0ne of the major challenges faces by modern manager is to mtivate the employees in the organoization. In the context of this statement, discuss McClelland's theory of motivation and its application.
McClelland's Theory of Motivation
In the early 1950s, David C. McClelland and his associates began to study three needs that motivate -human behaviour i.e. power, affiliation and achievement. McClelland believes that each person has a need for all three but there is difference in the degree to which the various needs motivate their behaviour.
Applications of McClelland's theory
1.Need for Achievement [n Ach]: Need for achievement explains the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standard, and to strive to succeed. In other words, need for achievement is behaviour directed toward competition with a standard of excellence. McClelland found that people with a high need for achievement perform better than those with a moderate or low need for achievement, and noted regional/ national differences in achievement motivation. Through his research, McClelland identified the following three characteristics of high need achievers:
- High-need achievers have a strong desire to assume personal responsibility for performing a task or finding a solution to a problem.
- High-need achievers tend to set moderately difficult goals and task calculated risks.
- High-need achievers have a strong desire for performance feedback.
2. Need for Power [n Pow]: The need for power is concerned with making an impact on other, the desire to influence other, and the desire to make a difference in life. People with a high need for power are people who like to be in control of people and events. This results in ultimate satisfaction in man.
People who have a high need for power are characterized by:
- A desire to influence arid direct somebody else.
- A desire to exercise control over others.
- A concern for maintaining leader-follower relation.
3. Need for Affiliation [n Aff]: The need for affiliation is defined as a desire to establish and maintain friendly and warm relations with other people The need for affiliation, in many ways, is similar to Maslow's social needs. The people with high need for affiliation have these characteristics:
- They have a strong desire for acceptance and approval from others.
- They tend to conform to the wishes of those people whose friendship and companionship they value.
- They give value and feeling to others.
