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  • 1.  Back to the Future

    Posted 02-04-2013 18:07

    Colleagues:

    In a 1966 JAP article Graen exposed the statistical difference between the two different kinds of factors in Fred Herzberg's two-factor theory of human motivation.  It was not that "Hygiene" rewards were only "dissatisfiers" and "motivator" rewards were only "satisfiers".  It was that both correlated with overall job satisfaction and one intrinsic set showed much stronger correlations.

    Today, I find that the same misunderstanding applies to Bernie Bass' two-factor theory of leadership.  It is not that "transactional" rewards were not "motivators" and "transformational" rewards were "motivators".  It was that both correlated with leadership outcomes of members and one set (intrinsic) showed much stronger correlations.

    G. Bear Graen