Frederick Herzberg: biography of this organizational psychologist.

A summary of the life of Frederick Herzberg, organizational psychologist.

The figure of Frederick Herzberg is widely known in social psychology and, in particular, in organizational psychology, since his innovative theory on motivation and hygiene has served to improve the conditions of employees in the workplace.

As with many famous psychologists, Herzberg was not only a researcher but also a teacher, training other psychologists who were aware of the importance of mental health and well-being in work motivation.

We will now take a look at the life of this American psychologist. we will see the life of this American psychologist through a biography of Frederick Herzberg.We will delve into his theory on motivation and hygiene and comment on some other findings that, in his time, became truly innovative.

Brief biography of Frederick Herzberg

Frederick Herzberg was an American psychologist, famous for being one of the first to study motivation in the workplace..

His main contribution to social and organizational psychology was the theory of factors, exposed in several of his publications and being, to this day, very much taken into account in the workplace. He was also one of the first to use semi-structured surveys to collect more extensive and precise data, instead of limiting himself to batteries of yes/no questions.

The life of this psychologist begins in Massachusetts, goes through New York and ends in Utah, having a productive and recognized professional trajectory. His work has contributed considerably in taking into account the psychological well-being of workers, aspects more important than their productivity, salary and number of hours worked.He was a very productive and recognized professional in his career.

Early years and professional training

Frederick Irving Herzberg was born on April 18, 1923 in Lynn, Massachusetts, the son of Gertrude Irving Herzberg.He was the son of Gertrude Irving and Lewis Herzberg, an immigrant couple from Lithuania. He spent his childhood and early teenage years in Massachusetts, although later his life would change and he would move to a place more suitable for his academic development.

At the age of 13, he left home for New York, seeking better opportunities.. There he stood out for his great intellectual abilities, allowing him at the age of 16 to win the New York Regents Examination Board scholarship and be able to study at the famous City College of New York. There he began his studies in History and Psychology.

After World War II, in which he had to participate, he was discharged with honors, rejoining civilian life and taking advantage of a veteran's scholarship. He was able to spend more time with his wife Shirley Bedell, whom he had married in 1944. At that time he returned to the City College of New York to complete his studies, graduating in 1946 with a master's degree in psychology.. Two years later he earned a doctorate in psychology and a master's degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh.

Professional beginnings

In the 1950s, after a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Psychological Aid Service, he became a psychologist, joined the Research and Projects Section of the U.S. Public Health Service.. In 1956, he joined Case Western Reserve University, serving as chair of the Department of Psychology.

While at that institution he would work as a professor, specializing in the area of business management. He would also have the opportunity and the will to create a mental health department in the company.. Thus, he could further investigate how motivation and satisfaction are important factors in the performance and well-being of workers.

Elaboration of motivation and hygiene theory

Herzberg's first major work of note was his book Motivation to Work (1967), in which he sets out his findings made in collaboration with Bernard Mausner and Barbara Bloch Snyderman when he was researching motivation in the workplace.

His first research consisted of evaluating 200 engineers and accountants in the city of Pittsburgh, collecting very sophisticated and precise data that would lead him to propose his theory of motivation that he would describe in his book.He collected very sophisticated and precise data that would lead him to propose his theory of motivation, which he described in his book, a theory that is still widely used today.

It is worth mentioning the research method used by Herzberg, which was innovative for its time.. It was based on the use of open-ended questions, with no preconceived ideas about what respondents might answer. Up to that time, it was normal to survey using batteries of closed, "yes" and "no" style questions, not allowing the respondent to elaborate on their opinions or how they felt.

After publishing his first book, in which he expounded the principles of the theory of motivation and hygiene, Frederick Herzberg expanded it in subsequent works.being noteworthy the following Work and the nature of man (1966)

One of the most important figures in the field of business administration, George Odiorne, invited Herzberg in 1972 to join the School of Business at the University of Utah.

This fame would materialize when, in 1994, the institution would create in his honor the Frederick I. Herzberg Chair for Visiting Professors and, a year later, it would honor him by designating him "Cummins Engine Professor of Management".

Final years

As a culmination of a successful academic life, Frederick Herzberg was recognized in 1995 with his book Work and the Nature of Man as one of the most influential authors in the theory and practice of business administration in the 20th century.The book was ranked among the top 10 most important texts in the field.

