In workplace, one set factors, called hygiene or maintenance factors, are not motivational in nature, but their absence can cause dissatisfaction at work. These could include clean toilets and comfortable chairs, minimum salary levels, company policies and supervisory practices. These are extrinsic to work whose absence can cause dissatisfaction.
Other set of factors, called motivators, includes meaningful work, responsibility and sense of importance to organisation. These are intrinsic to work , leading to personal growth.
Eliminating dissatisfaction at workplace means the presence good hygiene or maintenance factors. But they won't lead to satisfaction at work. Increasing satisfaction means providing people with the motivational set of factors in their work. But their absence wont lead to dissatisfaction at work.
The theory was developed by Herzberg in 1964 from interviews with engineers and accountants 1. The collected data contained description of sequence of events at work, that caused a marked change in their feeling.