david mcclelland

david c mcclelland's motivational needs theory

American David Clarence McClelland (1917-98) achieved his doctorate in psychology at Yale in
1941 and became proIessor at Wesleyan University. He then taught and lectured, including a
spell at Harvard Irom 1956, where with colleagues Ior twenty years he studied particularly
motivation and the achievement need. He began his McBer consultancy in 1963, helping
industry assess and train staII, and later taught at Boston University, Irom 1987 until his death.
McClelland is chieIly known Ior his work on achievement motivation, but his research interests
extended to personality and consciousness. David McClelland pioneered workplace motivational
thinking, developing achievement-based motivational theory and models, and promoted
improvements in employee assessment methods, advocating competency-based assessments and
tests, arguing them to be better than traditional IQ and personality-based tests. His ideas have
since been widely adopted in many organisations, and relate closely to the theory oIFrederick
Herzberg.
David McClelland is most noted Ior describing three types oI motivational need, which he
identiIied in his 1961 book, The Achieving Society:
O achievement motivation (n-ach)
O authority/power motivation (n-pow)
O affiliation motivation (n-affil)

david mcclelland's needs-based motivational model
These needs are Iound to varying degrees in all workers and managers, and this mix oI
motivational needs characterises a person's or manager's style and behaviour, both in terms oI
being motivated, and in the management and motivation others.
the need for achievement (n-ach)
The n-ach person is 'achievement motivated' and thereIore seeks achievement, attainment oI
realistic but challenging goals, and advancement in the job. There is a strong need Ior Ieedback
as to achievement and progress, and a need Ior a sense oI accomplishment.
the need for authority and power (n-pow)
The n-pow person is 'authority motivated'. This driver produces a need to be inIluential, eIIective
and to make an impact. There is a strong need to lead and Ior their ideas to prevail. There is also
motivation and need towards increasing personal status and prestige.
the need for affiliation (n-affil)
The n-aIIil person is 'aIIiliation motivated', and has a need Ior Iriendly relationships and is
motivated towards interaction with other people. The aIIiliation driver produces motivation and
need to be liked and held in popular regard. These people are team players.


McClelland said that most people possess and exhibit a combination oI these characteristics.
Some people exhibit a strong bias to a particular motivational need, and this motivational or
needs 'mix' consequently aIIects their behaviour and working/managing style. Mcclelland
suggested that a strong n-aIIil 'aIIiliation-motivation' undermines a manager's objectivity,
because oI their need to be liked, and that this aIIects a manager's decision-making capability. A
strong n-pow 'authority-motivation' will produce a determined work ethic and commitment to the
organisation, and while n-pow people are attracted to the leadership role, they may not possess
the required Ilexibility and people-centred skills. McClelland argues that n-ach people with
strong 'achievement motivation' make the best leaders, although there can be a tendency to
demand too much oI their staII in the belieI that they are all similarly and highly achievement-
Iocused and results driven, which oI course most people are not.
McClelland's particular Iascination was Ior achievement motivation, and this laboratory
experiment illustrates one aspect oI his theory about the aIIect oI achievement on people's
motivation. McClelland asserted via this experiment that while most people do not possess a
strong achievement-based motivation, those who do, display a consistent behaviour in setting
goals:
Volunteers were asked to throw rings over pegs rather like the Iairground game; no distance was
stipulated, and most people seemed to throw Irom arbitrary, random distances, sometimes close,
sometimes Iarther away. However a small group oI volunteers, whom McClelland suggested
were strongly achievement-motivated, took some care to measure and test distances to produce
an ideal challenge - not too easy, and not impossible. Interestingly a parallel exists in biology,
known as the 'overload principle', which is commonly applied to Iitness and exercising, ie., in
order to develop Iitness and/or strength the exercise must be suIIiciently demanding to increase
existing levels, but not so demanding as to cause damage or strain. McClelland identiIied the
same need Ior a 'balanced challenge' in the approach oI achievement-motivated people.
McClelland contrasted achievement-motivated people with gamblers, and dispelled a common
pre-conception that n-ach 'achievement-motivated' people are big risk takers. On the contrary -
typically, achievement-motivated individuals set goals which they can inIluence with their eIIort
and ability, and as such the goal is considered to be achievable. This determined results-driven
approach is almost invariably present in the character make-up oI all successIul business people
and entrepreneurs.
McClelland suggested other characteristics and attitudes oI achievement-motivated people:
O achievement is more important than material or Iinancial reward.
O achieving the aim or task gives greater personal satisIaction than receiving praise or
recognition.
O Iinancial reward is regarded as a measurement oI success, not an end in itselI.
O security is not prime motivator, nor is status.
O Ieedback is essential, because it enables measurement oI success, not Ior reasons oI praise or
recognition (the implication here is that Ieedback must be reliable, quantiIiable and Iactual).
O achievement-motivated people constantly seek improvements and ways oI doing things
better.
O achievement-motivated people will logically Iavour jobs and responsibilities that naturally
satisIy their needs, ie oIIer Ilexibility and opportunity to set and achieve goals, eg., sales and
business management, and entrepreneurial roles.
McClelland Iirmly believed that achievement-motivated people are generally the ones who make
things happen and get results, and that this extends to getting results through the organisation oI
other people and resources, although as stated earlier, they oIten demand too much oI their staII
because they prioritise achieving the goal above the many varied interests and needs oI their
people.
Interesting comparisons and relationships can be drawn between McClelland's motivation types,
and the characteristics deIined in other behavioural models, eg:
John Adair's Action-Centred Leadership model: Achievement-motivated managers are Iirmly
Iocused on the Task, oIten to the detriment oI the Individual and the Team. AIIiliation-
motivation people are Team and Individual centred. (Note that John Adair's Action-Centred
leadership model is John Adair.)
Katherine Benziger'sThinking Styles model: Achievement-motivation is a double-Irontal brain
mode style; aIIiliation-motivation is right basal (rear); authority-motivation is arguably leIt basal
(rear).
DISC (Inscape, Thomas International, etc) system: Achievement-motivated people are 'D'
proIiles - results-driven, decisive, dominant, etc. AIIiliation-motivated people are I (proactive)
and S (reactive) proIiles. Authority-motivated people are S and C proIiles.
Hersey/Blanchard's Situational Leadership model: Achievement-motivated people tend to
Iavour the styles oI the Iirst and second modes ('telling' and 'selling'); aIIiliation-motivated
people tend to Iavour the third mode ('participating'); and the authority-motivated people tend to
Iavour the style oI mode Iour ('delegating'). Please note that Situational Leadership is protected
intellectual property: Situational Leadership is a trademark oI the Centre Ior Leadership
Studies. Situational Leadership II is a trademark oI The Ken Blanchard Companies. Use oI
material relating to Situational Leadership and/or Situational Leadership II requires licence
and agreement Irom the respective companies.
McGregor XY Theory: Achievement-motivated people tend towards X-Theory style, due to their
high task Iocus; there are plenty oI exceptions however, and training deIinitely helps the n-ach
manager to see the value oI employing Theory Y style. n-pow managers are deIinitely Theory X.
n-aIIil are typically Theory Y and iI not can relatively easily be trained to be so.
Herzberg motivators and hygiene Iactors: n-ach people are more responsive to the Herzberg
motivators (especially achievement obviously) than n-aIIil and n-pow people.

