Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory in IT Industry Context

Employee motivation is crucial for organization to improve performance and meet the organizational goals, since less motivated employees can affect the organization negatively due to poor performance and fail to achieve organization goals (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). Herzberg two factor theory is a motivation theory introduce by psychologist Fredrick Herzberg to identify the root of motivational factors and demotivational factors of the employees (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017).

Herzberg’s two factor theory is consisting with motivational factors and hygiene factors (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011).

 Figure 1: Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

Source: Marfice (2019)

1. Motivating factors

Motivation factors can be identified as causes of feel of satisfaction, which directly influence the employees to work hard (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017).

Achievement

Employees should get opportunities to perform and show the capabilities to feel achieved as per Attar and Sweis (2010). Hence, employer essentially should challenge the employees with different and difficult tasks which would help the workers to strive for the work with passion and finally achieve the organizational goal (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). Once employee completed the task successfully the feel of happiness and proudness of oneself would motivate to do further hard work (Attar and Sweis, 2010).  Tech company worker generally gets challenging work when the clients request for new features to support modern bleeding edge technologies as per Oluigbo and Anyiam (2014). The pride in succeeding with a difficult set of tasks required to implement latest technology solutions and reaching the goal is a significant motivator to any individual working in IT industry (Attar and Sweis, 2010).

Recognition

By nature, humans are eager to receive appreciation and recognition as explained by Attar and Sweis (2010). Therefore, the employer should appreciate and give the due recognition to the extraordinary efforts by the workers to keep them motivated (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). The recognition can be pat on the back to a reward in annual general meeting of the company (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). Most tech companies have employee recognition with three sixty-degree nomination process, hence an employee can be recognized by subordinates, peers or supervisors, which will be considered and rewarded with company events (Kim, 2005). The pride felt by being appreciated creates a long-lasting impact on an individual the positive thoughts alone motivates a tech employee to dedicate more for the organization (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014).

Job status

The social status makes an impact on any individual as described by Dartey-Baah and Amoako (2011), hence the title of job, the prestige one feels from the occupation, is a definite influence to stay in such employment. Employees eager to get social recognition and employer must provide promotions according to their performance and experience (Attar and Sweis, 2010). Otherwise employees tend to leave the organization where they do not have the opportunity of the career growth and prestige, especially a seek by an intelligent worker as per Oluigbo and Anyiam (2014). Therefore, in information technology companies’ employees are assured with job security and provided executive level titles to almost every experienced employee making them feel proud and satisfied with their job titles (Kim, 2005).

Responsibility

The feel of being important is another factor keeps an individual motivated, as explained by (Kim, 2005), and he further describes employees should be given responsibilities which make them happy and feel valuable. Accountability of the job being executed by oneself is a definite motive for a knowledge worker to take the necessary steps to get the assigned job satisfactorily (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). Hence, most tech companies use tools and technologies to provide visibility and accountability to the actions of employees, urging the workers to take initiatives to take responsibilities of the job functionalities of oneself as per Kim (2005).

Opportunities for growth

Opportunity to growth is vital for intelligent workforce as the ambitious nature of such individual to reach higher career goals (Attar and Sweis, 2010). Therefore, it is essential for the employers of tech companies to ensure the career progress for each employee in the organization is clear and have a mechanism of fair and equal opportunities for growth to every employee (Kim, 2005).  In information technology companies to build required skills and flexibility to change career according to employee preferences, given that the required skills are there with the employees is generally provided and any funding to build required skills is provided on company expense, giving the intelligent workers ability to reach their personal career goals (Kim, 2005).

Figure 2: Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers

Source: Marfice (2019)

2. Hygiene factors

It is essential for employees to feel the hygiene conditions at the place of work to ensure the wellbeing (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). However, hygiene factors can be identified as factors for dissatisfaction if the existence of such factors not there in the workplace, which can de-motivate employees (Attar and Sweis, 2010). In tech companies the facilities for the employers are kept at very high standards in general, for example clean toilets, comfortable chairs, properly airconditioned and clean work environments, appropriate lighting are all considered significantly important (Kim, 2005).

Company policies

Company policies should be clearly communicated to the employees and should be fair for every employee (Kim, 2005). The intelligent workers expect for the opportunity to communicate with superiors and clarify if they have any doubt about policies or way oneself might be treated due to the policies (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). Therefore, the technology is used in IT industry to keep shared and visible company policy documentation, employee onboarding procedures to get the newcomers familiar with company rules, regulations and policies are playing a vital role (Marfice, 2019).

