Frederick Irving Herzberg, a friend of Maslow's, followed his model and applied it to the world of work. In a survey, participating employees described situations in which they found themselves satisfied and others they considered unsatisfactory.

This is how, in 1971, he proposed his theory, which distinguishes between factors of dissatisfaction (psychological hygiene factors) and factors of satisfaction/motivation.

These include :

1. Hygiene factors (noise, heat, salary, status, human relations, etc.) relate to working conditions. Work suffers if these conditions fall below a minimum threshold (basic level). However, if working conditions are above expectations (base level), productivity is not affected. These conditions must be met to avoid dissatisfaction.

2. Rewarding factors - motivation (career development, responsibilities, autonomy...): these correspond to some extent to the higher needs of Maslow's pyramid. They are directly linked to work and influence individual fulfillment.

The same criticism as for Maslow can be made if we consider that motivating factors can only be activated if satisfaction has reached its basic level (hierarchy of needs).

This criticism is confirmed by the social commitment of certain workers, such as nurses and stretcher-bearers, firefighters, and NGO activists.

So, let's leave aside the hierarchical aspect of this model and focus on its essence: satisfaction versus motivation.