0avId hcCIeIIand
DuvId McCIeIIund, Hurvurd proIessor oI psycIoIogy, wus recognIzed InLernuLIonuIIy Ior IIs experLIse on Iumun
moLIvuLIon und enLrepreneursIIp. McCIeIIund LuugIL und reseurcIed Ior ; yeurs. He Is remembered Ior IIs
unconvenLIonuI meLIods In sLudyIng Iumun personuIILy.
n 1q6, Ie sLurLed McBer, u consuILIng compuny LIuL uIded munugers In ussessIng und LruInIng empIoyees.
DurIng LIe sume yeur, LIe NuLIonuI EducuLIon AssocIuLIon receIved McCIeIIund`s proposuI Lo oIIer sevenLI-gruders
In good ucudemIc sLundIng coIIege scIoIursIIps Lo encouruge IndIvIduuI moLIvuLIon uL un eurIy uge.
He pubIIsIed u persuusIve urLIcIe In The Americcn Pscholoist In wIIcI Ie sLuLed LIuL commonIy used .Q. und
personuIILy IIrIng LesLs were poor predIcLors oI compeLency. He urgued LIuL compunIes sIouId IIre bused on
compeLency on reIevunL IIeIds, und Lo do uwuy wILI SAT scores. HIs once-rudIcuI Ideus Iuve grown Lo become
sLundurd InsLrumenLs Ior muny corporuLIons.
He wus u IeIIow oI LIe AmerIcun Acudemy oI ScIences und LIe uuLIor oI severuI books, IncIudIng Personclit, The
Achietement Motite, und The Achietin Societ

Davi d McCl el l and &
Competenci es
David McClelland is often cited as the source or founder of the modern competency movement for his 1973 paper, Testing for competence
rather than for intelligence .

