Frederick Irving Herzberg, a friend of Maslow, applied Maslow's model to the workplace. In a survey, employees described situations that they found satisfying and unsatisfactory.
In 1971, Herzberg proposed his theory, distinguishing between dissatisfaction (psychological hygiene factors) and satisfaction/motivation factors.
These factors include:
- Hygiene factors (noise, heat, salary, status, human relations, etc.) relate to working conditions. Work is negatively affected if these conditions fall below a minimum threshold (basic level). However, productivity is not impacted if working conditions exceed expectations (base level). These conditions must be met to avoid dissatisfaction.
- Rewarding factors - motivation (career development, responsibilities, autonomy, etc.) correspond to the higher needs in Maslow's pyramid. They are directly linked to work and influence individual fulfillment.
Like Maslow's model, it can be argued that motivating factors can only be activated once satisfaction has reached its basic level (hierarchy of needs).
This criticism is supported by the social commitment of certain workers, such as nurses, firefighters, and NGO activists.
Let's set aside the hierarchical aspect of this model and focus on its essence: satisfaction versus motivation.