McClelland Motivation: Affiliation, Power & Achievement

McClelland: Affiliation, Power, and Achievement

The theory of the motives of Affiliation, Power, and Achievement by David McClelland

According to McClelland, most people exhibit three broad work-related needs: affiliation, power, and achievement. These motives shape preferences for tasks, social interactions, and the types of situations in which people perform best.

Affiliation Motive

Affiliation: A tendency to seek acceptance and approval from others; a preference for cooperative situations rather than competitive ones.

Associated behaviors

• Keep in touch with others and value personal connections
• Prefer work that requires relationships and collaboration
• Choose to work with friends or trusted colleagues, including experts
• Empathize with others and offer support and affection

Power Motive

Power: A tendency to influence, direct, or control others; a preference for competitive situations that confer prestige and influence rather than focusing only on outcomes.

Associated behaviors

• Give advice without being asked
• Seek to make others follow patterns, directions, or standards
• Express strong emotions or assertive behavior
• Influence others to achieve specific results
• Control or manage access to information

Achievement Motive

Achievement: A tendency to pursue challenging goals and steadily improve performance; a preference for situations with personal responsibility and manageable, calculated risk.

Associated behaviors

• Set challenging, measurable goals
• Take calculated risks to achieve better results
• Accept personal responsibility for outcomes
• Prefer to surround themselves with experts rather than only friends
• Search for and provide information to improve performance

Herzberg Two-Factor Theory and Job Enrichment

Herzberg's perspective: Herzberg examines work motivation from factors external to the worker's personality rather than the worker's personal needs (as in Maslow's model). He identifies two groups of job factors: hygiene factors and motivational factors.

Hygiene factors do not create true motivation, but their absence causes dissatisfaction. Motivational factors are the direct sources of job satisfaction and drive people to work harder and better.

Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction)

• Physical working environment
• Salary and benefits
• Job security
• Good relationships with colleagues and supervisors
• Other basic working conditions that form the foundation of labor relations

These circumstances create the basic context in which work is performed. Good hygiene conditions do not necessarily motivate higher performance, but deficiencies in them automatically create dissatisfaction.

Motivational factors (drive satisfaction)

• Opportunities for promotion within the company
• Ability to apply knowledge and pursue professional development
• Being responsible for a job or task
• Setting and achieving meaningful targets

Motivational factors relate to the content of the job and the sense of accomplishment. They drive employees to work harder and produce better results.