chap 6 pt 1 Content Theories of Motivation & Job Design – Key Vocabulary

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (Motivators–Hygienes)

• Fundamental claim
  • Satisfaction ≠ Dissatisfaction; two independent continua.
  • “Motivators” (intrinsic) create satisfaction; absence ≠ dissatisfaction.
  • “Hygiene factors” (extrinsic, context) create dissatisfaction when absent; presence ≠ satisfaction.
• Key motivators
  • Achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, growth, work itself (meaningfulness).
• Key hygiene factors
  • Salary, company policy, supervision quality, interpersonal relations, working conditions, job security.
• Vertical Job Loading (Job Enrichment)
  • Goal: add depth, autonomy, responsibility (vs. job enlargement = breadth only).
  • Herzberg’s 7 principles (Table 6-2)
  • Remove some controls but retain accountability → responsibility + achievement.
  • Increase individual accountability → responsibility + recognition.
  • Provide a complete “natural unit” of work → responsibility, achievement, recognition.
  • Grant additional authority/job freedom → responsibility, achievement, recognition.
  • Route performance reports directly to worker → internal recognition.
  • Introduce new, harder tasks → growth & learning.
  • Assign specialised tasks to build expertise → responsibility, growth, achievement.
• Case Study 6-3 “Why Don’t I Just Quit?” (Robin Williams)
  • Dissatisfiers: 60-hr week, lower pay than peers, hostile boss, no resources (computer), coworker isolation.
  • Satisfiers: meaningful client interaction, autonomy/freedom to help, client gratitude letters.
  • Herzberg analysis: high motivator presence (meaning/purpose, achievement, recognition from client) offsets hygiene deficits; explains retention.

Job Design & Hackman–Oldham Job Characteristics Model (JCM)

• Premise: Motivation arises from job content; “Give people a good job to do.”
• Five Core Job Characteristics
  1. Skill Variety – use of multiple talents.
  2. Task Identity – completion of a whole, identifiable piece of work.
  3. Task Significance – perceived impact on others’ lives.
  4. Autonomy – freedom, independence, discretion.
  5. Feedback – direct, clear information on performance.
• Three Critical Psychological States
  • Experienced meaningfulness (← Variety + Identity + Significance).
  • Experienced responsibility for outcomes (← Autonomy).
  • Knowledge of actual results (← Feedback).
• Personal & Work Outcomes
  • High internal motivation.
  • High “growth” satisfaction.
  • High general job satisfaction.
  • High work effectiveness (quality & quantity).
• Moderators (explain why enrichment works for some but not all)
  1. Knowledge & Skill – capability to perform enriched tasks.
  2. Growth-Need Strength – desire for self-development.
  3. Context Satisfaction – satisfaction with pay, coworkers, security.
• Motivating Potential Score (MPS)
  • Formula: MPS = \frac{(\text{Skill Variety} + \text{Task Identity} + \text{Task Significance})}{3} \times \text{Autonomy} \times \text{Feedback}
  • Additive across first three dimensions; multiplicative “bottleneck” on Autonomy & Feedback (if either = 0, MPS = 0).
• Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS)
  • Instrument to measure each dimension & compute MPS; guides redesign.
• Empirical example (Grant, Fried & Juillerat, 2010)
  • Bank teller redesign → added variety, autonomy & decision latitude; ↑ job satisfaction & commitment for ≥ 4 yrs.

Hackman–Oldham Five-Dimension Job Survey (Exercise 6-1)

• 15-item questionnaire rated 1–7.
• Scoring groups of three questions per dimension (Variety, Identity, Significance, Autonomy, Feedback).
• Dimension scores < 15 flag redesign opportunities.

McClelland’s Three-Needs Theory

• Needs are learned/acquired; strength varies by individual.
• Need for Achievement (n\text{-Ach})
  • Desire to excel, moderate risk-taking, personal responsibility, quantifiable feedback.
  • Ring-toss experiment illustrates preference for moderate challenge.
  • High n\text{-Ach} → effective, results-oriented leaders; risk: demanding & insensitive.
• Need for Power (n\text{-Pow})
  • Desire to influence/control others.
  • Two forms
  • Personalized power (self-serving, coercive, “I win-you lose”).
  • Socialized power (pro-organizational, empowering; linked to effective leadership).
• Need for Affiliation (n\text{-Aff})
  • Desire for warm, friendly relationships, approval, avoidance of conflict.
  • High n\text{-Aff} may hinder managerial objectivity.
• Case Study 6-4 “Office Manager’s Dilemma” (Karen)
  • High n\text{-Aff} → avoids confronting poor performer; leadership role mismatch.

