2021) refer that Herzberg's two factors affect employee performance to some extent [10]. Comparing with hygiene factors, motivator factors can improve labor productivity and bring satisfaction of employees.…”