Testing Herzberg’s two factor theory on millennials

Abstract

This study tests Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation on working millennials. The purpose of the study is to evaluate what the assumptions and the findings of the original study hold for millennials. With the increasing trend of amalgamation of work life and personal life, job satisfaction and general job happiness have never been more on an individual’s personal life. This impact is far-reaching, with strong indications of affecting the employees’ physical, mental, and social health. In such a scenario, organizations need to keep their employees motivated and satisfied. For studying Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation on working millennials, we have selected respondents with work experience of at least one year. We have not restricted the study to any particular industry; hence our sample is across all industries. The type of sampling used was convenient sampling. From the analysis, we have found that for the concerned sample, hygiene factors tower above the motivating factors in terms of job satisfaction for millennials. From the data collection and analysis, we proved that both motivators and hygiene factors affect job satisfaction, unlike what has been said by Herzberg. This study will contribute to the exciting literature on motivation.