One more time: how do you motivate employees?

Presented is a Best of Harvard Business Review article, first published in 1968. The psychology of motivation is very complex, and what has been unraveled with any degree of assurance is small indeed. But the dismal ratio of knowledge to speculation has not dampened managers' enthusiasm for sna...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Harvard business review 2003-01, Vol.81 (1), p.87-96
Main Author: Herzberg, Frederick
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Commerce - history
Commerce - organization & administration
Employment - history
Employment - psychology
Executives
Health administration
Herzberg
History, 20th Century
Humans
Incentives
Job enrichment
Job Satisfaction
Motivation
Personnel Management - methods
Salaries and Fringe Benefits - history
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Presented is a Best of Harvard Business Review article, first published in 1968. The psychology of motivation is very complex, and what has been unraveled with any degree of assurance is small indeed. But the dismal ratio of knowledge to speculation has not dampened managers' enthusiasm for snake oil, new forms of which are constantly coming on the market, many of them with academic credentials. The surest way of getting someone to do something is to deliver a kick in the pants (KITA). Because of the inelegance of a physical KITA and the danger that a manager might get kicked in return, companies usually resort to positive KITAs, ranging from fringe benefits to employee counseling. But while a KITA might produce some change in behavior, it does not motivate. Achievement, recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement motivate people.
ISSN:0017-8012