n his paper, he argues that aptitude and intelligence tests are not all that valid. For example, many of Binet's original tests were based on
exercises that teachers used in French schools, thus it is no surprise that they correlate highly with grades in schools. And when he
researched the manual of the "Differential Aptitude Test of the Psychological Corporation, almost every coefficient involved predicting
grades in courses. He continues that researchers have had great difficulty in demonstrating that grades are related to any other behaviors of
importance, except for doing well on aptitude tests. Thus, while graduating from high school and college opens up higher level jobs, the
research has generally shown that students who did poor in school (as long as they passed) did just as well in life as the top students.
$chool grades seem to have no real power in predicting competence in real life outcomes, aside from the advantage that credentials convey
on the individual concerned. The exception are special test scores, such as motor ability for vehicle operators or typing tests for clerks, in
other words criterion sampling.
For example, to be a policeman in Boston, you have to take a three hour intelligence test that involves words that will never be used on the
job. Rather, as McClelland argues, you should examine some of the real words that good policemen use on the job and then test for them
(that is, if you think vocabulary is important for the job), and not what some supervisor or higher-up thinks they should use on the job.
McClelland also argues that tests should be designed to reflect changes in what people have learned. He writes that it is difficult, if not
impossible to find a characteristic that cannot be modified by training and/or experience. For example, most intelligent test makers keep their
scoring a secret so people will not learn how to do better on them. f people did better on them then that means that they are not really
measuring innate aptitude that are stable from one administration to the next. Faking a high score is impossible if you are performing a real
criterion behavior, such as reading or driving a car. Faking becomes possible the more indirect the connection is between the test behavior
and the criterion behavior.
At this point he goes on to what most competencies should try to measure clusters of life outcomes. McClelland says that if you move
towards criterion based job analysis, there is the danger that the tests will become extremely specific to the criterion involved. Thus one
could end up with hundreds or even thousands of specific tests for each job. Thus it might be more useful to assess competencies that are
more useful in "clusters of life outcomes. This could include occupational, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
McClelland is mostly interested in the testing aspect. n addition, his paper is one of those more broad, easy to read papers as it is based on
some of his lectures, thus most readers will find it quite easy to read. After reading it could see why he would be considered one of the
founders of the present competency movement. First, he moves away from general aptitude testing because it don't mean nothing. Rather,
he drives towards criterion referenced testing. Now 'm not sure if a lot of competency-driven organizations have really thought about this, but
once you have identified the competencies, you have to be able to test for them.
$econdly, he stays away from simply making them task-based as you would probably wind up with more tests than what would be
practicable. think what really makes competencies valuable to organizations is that rather than trying to identify an individual to fit each and
every job, you find individuals that fit your organization (clusters of life). For example, in my present organization, we have people who have
moved from the production line, to distribution operations, to supervisors, to supply chain analysts at our main headquarters. n an era where
good people are getting harder to find (of course that depends on how long this present downturn lasts), the organization that finds the best
means to identify such people gives it an advantage over its competitors. Thus perhaps this sudden interest in competencies.
Note that McClelland did cluster personality or traits into competencies, rather than separate them into attributes. He did not believe in the
saying "once a bigot, always a bigot. Rather he wrote that there is no solid evidence that this trait of any other trait cannot be changed. Thus
if you cannot find the people with all the competencies you need, you can always train or develop them (of course some competencies are a
lot more easy to train or develop than others). n addition, you can growthe people you presently have.
Third, competencies are identified by what superior performers do, not what you or someone else think they should be doing. You cannot
rely on what the job description says they should be doing or the list of competencies you see posted on the web because every organization
is different. You have to talk to the customers, peers, coworkers, and managers to identify who the superiors performers are.
think this is why competencies can be so hard to define and understand. We want a clear picture of what a competency looks like sort of
a like a task that has a definite beginning and end. But to see a competency, you have to actually look at a superior performer. magine if you
never seen or tasted hot fudge before and tried to explain it to you:
me: "t taste sweet.
you: "Like sugar?
me: "Well, it also has a nutty, buttery taste.
you: "Hmm, what does it look like?
me: "Runny poop.
you: "Yeeeew!!!!!
When looking at the superior performer you have to ask yourself what makes her better than her peers? Why do the highest spending
customers come to her and not Joe? Why do her peers come to her when they have tough question rather than to $ally who is a lot closer?
Why does her manager give her a superior performance review every time? Why has she excelled at the last four job she has moved on to?
Thus a competency may start looking like a combination of things (sort of like the capability model in my last post) personality, motive,
skills, and knowledge.
For example, $ally might know the computer applications better than anyone else in the department. However, when asked questions by her
peers, she mildly scolds them for not knowing the answer in the first place and then acts as if she is doing them a huge favor when she
shows them how to do it.
While the superior performer may not know how to do what is asked, she is not afraid to dive in, check the help menus, twiddle around a few
minutes until they get the results they were looking for and in addition, have fun doing it.
Task modeling would look at it from $ally's view the beginning to end of each logical and necessary action that results in a major
accomplishment. However, why is $ally not considered the superior performer?
Competency modeling looks at it from the superior performer's view familiar with the applications (especially the help functions), not afraid
to experiment, loves working with and helping others. Of course you are going to have to refine it more than this.
Thus, when it comes to hiring, do you hire experts in the technical applications, or those who are are at least familiar with it, love to
experiment, and enjoy helping others?


avid McClelland, Former Professor of
Psychology, ies
David Clarence McClelland, Iormer proIessor oI psychology, died oI heart Iailure
March 27 in his Lexington home. He was 80.
Recognized internationally Ior his expertise on human motivation and
entrepreneurship, McClelland taught and researched Ior 57 years. He is remembered
Ior his unconventional methods in studying human personality.
McClelland was born in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. A graduate Irom Wesleyan University in
1938, he acquired a master's degree in psychology Irom the University oI Missouri
and a doctorate in psychology Irom Yale University in 1941.
In 1963, he started McBer, a consulting company that aided managers in assessing
and training employees. During the same year, the National Education Association
received McClelland's proposal to oIIer seventh-graders in good academic standing
college scholarships to encourage motivation at an early age. He published a
persuasive article in %he American Psychologist in which he stated that commonly
used I.Q. and personality hiring tests were poor predictors oI competency. He argued
that companies should hire based on competency in relevant Iields, and do away with
SAT scores. His once-radical ideas have grown to become standard instruments in
many corporations.
McClelland Iocused more on relationships among motivation, the quest Ior power,
and physical and emotional stress as he approached the end oI his career.
He was an instructor at Connecticut College and a proIessor at Wesleyan University
beIore joining the Harvard Iaculty in 1956. He began teaching at Boston University in
1987 and remained there until his death.
A Iellow oI the American Academy oI Sciences and the author oI several books
including Personality, %he Achievement Motive, and %he Achieving Society,
McClelland received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1958.
His Iirst wiIe, Mary Sharpless McClelland, died in 1980. He leaves his second wiIe,
Marian Adams McClelland; Iive daughters, Catherine Dole oI Morristown, N.J.,
Sarah McMullen oI Downey, CaliI., Jabez oI Bethesda, Md., and Mira and Usha, both
oI Lexington; two sons, Duncan oI Winchester and Nicholas oI Marblehead; and nine
grandchilden.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, in Friends Meetinghouse
in Cambridge.

