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Idleness, indifference and irresponsibility are healthy responses to absurd work... If you want people motivated to do a good job, give them a good job to do.

— Frederick Herzberg Frederick Herzberg in: Alfie Kohn (1999)

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More quotes by Frederick Herzberg

Man has two sets of needs: his need as an animal to avoid pain and his need as a human to grow psychologically.

If you want people to do a good job, give them a good job to do — an enriched job.

Frederick Herzberg in: Randall B. Dunham (1984)

True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition.

Dissatisfiers led to dissatisfaction because of the need to avoid pain for situations that caused discomfort; satisfiers led to job satisfaction because of a need for growth or self-actualization.

Among the factors of hygiene we have included supervision, interpersonal relations, physical working conditions, salary, company policies and administrative practices, benefits, and job security.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Frederick Herzberg (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.