Supervision

Supervision is an essential in certain levels of employees such as interns or associates whereas as senior experienced employees, might need less supervision and requires freedom and empowerment to execute the duties (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017). Tech industry being relying on innovations heavily requires the employees to feel the freedom to share their thoughts with superiors, and get help when necessary in solving a problem (Kim, 2005). To implement the necessary supervision of employee job functionality progress, the tooling such as project management and planning software supporting Agile software development methodologies are used by almost any IT firm in the current time as per Marfice (2019).

Relationship

Relationship between employees very important to achieve organizational goals as per Attar and Sweis (2010) and they further describe middle level conflicts between employees resolved in constructive ways impact organizational overall performance positively. There should be competition between employees to achieve organizational tasks which has a positive impact to reach organizational goals (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017). However, the culture of helping each other is equally important for building better teams and succeeding in teamwork which is essential for tech companies (Kim, 2005). Hence, it is very important to maintain healthy relationship between peers, superiors and subordinates as per Kim (2005). Therefore, tech companies focus on frequent team building events such as gatherings, adventure events, opportunities for employees to mingle with families of other employees using annual trips on the expense of the company, sporting events for employees can be taken as evidence to build the required trust and relationships between the workers (Marfice. 2019).

Work Conditions

Employee expect the quality of work environment with good facilities which make them feel comfortable (Dartey-Baah and Amoako, 2011). Good work place equipment, lighting, cafeteria, clean and pleasant working conditions are vital to make the tech employees to focus on the job functions with a feeling of being healthy and safe (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). Therefore, in the IT companies facilities such as comfortable seating, good computers and laptops, airconditioned comfortable environments with proper lighting, company provided food and beverages are becoming a norm as per Kim (2005).

Salary

Monetary benefits to the knowledge workers should be structure in a way acceptable to the knowledge, skills, experience and responsibilities lay upon the employee (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). Essentially the employees should feel the fair remuneration package is given considering the input the individual is giving to the company as per Kim (2005) and she further says, otherwise unsatisfied on monetary benefits can lead for job dissatisfaction and may cause employee retention issues. Hence, in tech companies the compensation packages are attractive in general and on top of direct salary package, additional monetary benefits such as family health covers, exam fees, internet connectivity payments for the employee’s personal data usage are provided to keep the workers motivated Kim (2005).

Status

Depending on the skillset and the experience of the employee’s relevant job functionalities should be assigned which suites the capabilities of an individual (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017). The intelligent workers expect the self-respect highly deserving to the knowledge one might have gained with experience as well as academic studies as per Kim (2005). Therefore, it is vital to create a work environment where the employees feel dignity in working for the tech company (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). Some, IT companies highlight the employee success and contributions in social media channels making the employee status high in the industry making the individual proud for working for the company.

Security

Employer should be clever enough to maintain good organizational profile and good relationship with clients (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014).  Otherwise loss of a client or business can make a huge impact to employee turnover, as unsafe and insecure job tend to make the good employees to leave (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, and Maude, 2017). Employee should feel the secure to stay with the organization even while the organization is going through difficult situations (Kim, 2005). Hence, the assurance given by leadership on stability of the company should be obvious to the employees with the required level of transparency (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014). The implementation of full coverage of workplace with CCTV, the car park security provided to employee’s vehicles to be protected while employee is at work, the company transport provided in night time due to any extra work are some facilities implemented in many IT firms to satisfy the security aspect.

The two-factor theory discussed in this blog shows evidence that the theory can be applicable to information technology industry employees to keep them motivated to deliver the duties with excellence, which would provide long term sustainability to the tech organizations (Oluigbo and Anyiam, 2014).

List of References

Alshmemri, M., Shahwan-Akl, L and Maude, P. (2017) Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. Life Science Journal, 14(5), pp.12-16.

Attar, G. A and Sweis, R. J. (2010) The Relationship Between Information Technology Adoption and Job Satisfaction in Contracting Companies in Jordan. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 15(1), pp.44-63.

Dartey-Baah, K and Amoako, G. K. (2011) Application of Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory in assessing and understanding employee motivation at work: a Ghanaian Perspective. European Journal of Business and Management, 3(9), pp.1-8.

Kim, S. (2005) Factors Affecting State Government Information Technology Employee Turnover Intentions. The American Review of Public Administration, 35(1), pp.137-156.

Marfice, C. (2019) Understanding This Scientific Theory Can Teach Companies to Hire and Retain The Best Engineers [online Available at: < https://www.7pace.com/blog/two-factor-theory-hiring-engineers>.].[Accessed on 23rd May 2020].

Oluigbo, I and Anyiam, K. (2014) The Role of Compensation on Employee Performance in An Information Technology Organization. International Journal of Research in Information Technology, 2(4), pp.548-558.