PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager is leading a virtual team distributed across three time zones. The team has been performing well, but recently two team members have missed deadlines and seem disengaged. The project manager suspects the cause is related to team member motivation. According to the PMBOK Guide, which theory suggests that people are motivated by achievement, recognition, and growth opportunities?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMI often tests the distinction between Herzberg's motivators and hygiene factors, and candidates confuse 'recognition' as a hygiene factor or mistakenly apply Maslow's esteem level, which is a broader category that includes both internal and external esteem needs.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Herzberg's two-factor theory (also known as the motivation-hygiene theory) distinguishes between hygiene factors (e.g., salary, work conditions) and motivators (e.g., achievement, recognition, growth opportunities). The question specifically points to motivation factors, which aligns directly with Herzberg's motivators. In a virtual team context, the project manager can address disengagement by providing challenging assignments, public recognition, and professional development paths.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Expectancy theory
Why it's wrong here
Expectancy theory, proposed by Victor Vroom, posits that individuals are motivated to act when they believe their effort will lead to performance, that performance will lead to a desired outcome (instrumentality), and that the outcome is valuable to them (valence). While it explains the cognitive process of motivation based on perceived links between effort, performance, and rewards, it does not specifically categorize achievement and recognition as intrinsic motivators that directly cause job satisfaction, but rather as potential outcomes an individual might value. Therefore, it's a process theory, not a content theory identifying specific motivators.
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Herzberg's two-factor theory
Why this is correct
Herzberg's two-factor theory, also known as the motivator-hygiene theory, distinctly identifies "motivators" as factors that lead to job satisfaction and increased motivation. These motivators include achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth. Unlike hygiene factors which only prevent dissatisfaction, motivators actively contribute to an individual's positive feelings about their job and are crucial for fostering high performance and engagement, making this theory directly applicable to understanding the impact of achievement and recognition.
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Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Why it's wrong here
Maslow's hierarchy of needs proposes that human motivation is based on a progression through five levels of needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. While achievement and recognition fall under "esteem" needs, Maslow's theory suggests these higher-level needs only become motivators once lower-level needs are substantially satisfied. It provides a general framework for human needs but does not differentiate between factors that cause satisfaction versus merely preventing dissatisfaction in the workplace context, as Herzberg's theory does.
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McGregor's Theory X
Why it's wrong here
McGregor's Theory X represents a management assumption that employees are inherently lazy, dislike work, avoid responsibility, and need to be coerced, controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to achieve organizational objectives. This theory advocates for an authoritarian management style focused on external control and supervision. It fundamentally contrasts with the idea of motivating individuals through intrinsic factors like achievement and recognition, as it assumes a lack of inherent motivation and a need for close oversight.
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