Hertzberg’s two factor theory seems plausible and relevant mainly because humans still make up a large portion of the labor market. Currently, there are several organizations that are concerned about employees’ job satisfaction and employ various strategies to ensure that they are satisfied. For instance, the use of rewards and recognition like employee of the month are still common measures in some places.
Apart from its relevance and current applicability, I think that both the hygiene and motivation factors are interconnected, and they both affect employees’ satisfaction levels. For instance, an employee’s salary and job status can be a motivating factor that results in them feeling satisfied with their job. For this reason, the hygiene factors should also be associated with satisfaction. Generally, I think both motivation and hygiene factors can affect employees’ level of satisfaction. So, I agree with the “the traditional view of job satisfaction which posits that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are interdependent” (Nickerson, 2023).
The relevance of his theory in the future would depend on the advancements in technology in various industries. Recently, I saw a video that focused on how waiter drones are revolutionizing the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, there are virtual AI assistance and other robotic creations that are quickly replacing manual labour. If these tech innovations replace manual labor, then there will be no need to pay attention to job satisfaction and the factors that influence it. Essentially, his theory may become obsolete 50 years from now in cases where tech is doing the work and humans aren't.
Krista
MDE student
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus | UMGC
References
Nickerson, C. (2023). Herzberg’s Two-factor theory of motivation-hygiene. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/herzbergs-two-factor-theory.html
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