McClelland's Theory of Needs
In his acquired-needs theory, which draws on Murray's model,
David McClelland proposed that an individual's specific
needs are acquired over time and are shaped by one's early
life experiences. Most of these needs can be classed as
either achievement, affiliation, or power. A person's
motivation and effectiveness in certain job functions are
influenced by these three needs. McClelland's theory
sometimes is referred to as the three need theory or as the
learned needs theory. Later work indicated that motives are
actually quite stable over long periods of time.
Achievement
People with a high need for achievement seek to excel and
thus tend to avoid both low-risk and high-risk situations.
Predominantly Achievement-motivated individuals avoid
low-risk situations because the easily attained success is
not a genuine achievement. In high-risk projects, the
Achievement-motivated see the outcome as one of chance
rather than one's own effort. High individuals prefer work
that has a moderate probability of success, ideally a 50%
chance. Achievement-motivated individuals need regular
feedback in order to monitor the progress of their
achievements. They prefer either to work alone or with
others like themselves.
Affiliation
Those with a high need for affiliation need harmonious
relationships with other people and need to feel accepted by
other people. They tend to conform to the norms of their
work group. High individuals prefer work that provides
significant personal interaction. They enjoy being part of
groups and when not anxious make excellent team members,
though sometimes are distractible into social interaction.
They can perform well in customer service and client
interaction situations.
Power
A person's need for power can be one of two types - personal
and institutional. Those who need personal power want to
direct others, and this need often is perceived as
undesirable. Persons who need institutional power (also
known as social power) want to organize the efforts of
others to further the goals of the organization. Managers
with a high need for institutional power tend to be more
effective than those with a high need for personal power.
Work by Abigail Stewart indicated that this motive can
interact with emotional maturity; at
Stage
I, one feels powerful by being associated with the powerful,
whereas at Stage IV one sees oneself as a channel to empower
others.