During his later years he continued to teach and expand his ideas about motivation in the world of work, the relationship between employee and employer and how these factors influence well-being at work.

Frederick Irving Herzberg died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 19, 2000 at the age of 76..

Frederick Herzberg's theory of motivation and hygiene.

Based on his findings, Frederick Herzberg developed a new theory, which he called the "two-factor theory", better known as the "motivation-hygiene theory".

According to him, there are two factors that intervene in the work environment, affecting one negatively and affecting the other positively, as long as they are present. He called the former dissatisfaction factors, which it is preferable that they do not occur, while the latter are satisfaction factors which, ideally, the company should seek out and strengthen.

Factors for dissatisfaction

This is the first type of factor raised by Herzberg within his theory. Dissatisfaction factors include those which, if present, cause worker dissatisfaction.. If they do not manifest themselves in the workplace, they do not increase well-being beyond a certain point. In other words, if they are present, the only thing that can be expected is that the situation will get worse, and if they are not present, nothing can be expected to happen.

Some examples of factors for dissatisfaction in the workplace would be elements such as overly restrictive company policies, too much supervision, relational problems among colleagues or with superiors, subhuman working conditions, low pay or lack of job security and stability.

In any company where these types of factors are detected, it will be necessary to work on them and, as far as possible, eliminate them. This is the first step, although not the only or definitive one, to improve the motivation of workers, since eliminating the bad things will make them start to feel better.

This is visible today in a simple way, since companies that are more flexible with their employees and offer social incentives have lower levels of dissatisfaction among their employees. offer social incentives have lower levels of dissatisfaction among their employees..

Factors for satisfaction

Once the dissatisfaction factors have been detected and eliminated, it is time to work on the satisfaction factors. These, as the name suggests, promote job satisfaction, promote job satisfaction if they are present in the workplace..

It should be understood that the absence of these factors does not lead to dissatisfaction in the workplace, but it is difficult to ensure that employees are fully motivated in the workplace. Their absence does not cause discomfort, but their presence will make them feel more at ease.

The factors for satisfaction are related to elements such as greater ease in achieving significant achievements within the company, recognition of the achievements made by the workers and valuation of the tasks that have been accomplished. Also considered as a factor of satisfaction are the facilities offered by the company so that its employees can advance and continue learning, making them feel that they are in constant growth and not given as people incapable of learning anything else.

It is currently considered that the factors for satisfaction play an even more important role than the factors for dissatisfaction.. It is for this reason that people seem to prefer more and more jobs in which their emotional and psychological well-being is taken into account rather than the number of hours or the salary.

What should companies do?

While Frederick Herzberg's greatest contribution to the field of business management is his theory of motivation and hygiene, it is also thanks to him that we know better what companies should do to have workers with greater emotional well-being. thanks to him that we know better what companies must do to have workers with greater emotional well-being and, consequently, perform better. He had the clear intention of improving the working conditions of employees, stressing that companies should offer more opportunities to increase their participation in management, planning, evaluation and improvement of their jobs.

Herzberg stressed that superiors should reduce their control over subordinates and encourage their autonomy. This makes subordinates more aware of their job performance, as well as developing greater responsibility and ensuring that their job remains afloat. This would increase motivation among subordinates and reduce the workload of managers.

Another quite innovative aspect of Frederick Herzberg's vision of how companies should operate was to compartmentalize the production and service how companies should function was to compartmentalize the production and service phases.. That is, instead of making each worker responsible for only one phase of the process, he should be involved in all of them so that he knows how the product is being developed or how the service is being provided. Otherwise, the worker is limited to doing his job, without knowing what has been done before or what is going to be done afterwards, which could reduce quality.

Communication is essential in the workplace.. Direct and constant feedback must be provided to workers, so that they know at all times what they can improve, without focusing only on what they have not achieved or what can be improved. They should be told what they are doing well and how much they are valued in the organization.

Bibliographical references:

• Pérez, J., Méndez, S., Jaca, M. (2010). Employee motivation: Herzberg's theory. Seville, Spain: University of Seville.
• Feder, B. (2000). F. I. Herzberg, 76, Professor And Management Consultant . New York, USA: The New York Times.