Life
David McClelland was born on May 20, 1917, in Mt. Vernon, New York. He graduated from Jacksonville High $chool in llinois in
1933, and then spent a year as a special student in languages at MacMurray College, Jacksonville.
McClelland then attended Wesleyan University, where he studied with John McGeoch. McClelland earned his B.A. in 1938, and
married Mary $harpless on June 25 of that year. He obtained an M.A. in psychology in 1939, from the University of Missouri,
followed by his Ph.D. in experimental psychology at Yale University in 1941.
McClelland's first position was as an instructor at Connecticut College, for one year. He then became an instructor at Wesleyan in
1941, in addition taking a part-time lecturer position at Bryn Mawr College 1944-1945, before being appointed chairman of the
psychology department at Wesleyan in 1946. Over the next ten years of his time at Wesleyan he also traveled, lecturing in social
psychology in $altzburg, Austria, at the $altzburg $eminar in American $tudies, and at Harvard University 1949-1950. n 1956, he
left Wesleyan to become a professor of psychology at Harvard. He remained there for the rest of his academic career, retiring to
become professor emeritus in 1986, at which time he was also appointed Distinguished research professor at Boston University.
n 1963, McClelland and his associate Berlew co-founded McBer Consulting Company, which had the goal of helping managers
train and assess their employees. Their firm specialized in mapping the competencies ofentrepreneurs and managers across the
world, for which they developed the Behavior Event nterviewing (BE) methodology. McClelland traveled extensively to $outheast
Asia, East Africa, and Europe as a Peace Corpsconsultant and as part of the U.$. nformation $ervice.
He published a series of influential books on motivation, including $tudies in Motivation (1955), The Achieving $ociety (1961),
and The Roots of Consciousness (1964). n 1973, McClelland wrote an influential article in The American Psychologist in which he
stated that " tests and personality tests commonly used in hiring were were poor predictors of competence. nstead of using such
standardized tests as the $AT, he suggested that companies should hire based on competency in appropriate fields. He continued
to publish books on achievement, including Power: The Inner Experience (1975) and Human Motivation (1988). His once radical
ideas have become standard instruments in many corporation. For his accomplishments, he received a number of honorary degrees
and awards, including the award for Distinguished $cientific contribution from the American Psychological Association (APA). He
was also a fellow of the American Academy of $ciences.
n December 1980, his wife Mary died. On October 10, 1981, he remarried, to Marian Adams.
David McClelland died on March 27, 1998. He was posthumously awarded the Henry A. Murray Award from Division 8 of the APA.
Work
David McClelland proposed a content theory of motivation based on Henry Murray's (1938) theory of personality, which sets out a
comprehensive model of human needs and motivational processes. n McClelland's book, The Achieving $ociety (1961), he
asserted that human motivation comprises three dominant needs: The need for achievement (N-Ach), the need for power (N-Pow)
and the need for affiliation (N-Affil). The subjective importance of each need varies from individual to individual and depends also on
an individual's cultural background. He also claimed that this motivational complex is an important factor in the social change and
evolution of societies. His legacy includes the scoring system which he co-developed with John William Atkinson for the Thematic
Apperception Test. The TAT is used for personality assessment and in achievement motivation research, and described in
McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, & Lowell's book The Achievement Motive (1953).
Thematic Apperception Test
Working with John William Atkinson, who completed his undergraduate psychology degree at Wesleyan University while McClelland
taught there, they researched the arousal of human needs and behavior with the financial support of the Office of Naval Research.
Convinced that motivation was a more powerful predictor of achievement than intelligence they used the Thematic Apperception
Test (TAT) to measure motivation.
The TAT was developed by the American psychologists Henry Murray and Christiana D. Morgan at Harvard during the 1930s to
explore the underlying dynamics of personality, such as internal conflicts, dominant drives, interests, and motives. t is a projective
test that presents the subject with a series of ambiguous pictures, and the subject is asked to develop a spontaneous story for each
picture. The assumption is that the subject will project his or her own needs into the story and these will reflect certain underlying
themes.
The scoring system developed by McClelland and Atkinson measures an individual's score for each of the needs of achievement,
affiliation, and power. This score can be used to suggest the types of jobs for which the person might be well suited. While some
believe other psychometric questionnaires that offer better reliability and validity, the properly administered TAT meets 0.85
reliability standards, and is the only tool that has been found to measure implicit motivation with any degree of validity.
Theory of needs
The acquired-needs theory developed by David McClelland, called "McCelland's Theory of Needs" (sometimes as the "Three Need
Theory" or the "Learned Needs Theory"), draws on Henry Murray's model of personality. McClelland proposed that an individual's
specific needs are acquired over time and are shaped by one's early life experiences. According to McClelland, most of human
needs and/or motives can be classified as achievement,affiIiation, and power. He found that a person's motivation and
effectiveness in certain job functions are influenced by these three needs. Thus, the importance of a particular need depends upon
the position.
McClelland's theory of needs is outlined in his 1961 publication, The Achieving $ociety.
Achievement
The need for achievement (N-Ach) is the extent to which an individual desires to perform difficult and challenging tasks successfully.
People with a high need for achievement:
Desire success and positive feedback that is related to their performance on tasks
$eek to excel and thus tend to avoid both low-risk and high-risk situations
Like to work alone or with other high achievers.
Predominantly achievement-motivated individuals avoid low-risk situations because they find easily attained success is not genuine
achievement; rather they attribute it to the ease of the task not their own effort. $imilarly, they avoid high-risk projects, regarding
success as the result of chance not their competence. Thus, individuals with high need for achievement are not gamblers, nor are
they afraid to take risks. Rather, they calculate the degree of risk and select moderate risk options. McClelland suggested that
people with high achievement need make good leaders, although they tend to expect those that they work with also to be result
driven and may expect too much from them. Their aggressive realism makes them successful entrepreneurs.
AffiIiation
The need for affiliation (N-Affil) is the desire for harmonious relationships with other people. People with high need for affiliation:
Want to be liked and feel accepted by other people
Tend to conform to the norms of their work group
Prefer cooperation over competition
Enjoy being part of a group.
High affiliation need individuals prefer work that provides significant personal interaction, and depends on successful relationships
with others, such as customer service. They are concerned with whether people like them more than whether they are doing a good
job. McClelland regarded a strong need for affiliation as undermining the objectivity and decision-making ability needed in
management.
!ower
The need for power (N-Pow) is a desire for authority, to be in charge. t takes two formspersonal and institutional.
Those who desire personal power want to direct others; this need often is perceived as undesirable
Those who desire institutional power (also known as social power) want to organize the efforts of others to further larger goals,
such as those of an organization
n management, while the job requires directing others, those with a high need for personal power may become dysfunctional as
their focus is on the directing of others rather than on the achievement of the company's goals. Managers with a high need for
institutional power tend to be more effective than those with a high need for personal power, since they channel their need into
accomplishing goals set by the organization. Those whom they direct are more likely to respond positively when they are being
directed toward the larger goal.
McClelland noted that people generally have all three needs; one need, however, tends to be dominant. This depends both on their
internal make-up, their personality, and also is learned through experience. Unlike Abraham Maslow who developed a hierarchy of
needs, McClelland did not discuss these three needs as stages or with transitions among them.
n his later work, McClelland (1988) added a fourth need, avoidance which functions to motivate people to avoid situations and
people with which they have, or expect to have, unpleasant experiences. These avoidance motives include fear of rejection, fear of
failure, fear of success, and generalized anxiety. n this work he also stressed that there are both conscious and unconscious intents
that affect a person's motivation.
Management
McClelland was not only an academician, interested in theories of what motivates people, he also applied his ideas to management
in the corporate world. Forming McBer Consulting Company, in 1963, gave him opportunities to put his ideas into practice as well as
a wealth of practical experience and data from which to further develop and refine his theories.
Disturbed by what he saw as the unjustified use of intelligence (") tests for job selection, McClelland introduced the idea of
competencies. A competency is defined as any characteristic of a person that differentiates performance in a specific job, role,
culture, or organization. As he put it, "if you are hiring a ditchdigger, it doesn't matter if his " is 90 or 110what matters is if he can
use a shovel." After his first paper on this topic in 1973, this approach spread throughout industry and is now a generally accepted
approach to measuring job requirements and evaluating job candidates, as it has been consistently shown to be the least biased
form of job selection.
McClelland developed a method of measuring human needs through content analysis of imaginative thought. He researched
extensively the role of the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation in occupational success, economic and political
development, health, and personal adjustment. People with different needs are motivated differently. While all people have all the
motives he described, they have them to different degrees. n practice, the majority of people have one motive to significantly higher
degree, though a few have all equally high.
According to McClelland (1961), highly achievement-motivated people should be given challenging projects with reachable but
challenging goals. They should be provided frequent feedback. While money is not an important motivator, it is an effective form of
feedback if it is linked to clear measures of success. Employees with a high affiliation need perform best in a cooperative
environment, where they can belong to something larger than themselves. Meanwhile, McClelland believed that management
should provide people with strong need for power the opportunity to manage others.
His work with David Burnham, described in their article (Burnham and McClelland 1976), revealed that better managers tended to
score high in their need for power, their need to influence other people, and that need outweighed their need to be liked. They also
found that the most effective managers directed their desire for power toward the benefit of the organization as a whole.
McClelland's theory allows for the shaping of a person's needs, and training programs can be used to modify one's need profile.
Further studies have indicated that motives cannot be decreased, but may be increased over significant time. A study by his
associates Bradburn and Berlew (1961) supported McClelland's theory. They analyzed achievement motives in British school text
books and showed a strong correlation between these themes, a generation later, with England's industrial growth.
McClelland's last paper, in 1998, was a study demonstrating that rigorous competency-based selection could predict performance in
top executives in a multinational organization: His study found job performance (against business goals) could be predicted two
years in advance with 75-85 percent accuracya validity coefficient estimated to be 0.81, and unmatched by any other tool. $ince
the technique is both labor-intensive and requires skilled assessors to execute at that level, it is often not used at entry-level through
supervisory levels of organizations, though it is still effective.


