David McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory
Motivation—the process by which activities are initiated, directed, and sustained to meet physical or psychological needs or wants (Petri, 1996, as cited in Ciccarelli & White, 2009)—plays a fundamental role in our lives. It helps fulfill our desires, pushes us forwards to work harder, and go above and beyond to new heights, being the best possible version of ourselves. Motivation is, for the most part, associated with needs and has been instrumental in our understanding of human behavior; therefore, American psychologist David C. McClelland in 1961 contended that three psychological needs—achievement, affiliation, and power—form the basis of human motivation.
An important aspect of the acquired needs theory is that everyone has the need for achievement, …show more content…
Further, the need for affiliation has been widely criticized to be valid only in individualistic cultures, and therefore cannot be applied in collectivistic cultures as people value solitude differently (Krawford, 2010). In addition, while behavior can be changed and molded, it is important to point out that genetic influences can have a significant impact on individual differences including motivation (Krueger, South, Johnson, Williams, & Iacono, 2008).
McClelland’s acquired needs theory has in numerous ways enhanced our understanding of motivation and more significantly the impact on management style in the workplace and how it affects the way we behave. It has also provided a framework on identification of talent that is critical for success in an organization. Although the theory focuses mainly on motivation in the corporate environment, the findings can be applied in our everyday lives and offer some insight into the way we think, act, and interact with
Motivation—the process by which activities are initiated, directed, and sustained to meet physical or psychological needs or wants (Petri, 1996, as cited in Ciccarelli & White, 2009)—plays a fundamental role in our lives. It helps fulfill our desires, pushes us forwards to work harder, and go above and beyond to new heights, being the best possible version of ourselves. Motivation is, for the most part, associated with needs and has been instrumental in our understanding of human behavior; therefore, American psychologist David C. McClelland in 1961 contended that three psychological needs—achievement, affiliation, and power—form the basis of human motivation.
An important aspect of the acquired needs theory is that everyone has the need for achievement, …show more content…
Further, the need for affiliation has been widely criticized to be valid only in individualistic cultures, and therefore cannot be applied in collectivistic cultures as people value solitude differently (Krawford, 2010). In addition, while behavior can be changed and molded, it is important to point out that genetic influences can have a significant impact on individual differences including motivation (Krueger, South, Johnson, Williams, & Iacono, 2008).
McClelland’s acquired needs theory has in numerous ways enhanced our understanding of motivation and more significantly the impact on management style in the workplace and how it affects the way we behave. It has also provided a framework on identification of talent that is critical for success in an organization. Although the theory focuses mainly on motivation in the corporate environment, the findings can be applied in our everyday lives and offer some insight into the way we think, act, and interact with