AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE HERZBERG TWO-FACTOR THEORY

RESULTS OF AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE HERZBERG 2-FACTOR THEORY OF JOB SATISFACTION ARE REPORTED. A NUMBER OF HYPOTHESES FOR WHICH THE HERZBERG THEORY AND TRADITIONAL UNIDIMENSIONAL THEORY MAKE DIFFERENT PREDICTIONS WERE TESTED USING A SAMPLE OF 793 MALE EMPLOYEES FROM VARIOUS JOBS. THE INTRINSIC VARIABLES ("SATISFIERS") WAS PAY. NEITHER THE HERZBERG THEORY NOR THE TRADITIONAL THEORY WAS SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. INSTEAD, RESULTS INDICATE THAT INTRINSIC FACTORS ARE MORE STRONGLY RELATED TO BOTH OVERALL SATISFACTION AND OVERALL DISSATISFACTION THAN THE EXTRINSIC FACTOR, PAY, AND SUGGEST THAT FUNCTIONING OF THE EXTRINSIC VARIABLE MAY DEPEND ON THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THE INTRINSIC VARIABLES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE CONCEPTS OF "SATISFIERS" AND "DISSATISFIERS" DO NOT ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE MANNER IN WHICH JOB-SATISFACTION VARIABLES OPERATE. (30 REF.)