uman motivation comprises three dominant needs: the
need for achievement, power and affiliation. Explanation of
the Theory of Needs of avid McClelland. (1961)
Log in

What is the Theory of Needs? escription
The Theory oI Needs concept was popularized by American
behavioral psychologist David McClelland. Building on earlier work
oI Henry Murray (1938), McClelland states in 1961 that the
motivation oI an individual can result Irom three dominant needs: the
Need Ior Achievement, Power and AIIiliation.
O The Need for Achievement (N-Ach), is the extent to which a
person wants to perIorm diIIicult and challenging tasks on a
high level. Some characteristics oI high N-Ach people:
4 They want to have success and need to receive positive Ieedback oIten.
4 They seek to stretch themselves and thus tend to avoid both low-risk and high-
risk situations. They avoid low-risk situations because the easily attained
success is not a genuine achievement. In high-risk projects, achievers see the
outcome as one oI chance rather than a result oI their own eIIort.
Compare: Attribution Theory
4 They like to work alone or with other high achievers.
4 McClelland believes that these people make the best leaders, although there
can be a tendency to demand too much oI their staII in the belieI that they are
all also highly results driven.
O The Need for Affiliation (N-AIIil) means that people seek good interpersonal
relations with others. Some characteristics oI high N-AIIil people:
4 They want to be liked and accepted by others, and attach importance to a
personal interaction.
4 They tend to conIorm to the norms oI their work group.
4 They strive to make and keep relationships with a high amount oI trust and
mutual understanding.
4 They preIer cooperation over competition.
4 Obviously, they perIorm well in customer service and client interaction
situations.
4 McClelland believed that a strong Need Ior AIIiliation undermines the
objectivity and decision-making capability oI managers.
O The Need for Power (N-Pow) is typical Ior people who like to be in charge.
4 They can be grouped into two types: personal and institutional power.
People with a high need Ior personal power want to direct and
inIluence others.
A high need Ior institutional power means that people like to organize
the eIIorts oI others to achieve the goals oI the organization.
4 High power people enjoy competition and status-oriented positions.
4 While these people are attracted to leadership roles, they may not possess the
required Ilexibility and people-centered skills.
4 Managers with a high need Ior institutional power tend to be more eIIective
than those with a high need Ior personal power.
Generally, all three needs are present in each individual. They are shaped and acquired over
time by the cultural background oI the individual and his liIe experience. Training can be
used to modiIy a need proIile. Nevertheless, one oI the needs is the dominant one, also
depending on the personality. Unlike Maslow, McClelland did not speciIy any transition
stages among the needs.
The importance oI the diIIerent needs at work depends upon the position one occupies. The
need Ior achievement and the need Ior power are typical Ior middle and top managers.

