Herzberg’s theory of motivation and job satisfaction: Does it work for hotel industry in developing countries?

Abstract This research empirically tests the validity of Herzberg’s theory of motivation and its relationship with job satisfaction in the hotel industry in developing countries. For this purpose, a pretested questionnaire survey was self-administered to employees in ten international five-star hotels in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Unlike the results of Herzberg’s theory, the findings of this research showed that hygiene factor positively affects job satisfaction whereas motivators negatively affect job satisfaction and they are a source of dissatisfaction. Hygiene factor, e.g., money and working conditions are a great source of job satisfaction. Nonetheless, satisfaction is not statistically dependent on motivators. The results also showed other factors that mediate the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction, i.e., job engagement. These results confirm that Herzberg’s theory may not be applicable to all organizations and to all workers in all countries. The research has several implications for scholars and industry practitioners, especially in relation to developing countries context.