Application of Herzberg's motivational theory on a surgical unit
Creators: name: Ferrin, Tanna S.
Publisher: name: University of Utah
Year: 2012
Subjects: Manpower
Motivation (Psychology)

description: This study explored the relationship between the application of a method to increase levels of motivation and the resultant change in measured levels of job satisfaction and turnover rate.  It demonstrated that it is possible to increase job satisfaction and decrease the turnover rate in hospital nursing. The study group involved was the nursing staff on a 42 bed general surgery unit in a 330 bed general, nonprofit hospita1.  The method chosen to increase the level of motivation was an application of Herzberg's Theory of Motivation.  Herzberg's Theory of Motivation states that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are two separate, unique attitudes.  They are not on the same continuum; instead, they are separate unipolar concepts.  A person can experience high or low job satisfaction and high or low job dissatisfaction at the same time. Herzberg has determined that different factors determine job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction is determined by achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and possibility of growth.  These factors he termed motivator factors.  Job dissatisfaction is determined by company policy and administration, supervision, salary, interpersonal relations, working conditions, status, job security, and the effect on personal life. These factors are called hygiene factors.  Motivator factors were provided to the staff on the study unit through the initiation of activities thought to provide those factors.  The activities included committees, aide skill classes, inservices, team conferences, team rounds, a pre-op teaching program, a unit problem solving method, an interpersonal problem solving approach, individual projects, and comprehensive patient care.  The level of job satisfaction and the turnover rate were determined before and after the motivator activities were initiated.  The level of job satisfaction was determined by obtaining written responses to a questionnaire designed by Herzberg to determine if a staff identified any changes in their work, how they felt about the changes, and if they saw an increase or a decrease in the six motivator factors. Another tool was given which asked the staff to rank various hygiene and motivator factors in order of importance for an ideal job. The turnover rate was determined by dividing the total number of terminations and transfers from the unit by the total number of employees.  The effect of the motivator activities upon the staff was determined by comparing the data obtained in the pre and posttests on the experimental unit as well as comparing the pre and posttest data obtained from control units. The motivator activities were introduced only on the experimental unit. No changes in hygiene practices were planned on any of the units as part of this study. Therefore, differences noted in the pre and posttest data on the experimental unit and between the experimental unit and the control units could be attributed to the implementation of the motivator activities.  Based upon the findings, the research hypothesis that the measured level of job satisfaction in a group of nurses would increase if motivators were provided was only weakly supported. Supporting the hypothesis was the fact that the experimental unit's staff reported their amount of satisfaction had increased to a significant level. However because the control units also reported an increase in their amount of satisfaction and because the experimental unit's staff saw an increase in only two of the six motivator factors, the hypothesis could not be strongly accepted.  The second hypothesis tested by this study was that the turnover rate in a group of nurses would decrease if motivators were provided. The turnover rate was lower during the nine month experimental period than it was during the same nine month periods of the two preceding years.  While this decrease appeared large, from 61% in 1975 and 56% in 1976 to 43% during the study, the decrease was not statistically significant. Therefore, the research hypothesis that the turnover rate would decrease if motivators were provided was not statistically supported.  The failure to support the research hypothesis could have been due to the fact that all of the planned motivator activities were not successfully completed.  Also the results obtained from the questionnaire indicated that the staff did not recognize the planned activities as motivators and that the motivator activities planned did not change the work environment in such a manner that it was completely meeting the staff's needs.  Further study attempting to increase the level of job satisfaction must be continued. However, different motivator activities supporting Herzberg's Theory of Motivation need to be tried.