McClelland's concept is also reIerred to as the earned Needs Theory, Acquired Needs
Theory, and Three Needs Theory.

Origin of the Theory of Needs. istory
McClelland's Theory oI Needs was based on the Theory oI Personality by Henry Murray
(1938). Murray described a comprehensive model oI human needs and motivational
processes.
Assessing the Needs of McClelland. Test
The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) can help a person to Iind out which type oI job
would be preIerable according to his dominant need. By showing the test person a series oI
ambiguous pictures, he or she is then asked to develop a spontaneous story Ior each picture.
The underlying assumption is that the test person will project his or her own needs into the
story. The score can then be used to recommend a special type oI job Ior which the person
might be well suited.

1 McClelland's ManlfesL need 1heory of MoLlvaLlon

Some people have an lnLense deslre Lo achleve whlle oLhers are noL so keen abouL achlevemenL uavld
C McClelland had sLudled Lhls phenomenon for over LwenLy years aL Parvard unlverslLy and proposed
hls AchlevemenL MoLlvaLlon 1heory (Also called ManlfesL need 1heory) Accordlng Lo hlm Lhere are
cerLaln needs LhaL are learned and soclally acqulred as Lhe lndlvldual lnLeracLs wlLh Lhe envlronmenL
McClelland classlfled such needs lnLo Lhree broad caLegorles 1hese are (a) need for power (b) need for
afflllaLlon and (c) need for achlevemenL


(a) need lor ower

1hls need ls lndlcaLed by a persons deslre Lo conLrol and lnfluence Lhe behavlor of oLhers A person wlLh
deslre for power llkes Lo compeLe wlLh oLhers when Lhe slLuaLlon ls favorable for such domlnaLlon Such
persons prefer [obs LhaL provlde Lhem an opporLunlLy Lo acqulre leadershlp wlLh power 1here are Lwo
aspecLs of power accordlngly Lo McClelland 1hese are poslLlve and negaLlve oslLlve use of a power ls
necessary when a manager deslres Lo achleve resulLs Lhrough Lhe efforLs of oLhers 1he negaLlve use of
power ls posslble when a person uses power for personal aggrandlzemenL Such use of power may
prove Lo be harmful Lo Lhe CrganlsaLlon

(b) need lor AfflllaLlon

Pere Lhe person has a need/deslre for affecLlon and wanLs Lo esLabllsh frlendly relaLlonshlps A person
wlLh hlgh need for afflllaLlon seeks Lo esLabllsh and malnLaln frlendshlps and dose emoLlonal
relaLlonshlps wlLh oLhers Pe wanLs Lo be llked by oLhers and develops a sense of belonglng by [olnlng
lnformal groups ln Lhe CrganlsaLlon Such persons (managers) prefer Lasks LhaL requlre frequenL
lnLeracLlon wlLh subordlnaLes/coworkers

(c) need lor AchlevemenL

Pere Lhe person deslres Lo succeed ln compeLlLlve slLuaLlons Pe deslres Lo prove hls superlorlLy over
oLhers Such person seLs reasonably dlfflculL buL poLenLlally achlevable goals for hlmself Pe accepLs
moderaLe degree of rlsk Pe ls more concerned wlLh personal achlevemenL Lhan wlLh Lhe rewards of
success Moreover he feels LhaL he can achleve Lhe goal wlLh hls efforLs and ablllLles Pe also deslres Lo
have concreLe feedback (soclal or aLLlLudlnal) on hls performance Such person has hlgh level of energy
and capaclLy Lo work hard Pe naLurally prefers [obs whlch Lax hls ablllLles and skllls fully 1hls agaln ls
for achlevlng Lhe ob[ecLlves seL Accordlng Lo McClelland Lhe need for achlevemenL ls Lhe mosL
lmporLanL need whlch can be used effecLlvely for Lhe economlc progress of a naLlon

ersons wlLh achlevemenL needs Lend Lo be moLlvaLed by dlfflculL challenglng and compeLlLlve work
slLuaLlons and noL by rouLlne and noncompeLlLlve slLuaLlons 1hey hablLually spend Lhelr Llme Lhlnklng
abouL dolng Lhlngs beLLer 1hey are noL moLlvaLed by money buL ln Lhelr fuLure achlevemenLs Such
employees are beLLer achlevers and naLurally geL promoLlons fasLer An CrganlsaLlon also grows fasLer
and move Lowards prosperlLy wlLh Lhe supporL of such achlevemenL seekers employees

