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Mcclelland (Needs For Affiliation, Power, and Achievement) Theory of Motivation

McClelland's Need Theory proposes that human motivation and behavior are influenced by three needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. People with a high need for achievement prefer tasks of moderate difficulty and feedback on their performance. Those with a high need for power desire to influence others and enjoy leadership roles. Those with a high need for affiliation value social relationships and group acceptance. McClelland suggests that effective managers have a high need for power and low need for affiliation. The theory provides insight into how an individual's motivational needs can impact their workplace behavior and performance.

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975 views5 pages

Mcclelland (Needs For Affiliation, Power, and Achievement) Theory of Motivation

McClelland's Need Theory proposes that human motivation and behavior are influenced by three needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. People with a high need for achievement prefer tasks of moderate difficulty and feedback on their performance. Those with a high need for power desire to influence others and enjoy leadership roles. Those with a high need for affiliation value social relationships and group acceptance. McClelland suggests that effective managers have a high need for power and low need for affiliation. The theory provides insight into how an individual's motivational needs can impact their workplace behavior and performance.

Uploaded by

GIRBERT ADLAWON
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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McClelland (Needs for Affiliation, Power, and


Achievement) Theory of Motivation
avid McClelland and his associates proposed McClelland’s theory of Needs / Achievement Motivation
Theory. This theory states that human behaviour is affected by three needs - Need for Power,
Achievement and Affiliation. 

Need for achievement is the urge to excel, to accomplish in relation to a set of standards, to struggle to
achieve success. 

Need for power is the desire to influence other individual’s behaviour as per your wish. In other words, it
is the desire to have control over others and to be influential. 

Need for affiliation is a need for open and sociable interpersonal relationships. In other words, it is a
desire for relationship based on co-operation and mutual understanding. 

The individuals with high achievement needs are highly motivated by competing and challenging work.
They look for promotional opportunities in job. They have a strong urge for feedback on their
achievement. Such individuals try to get satisfaction in performing things better. High achievement is
directly related to high performance. Individuals who are better and above average performers are highly
motivated. They assume responsibility for solving the problems at work. McClelland called such
individuals as gamblers as they set challenging targets for themselves and they take deliberate risk to
achieve those set targets. Such individuals look for innovative ways of performing job. They perceive
achievement of goals as a reward, and value it more than a financial reward.

The individuals who are motivated by power have a strong urge to be influential and controlling. They
want that their views and ideas should dominate and thus, they want to lead. Such individuals are
motivated by the need for reputation and self-esteem. Individuals with greater power and authority will
perform better than those possessing less power. Generally, managers with high need for power turn out
to be more efficient and successful managers. They are more determined and loyal to the organization
they work for. Need for power should not always be taken negatively. It can be viewed as the need to
have a positive effect on the organization and to support the organization in achieving it’s goals. 

The individuals who are motivated by affiliation have an urge for a friendly and supportive environment.
Such individuals are effective performers in a team. These people want to be liked by others. The
manager’s ability to make decisions is hampered if they have a high affiliation need as they prefer to be
accepted and liked by others, and this weakens their objectivity. Individuals having high affiliation needs
prefer working in an environment providing greater personal interaction. Such people have a need to be
on the good books of all. They generally cannot be good leaders.

Source:

http://www.whatishumanresource.com/mcclelland-needs-for-affiliation-power-and-achievement-theory-of-
motivation
2

Acquired Needs Theory:


McClelland
McClelland proposes that those in top management
positions should have a high need for power and a
low need for affiliation.

KEY POINTS

 McClelland's Need Theory, created by psychologist David McClelland, is


a motivational model that attempts to explain how the needs for achievement,
power, and affiliation affect the actions of people from a managerial context.
 People who are achievement-motivated typically prefer to master a task
or situation.
 This motivational need stems from a person's desire to influence, teach,
or encourage others.

TERMS

 achievement
The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful
performance; accomplishment; as, the achievement of his/her object.
 feedback
Critical assessment on information produced,
 zero-sum
Of any system where all gains are offset by exactly equal losses.
 need
something required

McClelland's Need Theory, created by psychologist David McClelland, is a


motivational model that attempts to explain how the needs for achievement,
power, and affiliation affect the actions of people from a managerial context. It
is often taught in classes concerning management or organizational  behavior .
People who are achievement-motivated typically prefer to master a task or
situation. They prefer working on tasks of moderate difficulty, in which the
results are based on their effort rather than on luck, and to receive feedback
3

on their work. Those who desire affiliation, however, prefer to spend time
creating and maintaining social relationships, enjoy being a part of groups and
have a desire to feel loved and accepted. People in this group may not
make effectivemanagers because they may worry too much about how others
will feel about them.

In his theory, people are not placed into categories but rather have degrees of
these needs:

 No one is only in 'one group' of these needs.


 The balance of needs brings out a profile.
 Needs do not explain competencies in any area. One can have high
needs in one area and still be effective in an area where these needs are not
necessarily fulfilled.
This motivational need stems from a person's desire to influence, teach, or
encourage others. People in this category enjoy work and place a high value on
discipline. The downside to this motivational type is that group goals can
becomezero-sum in nature. For one person to win, another must lose.
However, this can be positively applied to help accomplish group goals and to
help others in the group feel competent about their work.

McClelland proposes that those in top management positions should have a


high need for power and a low need for affiliation. He also believes that
although individuals with a need for achievement can make good managers,
they are not suited to being in top management positions.

 KEY TERM GLOSSARY


Organizational Behavior
 
The study of workplace dynamics as it pertains to individual and group attitudes and
actions.

Appears in these related concepts:


 Barriers to Diversity
 Perspectives on Motivation: an Overview
 Expectancy Theory
balance
 
4

Mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and


unperturbed.

Appears in these related concepts:


 What is a Financial Statement?
 Types of Financial Decisions: Investment and Financing
 Growing Importance of Work-Life Balance
behavior
 
The way a living creature acts.

Appears in these related concepts:


 What is Organizational Behavior?
 Values Influence on Behavior
 Definition of Ethics
effective
 
Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.

Appears in these related concepts:


 Nature of Effective Communication
 Quality of Written and/or Oral Expression
 Technical Skills of Successful Managers
goal
 
A desired result that one works to achieve. A result that one is attempting to achieve. a
result that one is attempting to achieve

Appears in these related concepts:


 Setting Objectives
 Setting Goals
 Goal-Setting Theory
groups
 
A number of things or persons who have some relationship to one another.A subset of a
culture or of a society.

Appears in these related concepts:


 Economic Importance of Small Businesses
 Employee Involvement
 Differences Between Groups and Teams
social
5

 
Of or relating to society.

Appears in these related concepts:


 Social Entrepreneurship
 Group Dynamics
 Social Innovation
values
 
A collection of guiding principles; what one deems to be correct and desirable in life,
especially regarding personal conduct.

Appears in these related concepts:


 Influenced by Overall Culture
 Defining Values
 Emerging Values

Source:

https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-management-textbook/organizational-
behavior-5/employee-needs-and-motivation-46/acquired-needs-theory-mcclelland-238-1041/?

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