Hygiene and Motivation in the Workplace: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Herzberg’s Two-Factor Applications

Abstract

The motivation of employees, and hygiene factors are very important aspects of organizations much more so in service types of organizations and those that deal with the care of animals. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory has also been adopted by many but there is not much in the way of a comprehensive synthesis of its utility across various types of work settings. This research applies the PRISMA process for conducting a review of global literature regarding hygiene and motivator factors in the realm of job satisfaction, attendance, and compliance with hygiene. Following PRISMA 2020, a systematic review was performed. The search in databases was conducted using the specific concepts of Herzberg’s theory, motivation and hygiene practices seeking for peer-reviewed research from 2010 to 2024. A total of 93 studies were initially identified, and after screening for relevance, 50 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected. A synthesis of 50 reviewed studies showed moderate positive relationships, with average correlations of r = 0.42 for motivator factors and r = 0.36 for hygiene factors. These values reflect observed patterns across the literature, confirming that motivators more strongly influence satisfaction, while hygiene factors maintain stability. Thematic synthesis was employed to evaluate the impact of hygiene, motivator, and mixed factors on job satisfaction and performance of the studies reviewed. Evidence suggests that hygiene factors, like company policy and administration, supervision, and salary, are the key factors in preventing dissatisfaction, motivation factors, such as achievement, recognition, and responsibility, account for developing satisfaction and retaining employees. This PRISMA-guided review affirms the relevancy of Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory in service but emphasizes the nature of the service context. The combination of hygiene factors and motivators gives us a much steadier model for workforce motivation and retention, within the context of modern workplaces. Longitudinal and comparative studies are needed in the future to further test t hese interactions on different cultural and sectorial environments.