2 lmporLance of AchlevemenL MoLlvaLlon 1hoery

McClellands Lheory ls lmporLanL as he argues LhaL Lhe achlevemenL moLlve can be LaughL lL can be
achleved by learnlng A manager can ralse achlevemenL need level of hls subordlnaLes by creaLlng a
healLhy work aLmosphere provlslon of reasonable freedom Lo subordlnaLes provlslon of more
responslblllLles and by maklng Lasks more lnLeresLlng and challenglng Lven reward and appreclaLlon of
hlgh performance of subordlnaLes ls useful for ralslng Lhelr achlevemenL need level 1hls ls how
moLlvaLlon of employees ls posslble by developlng Lhe deslre for hlgher achlevemenL ln Lhelr mlnd Such
achlevemenL moLlvaLlon ls necessary and useful for Lhe success of an enLerprlse

McClellands Lheory of moLlvaLlon ls qulLe exLenslve Pe developed achlevemenL moLlve for moLlvaLlon
Pls asserLlon LhaL achlevemenL moLlve can be developed among Lhe employees ls lmporLanL 1hls ls
posslble Lhrough wellconcelved and dellberaLe learnlng process 1hls he (McClelland) proved ln an
experlmenL carrled ouL ln a large uS CorporaLlon

Accordlng Lo McClelland every person has an achlevemenL moLlve Lo some exLenL Powever some are
consLanLly more achlevemenLorlenLed Lhan oLhers MosL people wlll puL more efforLs lnLo Lhelr work lf
Lhey are challenged Lo do beLLer Powever Lhe achlevemenLmoLlvaLed person ls llkely Lo ouLsLrlp all
oLhers ln hls zeal Lo lmprove performance when he ls challenged Pe makes more efforLs and
accompllshes more 1hls background can be used for moLlvaLlon of employees ln facL McClellands
achlevemenL moLlvaLlon Lheory ls based on Lhls experlence whlch he galned whlle worklng wlLh Parvard
unlverslLy

AchlevemenL moLlvaLlon ls very essenLlal for Lhe success of an enLrepreneur or enLerprlse Lvery
employee should have some ob[ecLlve whlch he deslres Lo achleve Such deslre for achlevemenL acLs as
a moLlvaLlng facLor Accordlng Lo McClelland Lhe need for achlevemenL ls Lhe mosL lmporLanL need lL
can be used as moLlvaLlng facLor for economlc progress of a naLlon and even for Lhe success of an
enLerprlse or enLrepreneur An enLrepreneur or a manager has Lo puL forward some ob[ecLlve before
every employee and encourage Lhe employee Lo achleve Lhe same 1o creaLe Lhe deslre for achlevemenL
of ob[ecLlve ls a way Lo moLlvaLe employee ln Lhls way achlevemenL moLlvaLlon ls useful for Lhe success
of an enLerprlse/enLrepreneur


David 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. n other words, it
is the desire to have control over others and to be influential. Need for affiIiationis a need for open and sociable
interpersonal relationships. n 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. $uch individuals
try to get satisfaction in performing things better. High achievement is directly related to high performance.
ndividuals 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. $uch 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. $uch individuals are motivated by the need for reputation and self-esteem. ndividuals 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. t 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. $uch 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. ndividuals having high affiliation needs
prefer working in an environment providing greater personal interaction. $uch people have a need to be on the good books of all. They
generally cannot be good leaders.


avid McClelland's 3-Need Theory
Achievement, Affiliation, Power
McClelland's approach is not particularly associated with a theoretical perspective, but identiIies three needs
important in the workplace. The presence oI these needs can be examined in various ways, but McClelland's drew
upon Murray's use oI projective pictures and story telling as a way oI identiIying the position oI these needs in a
leader.
Power Needs (nPOW)
Yukl (1989) reviewed the results oI McClelland's theory in predicting leadership. Power stories reIlect inIluencing
others, deIeating an opponent or competitor, winning and argument, or attaining a position oI greater authority.
Persons with low need Ior power may lack the assertiveness and selI conIidence necessary to organize and direct
group activities eIIectively.
A high need Ior power may be expressed as "personalized power" or "socialized power." People with high
personalized power may have little inhibition or selI control, and they exercise power impulsively. Correlated with
this are tendencies to be rude, excessive use oI alcohol, sexual harassment, and collecting symbols oI power (e.g.,
big oIIices, desks, Iancy cars, etc.). When they give advice or support, it is with strategic intent to Iurther bolster
their own status. They demand loyalty to their leadership rather than to the organization. When the leader leaves the
organization there is likely disorder and breakdown oI team morale and direction.
Socialized power need is most oIten associated with eIIective leadership. These leaders direct their power in socially
positive ways that beneIit others and the organization rather than only contributing to the leader's status and gain.
They seek power because it is through power that tasks are accomplished. They are more hesitant to use power in a
manipulative manner, are less narcissistic and deIensive, accumulate Iewer material possessions or symbols oI
power or status, have a longer range perspective, and are more willing to receive consultation and advice. They
realize that power must be distributed and shared, and that everyone must have a sense oI inIluence over their own
jobs. EIIective leaders empower others who use that power to enact and Iurther the leader's vision Ior the
organization. For technical managers, need Ior achievement was predictive oI advancement through lower levels oI
management, but power was predictive oI higher levels oI attainment.
Achievement Need (nAC)
Achievement is reIlected in stories about attaining challenging goals, setting new records, successIul completion oI
diIIicult tasks, and doing something not done beIore.
High need achievers preIer a job in which success depends on eIIort and ability rather than on chance and Iactors
beyond their control (locus oI control). They preIer tasks that enable them to exercise their skills and initiation in
problem solving. They want Irequent and speciIic Ieedback about perIormance so they can enjoy the experience oI
making progress toward objectives. People scoring high are oIten Iound in jobs such as sales representative, real
estate agent, producer oI entertainment events, and owner-manager oI small business. For managers in large
organizations, moderate to high achievement is secondary to higher power needs. II achievement is dominant, the
manager may try to achieve objectives alone rather than through team development.
Affiliation Need (nAFF)
AIIiliation themes are revealed in stories about establishing or restoring close and Iriendly relationships, joining
groups, participating in pleasant social activities, and enjoying shared activities with Iamily or Iriends. It reIlects
behaviors toward others that are cooperative, supportive, and Iriendly and which value belonging and conIormity to
the group. They obtain great satisIaction Irom being liked and accepted by others, and preIer to work with others
who preIer group harmony and cohesion (e.g.., relationship-centered, Jungian Type F's).
A person low in aIIiliation tends to be a loner who is uncomIortable socializing with others except Ior a Iew close
Iriends or Iamily (introversion?). They may lack motivation or energy to maintain high social contacts in
networking, group presentations, public relations, and building close personal relations with peers and subordinates
so necessary Ior most managers.
Those with strong nAFF are reluctant to let work interIere with harmonious relationships. Moderate nAFF is related
to eIIective management, since strong needs oIten lead to avoidance oI unpopular decisions, permitting exceptions
to rules, and showing Iavoritism to Iriends. This oIten leads to subordinates Ieeling conIused about rules, playing to
the manager's likes, and becoming anxious about what might happen next (inequity).
Combinations for Managerial Success
For managers in large organizations, power is most related to success, promotion, and accomplishment oI objectives.
Achievement and aIIiliation Iollow in that order, and are useIul in creating a challenging and team spirited work
environment. Greater career advancement and higher perIormance ratings are oIten related to both high power and
achievement. For entrepreneurial managers (e.g., owner-managers oI small, entrepreneurial organizations or
autonomous subsidiaries oI large organizations), high achievement is most obvious, Iollowed by moderately high
power and low aIIiliation


