The answer is Herzberg's two-factor theory, which is the correct choice because it directly distinguishes between hygiene factors like salary and work conditions, and motivators such as achievement, recognition, and growth opportunities. The scenario describes team members missing deadlines and showing disengagement, which points to a lack of these motivators rather than dissatisfaction with basic hygiene factors. On the PMP exam, this question tests your ability to apply motivation theories to real-world virtual team challenges, a common topic in the People domain. A frequent trap is confusing Herzberg’s motivators with Maslow’s hierarchy, but remember that Herzberg specifically pairs achievement and recognition with growth, not basic needs. For a memory tip, think “Hygiene keeps you from leaving, but Motivators make you thrive”—and in a virtual team, focus on the latter to re-engage disconnected members.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Expectancy theory
Why it's wrong here
Expectancy theory focuses on the belief that effort leads to performance and rewards.
✓
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Why this is correct
Herzberg's motivators include achievement, recognition, and growth.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Why it's wrong here
Maslow's hierarchy includes physiological, safety, etc., not specifically achievement and recognition.
✗
McGregor's Theory X
Why it's wrong here
Theory X assumes workers are lazy and need close supervision.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Herzberg's research involved interviewing engineers and accountants about times they felt exceptionally good or bad about their jobs. Motivators (achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement) lead to long-term satisfaction, while hygiene factors (company policy, supervision, salary) only prevent dissatisfaction. In a distributed team, a project manager can leverage motivators by assigning ownership of deliverables, celebrating milestones publicly in virtual stand-ups, and offering cross-training opportunities to combat disengagement.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.
Question Discussion
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