Lack of Dissatisfaction ≠ Satisfaction

Glenda @ Mitchell News

Be intentional about what you choose to do. Be intentional about actually doing it.

Hertzberg’s Motivation Theory

Lack of Dissatisfaction ≠ Satisfaction

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*Hot Off The Press*

The last month has been what I’d call one of consolidation and planning at home and work.

The bulk of the large state declared weeds have been pulled out of our garden, the new mulch in the beds has been well watered and the recently planted citrus trees are establishing themselves. Unfortunately the leaves of the citrus trees having been fighting a battle against the larva of the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly for survival. At this stage they resemble bird poo, but I am assured that they will eventually transform in to a beautiful large butterfly. Hopefully they don’t eat too many leaves before then.

We are now designing a bunch of new beds to replace the neglected areas of rock and rubble. This is the fun bit. Choosing edging, deciding on colours and selecting plants. Walter is even building a wooden bridge and a wishing well.

On the work front, it has been good to reconnect with some like minded people from my past and I have built a few new exciting relationships. Working in a small business can be lonely and exploring ideas on my own tends to turn me a little crazy.

I am looking forward to releasing some new individual and group programs to continue helping people to live a life of purpose. More information to follow soon.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ♫♫♫♫♫

In January, I celebrated the 1^st birthday of my book. June is time for me to celebrate my own (number deleted) birthday with a trip to a rural town in the South Burnett Region, Queensland for their annual running festival.

Whilst today’s topic is biased towards those in a work environment, I encourage you to think about how some of the high-level thinking can apply no matter what situation you find yourself in. It may also be useful for you to support those near and dear to you that are dealing with varying levels of motivation in their job.

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* Lack of Dissatisfaction ≠ Satisfaction*

You have a bunch of people at your work that stick around, do a good job but won’t go above and beyond. You pay them, give them training and they can take holidays. They’re not dissatisfied with their lot so aren’t going to leave anytime soon. But they’re not overly satisfied either, so they whinge, don’t go the extra mile and make for difficult management.

Why do people stay in jobs that they complain about?

How do organisations attract and retain good employees despite demanding long hours or paying relatively low salaries?

What is it that drives employees to perform?

SATISFACTION generally refers to a sense of contentment or happiness with something, often resulting from meeting a need or achieving a goal.

DISSATISFACTION refers to a feeling of unhappiness or displeasure with something, often due to unmet expectations or the presence of negative factors.

We tend to approach SATISFACTION as a binary. A person is either SATISFIED or DISSATISFIED.

Evidence suggests that SATISFACTION and DISSATISFACTION can instead be seen as two ends of a spectrum, with neutrality in the middle. For example, a person might be neither SATISFIED nor DISSATISFIED with a situation, but rather neutral.

What if I told you that the relationship may be even more complicated? That an individual can be SATISFIED and DISSATISFIED at the same time.

😮The opposite of DISSATISFACTION is not SATISFACTION; it is simply no DISSATISFACTION.

😮The opposite of SATISFACTION is not DISSATISFACTION; it is merely no SATISFACTION.

The Two-Factor Theory

I wish that I could say that I came up with this brilliant theory myself. Alas, it was the work of Frederick Herzberg, an American industrial and organisational psychologist considered by many to be a pioneer in motivation theory.

There are many areas of our lives where we can feel SATISFIED or DISSATISFIED, including job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and consumer satisfaction. For the most part, there are so many factors that cause us to be unhappy… and often, we can’t precisely identify why.

MOTIVATION, along with SATISFACTION or DISSATISFACTION, is the central focus of Herzberg’s theory. In the late 1950s, he interviewed a group of employees to find out what made them SATISFIED and DISSATISFIED on the job. He asked the employees two sets of questions:

Think of a time when you felt especially good about your job. Why did you feel that way?
Think of a time when you felt especially bad about your job. Why did you feel that way?

From these interviews, he went on to develop his theory, creating a link between SATISFACTION, MOTIVATION and performance. The theory states that people’s performance at work depends on the level of SATISFACTION they experience in their work environment. And to increase SATISFACTION, MOTIVATION must be increased. This theory, which continues to be relevant after more than 60 years, highlights the importance of employee MOTIVATION and SATISFACTION.

Herzberg’s theory proposes that there are two sets of factors that influence the level of SATISFACTION and MOTIVATION of individuals at work: Hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) and Motivators (satisfiers).

Hygiene factors are the main causes of job DISSATISFACTION. According to Herzberg, these cannot satisfy or motivate employees but if handled correctly, can minimise dissatisfaction. In other words, they dissatisfy if they are absent or mishandled. Hygiene topics include company policies, supervision, salary, interpersonal relations and working conditions. They are elements related to the employee’s environment.

Motivators on the other hand, are the drivers of job SATISFACTION. They create SATISFACTION by fulfilling individuals’ needs for meaning and personal growth. They are elements such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement. Once the hygiene areas are addressed, said Herzberg, the motivators are able to promote job satisfaction and encourage productivity.

Herzberg used this model to explain that an individual at work can be SATISFIED and DISSATISFIED at the same time as these two sets of factors work in separate sequences.

Hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) cannot increase or decrease SATISFACTION; they can affect only the degree of DISSATISFACTION. While they do not lead to increased employee motivation, they can help eliminate employee dissatisfaction, improve performance, and reduce turnover.

The motivation factors are the ones that lead to employee satisfaction, motivation, and commitment to work.

To put it another way, very often, we cannot find the motivation needed if our basic work ‘hygiene factors’ are not met. On the other hand, even if the hygiene factors are met, this may have no impact on our motivation to perform.

This emphasises the need to address both hygiene and motivation factors to create a work environment that pursues these objectives. Motivators need to be harmonised with hygiene factors to achieve job satisfaction.

Implementation of Herzberg’s motivation and hygiene theory

It is easier said than done.

All this may appear logical in theory, but proves to be complex in practice. Factors may vary between individuals and can even change over time. The types of employees that organisations wish to attract may also impact the adoption of the theory.

Variations in Factors

Working From Home (WFH) has become a big topic of conversation, perhaps contention – that’s why it even has its own acronym. You can read copious numbers of articles and opinions on the pros and cons of WFH, both for the organisation and the employee.

This is not one of those articles. I am merely going to use it as an example.

In years gone by, the opportunity to work from home periodically was deemed a privilege. Employees felt as though they were trusted and were given a degree of flexibility.

Now, particularly since Covid, WFH has become what many would deem to be a right, a given. It is no longer a privilege but an expectation.

In the first instance, WFH could be placed under the banner of MOTIVATORS, or things that cause SATISFACTION for an individual.

In contrast, in the second example, WFH has become a HYGIENE factor, something that does not create SATISFACTION. If an individual is not allowed to WFH, it is likely to DEMOTIVATE or cause DISSATISFACTION.

There are a couple of things that we can elicit from this.

As found by Herzberg, SATISFACTION and DISSATISFACTION have a relationship but it may not be the one that we perhaps thought.
What MOTIVATES may change over time and could vary between individuals.

Variation in Implementation approaches

If we think about organizations that have applied the theory, two prominent examples are Google and Amazon, both addressing SATISFACTION and DISSATISFACTION.

Google offers its employees MOTIVATION factors such as stimulating work, autonomy, and opportunities for growth and development. In terms of hygiene factors, they provide good compensation and benefits, a comfortable work environment, and flexible hours, for example. It would appear from the outside that they are taking a balanced approach.

The case of Amazon has received criticism for poor working conditions, such as long hours and lack of job security, representing low hygiene factors. However, on the other hand, it offers opportunities to work on innovative projects and provides recognition for good work, which MOTIVATES employees.

Both organisations are attracting and retaining high performing individuals, so neither of these approaches can simply be deemed to be wrong or right. One could argue that provided the demands are clearly communicated, it is up to the employee to choose whether to join or to stay. Similarly, provided the organisation is satisfying its legal requirements, it has the right to choose how it operates and who it employs. This may sound harsh and not “very nice”, but an employment contract is just that, a contract.

This article is not going to discuss my opinion on the ethics of either approach or whether it is the best way to get the most out of its people. That is a perhaps a topic for another day.

What we can say is true about applying the two-factor

Employee satisfaction and retention have always been important issues for organisations. After all, high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover can affect the bottom line, as temps, recruitment and retraining take their toll. But few organisations have made job satisfaction a top priority, perhaps because they have failed to understand the significant opportunity that lies in front of them.

Satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative and committed to their employers, and recent studies have shown a direct correlation between staff satisfaction and customer satisfaction.

Organisations who can create work environments that attract, motivate and retain hard-working individuals will be better positioned to succeed in a competitive environment that demands quality and cost-efficiency. What’s more, leaders may even discover that by creating a positive workplace for their employees, they’ve increased their own job satisfaction as well.

It is possible for you and your employees to be happy on the job. The key is in how you handle two factors: motivation and ‘hygiene.

Food for thought….

The employer has a responsibility to the employee and other stakeholders to maximise their performance through improving their motivation and job satisfaction.

The employee is responsible for performing their job at a level required by the organisation. They are also responsible for integrating the important areas of their life and maximising their own life satisfaction.

If you’re a leader, be clear on the factors that dissatisfy your employees and those that satisfy them, recognising that they may not be the same for everyone.

As the employee, be clear about the part that your work plays in your life satisfaction. Be aware of what motivates you and will give you satisfaction across all areas of your life. Take responsibility for your overall life satisfaction and don’t expect your organisation to do so.

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*The 7Ps – To be intentional about what you choose to do and intentional about actually doing it*

I encourage you to consider the relationship between your passion and achieving satisfaction. Are there actions you need to take to enable you to increase your overall life satisfaction?

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*Quote of the Month*

“It’s the job of a manager not to light the fire of motivation, but to create an environment to let each person’s personal spark of motivation blaze.”

– Frederick Herzberg

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*Kicking Out The Bucket List*

For further information or to order the book directly (signed copies available).

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This is a complex topic and I have only touched the surface.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share them with me.

Glenda