Biography

Herzberg was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the son of Lithuanian immigrants. His academic studies were interrupted by World War II, when he served as a non-commissioned officer in the US Army.  He won the Bronze Star and was in the advance party that entered Dachau concentration camp.

The war over, he returned to his economic studies and advanced from a BS to MS and then a PhD in psychology at Pittsburgh University. His first appointment as professor came in 1957 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland before he transferred to the University of Utah in 1972, remaining there until his retirement in 1995.

His chief contribution to management thought was his theory of "self-actualisation", as practised by factories which gave workers lasting satisfaction and promoted motivation. His work in this area has similarities to Maslow's, as recognised by Drucker.

When Herzberg was told on the publication of his theory that Drucker had said it all before, he replied that he was unaware of Drucker's ideas, and that he had based his work on empirical research.

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