Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Job Satisfaction in the Malaysian Retail Sector: the Mediating Effect of Love of Money

Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1, 73–94, January 2011

HERZBERG 'S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY AND JOB
SATISFACTION IN THE MALAYSIAN RETAIL SECTOR:
THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF LOVE OF MONEY
Tan Teck-Hong* and Amna Waheed
Sunway University, School of Business
5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway 46150 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia
*

Corresponding author: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT
This paper examines what motivates employees in the retail industry , and examines their level of job satisfaction, using Herzberg 's hygiene factors and motivators. In this study, convenience sampling was used to select sales personnel from women 's clothing stores in
Bandar Sunway shopping mall in the state of Selangor. The results show that hygiene factors were the dominant motivators of sales personnel job satisfaction. Working conditions were the most significant in motivating sales personnel. Recognition was second, followed by company policy and salary. There is a need to delve more deeply into why salespeople place such a high importance on money. Further analysis was performed to assess how much the love of money mediates the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. Based on the general test for mediation, the love of money could explain the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. The main implication of this study is that sales personnel who value money highly are satisfied with their salary and job when they receive a raise.
Keywords: Herzberg 's motivation-hygiene; job satisfaction; love of money, mediator, pay satisfaction, retailing, Malaysia

INTRODUCTION
This paper explores the effect of motivational variables on the job satisfaction of salespeople in the Malaysian retail sector. Retail is crucial to the economies of most countries, mainly because of its large scale at all levels; local, national and even international. The retailing sector in Malaysia has undergone continuous and significant change

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