Assessing Job Satisfaction Using Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory: A Qualitative Study Between US and Japanese Insurance Employees

Abstract

The topic of job satisfaction is important for businesses to decrease employee turnover and increase overall productivity. With international business being conducted around the world more than ever, job satisfaction becomes increasingly difficult to measure when dealing with different cultures and environments. One of the most important theories of job satisfaction and motivation is Herzberg's Two-Factor theory. Due to a dominance of quantitative research being utilized in testing the theory, research continues to provide conflicting results on its validity. This research utilizes a cross-cultural, qualitative methodology on US and Japanese insurance employees in an attempt to provide clarification to and practical application of the theory. The results generally support the Two-Factor theory, but indicate that the factors of job satisfaction may be more complex, especially when researching crosscountry factors. It is suggested that further similar qualitative research should be conducted as a means of explaining the discrepancies of quantitative research and providing additional insight on the topic.