What is Motivation Theories (Maslow, Herzberg, McGregor)?
The exam's big three: Maslow's hierarchy — needs stack from physiological through safety, social, and esteem to self-actualization; unmet lower needs dominate. Herzberg's two factors — hygiene factors (pay, conditions) only prevent dissatisfaction; real motivation comes from achievement, recognition, growth. McGregor's Theory X/Y — X managers assume people avoid work and need control; Y managers assume people seek responsibility. PMI is firmly Team Y.
Herzberg's asymmetry is the most-tested idea: a raise can stop someone hating the job; it cannot make them love it.
Worked example
A team gets market-rate raises (hygiene: fixed) yet stays flat. The PM starts routing interesting architecture work to the senior developer who'd been doing maintenance for a year — within a month he's mentoring two juniors, unprompted. Motivators moved what money couldn't, exactly as Herzberg predicted in 1959.