Integrative Comparisons of Content Theories (Table 6-3)

• Hygiene factors ≈ Maslow physiological/safety/belonging; Alderfer existence & relatedness.
• Motivators ≈ Maslow esteem & self-actualization; Alderfer growth; McClelland achievement.
• McClelland power & affiliation map to Alderfer relatedness (influence vs. warm feelings).

Case Study Highlights & Theoretical Links

• Case 6-5 “All in a Day’s Work” (Sarah)
  • Multiple theories interwoven
  • Maslow: seeks self-actualization via MHA; employees’ laughter suggests belonging needs met.
  • Herzberg: new campus perks mainly hygiene (facility, parking); may not raise motivation.
  • JCM: Sarah feels loss of autonomy/control over time → lowered meaningfulness.
• Case 6-6 “Develop a Motivation Plan” (Susan, staff nurse)
  • Likely experiencing reduced motivators (recognition, autonomy) & high hygiene stress (workload, staffing, accreditation) → Herzberg.
  • Maslow/Alderfer: safety & belonging threatened; growth blocked.
  • McClelland: formerly high n\text{-Ach} frustrated by lack of voice (“no one listens”).
  • Remedy suggestions: enrich job (decision input), restore feedback, acknowledge contributions, career development.
• Case 6-7 Physician survey on satisfaction
  • 46 % cited communication/relationships; 9 % leadership quality; only 3 % bonuses.
  • Herzberg interpretation: money = hygiene; intrinsic growth & relational factors = motivators.
• Case 6-8 Nurses & Unionization
  • Maslow layering
  • Physiological & Safety: stagnant wages vs. ↑ cost of living; job insecurity due to layoffs → unmet.
  • Belonging: peer solidarity during organizing.
  • Esteem/Self-actualization: lack of recognition & autonomy.
  • Herzberg: Missing hygiene (pay, conditions, policies) + loss of motivators (recognition, meaningful care) → union drive.

Pink’s Autonomy–Mastery–Purpose Overlay (2011)

• Aligns with Herzberg/Maslows’ higher-order needs & JCM psychological states.
  • Autonomy ↔ JCM autonomy.
  • Mastery ↔ Skill variety + feedback + growth.
  • Purpose ↔ Task significance/meaningfulness.

Ethical & Practical Implications for Managers

• Enrichment must match employee capability, growth needs & context (JCM moderators) to avoid overload.
• Pay & perks are necessary but insufficient; intrinsic design drives sustained motivation.
• Leaders must diagnose individual need profiles (McClelland) before assigning roles.
• Ignoring hygiene basics (fair pay, safe workload) triggers turnover or unionization even if motivators exist.

Numerical & Statistical References

• Work redesign study: ↑ satisfaction & performance effects lasted \approx 4 \text{ years}.
• Nurses’ community cost of living ↑ 10\% with 2-yr wage freeze.
• Pay raise example: blanket 5\% increase (Case 6-6) did not restore motivation.
• Union vote passed by \tfrac{2}{3} majority of nurses.

Study/Revision Checklist

• Define: Motivation, Job Enrichment, MPS, n\text{-Ach}/n\text{-Pow}/n\text{-Aff}.
• Memorize five JCM characteristics & three psychological states.
• Be able to compute MPS and interpret multiplier effect.
• Contrast Herzberg motivators vs. hygienes with real examples.
• Apply McClelland needs to leadership suitability scenarios.
• Map Maslow tiers to workplace interventions.
• Recognize moderators (knowledge/skill, growth need, context satisfaction).

Real-World Connections

• Hospitals & health systems under staffing pressure must balance hygiene (safe ratios) & motivators (autonomy in care).
• Value-based payment models heighten need for job designs that foster intrinsic commitment to quality.
• Growing reliance on interdisciplinary teams increases importance of socialized power leadership.

Key Formulas & Definitions in LaTeX

• Motivating Potential Score: MPS = \frac{(SV + TI + TS)}{3} \times AUT \times FB.
• SV = Skill Variety, TI = Task Identity, TS = Task Significance, AUT = Autonomy, FB = Feedback.

References Mentioned

• Hackman & Oldham (1975, 1976, 1980) – JDS & Work Redesign.
• Herzberg (1959, 1966, 1983) – Two-Factor & Vertical Job Loading.
• McClelland (1961, 1985) – Human Motivation.
• Pink (2011) – Drive.
• Grant, Fried & Juillerat (2010) – Bank teller redesign longitudinal study.