Acqulred needs Lheory

Coal seeklng achlevers key Lo a change lnlLlaLlve

llnd Lhem and work wlLh Lhem



Acqulred needs 1heory descrlbes Lhree Lypes of moLlvaLlonal needs AchlevemenL AuLhorlLy and
AfflllaLlon

1hese were flrsL ldenLlfled and descrlbed and by uavld McClelland ln hls book 1he Achlevlng SocleLy"
1961 uavld McClelland was a ploneer ln Lhe fleld of workplace moLlvaLlonal Lhlnklng and was a
proponenL of compeLencybased assessmenLs ln favour of lC and personallLy based LesLs






AchlevemenL moLlvaLlon nach

1he nach person ls achlevemenL moLlvaLed and seeks Lhe achlevemenL and aLLalnmenL of reallsLlc buL
challenglng goals and upwards progress ln Lhelr [ob 1hey have sLrong need for feedback and a feellng
of accompllshmenL

Accordlng Lo uavld McClelland people wlLh sLrong achlevemenL moLlvaLlon make very good leaders
1here weekness ls Lhelr Lendency Lo expecL Loo much of Lhelr sLaff bellevlng LhaL Lhelr sLaff have Lhe
same achlevemenLfocus buL of course mosL people arenL llke Lhls

AuLhorlLy/power moLlvaLlon npow

1he npow person ls auLhorlLy moLlvaLed 1hls moLlvaLlonal drlver produces a need Lo be lnfluenLlal
effecLlve and Lo make an lmpacL 1hese people have a powerful need Lo lead and Lake charge and are
drlven Lowards enhanclng Lhelr personal sLaLus and presLlge

WhllsL people wlLh a sLrong npow auLhorlLymoLlvaLlon wlll work hard work and be commlLed Lo Lhe
organlsaLlon Lhey may noL possess Lhe necessary emoLlonal lnLelllgence and people awareness and Lhus
lack flexlblllLy and Lhe necessary peoplskllls

AfflllaLlon moLlvaLlon naffll

1he naffll person ls afflllaLlon moLlvaLed and ls a Leam player moLlvaLed by a need Lo be llked and for
frlendly relaLlonshlps and lnLeracLlons wlLh oLhers

uavld Mcclelland suggesLed LhaL a a managers ob[ecLlvlLy ls undermlnded by a sLrong naffll afflllaLlon
moLlvaLlon because of Lhe deslre Lo be popular affecLs and lnLerferes wlLh Lhe declslonmaklng
capablllLy of a manager

Motivating Organizational
Members
McCIeIIands Achievement of Motivation Theory






McClelland's Achievement Motivation 1heory
OBNotes.HTM by WLF H. RATZBURG
.
The Thematic Apperception Test
(TAT) and McCIeIIand's Achievement
Motivation Theory

Criticizing
economics as
being an overIy
simpIistic, and
rationaIistic
discipIine, David
McCIeIIand
points out that it
does not reaIIy
account for how
Mofivofion reseorch hos Iong considered
humon mofives ond needs. However, isoIofing
peopIes mofivofionoI needs con be o
difficuIf process becouse mosf peopIe ore
nof expIicifIy owore of whof fheir mofives
ore.
In offempfing fo undersfond empIoyee
mofivofion, Abrohom MosIow proposed o
hierorchy of needs. Dovid McCIeIIond

humans actuaIIy
behave. For
exampIe, EIton
Mayo and his
work at the
Hawthorne
Western EIectric
pIant in the
1920s and 30s
recognized the
non-economic
motivations of
workers.
In the Hawthorne
Studies... the
importance of
the peer group
was recognized
in determining
empIoyee
motivation.
furfhered fhis ideo in his Ieorned needs
fheory. McCIeIIonds experimenfoI work
idenfified sefs of mofivofors presenf fo
vorying degrees in differenf peopIe. He
proposed fhof fhese needs were socioIIy
ocquired or Ieorned. Thof is, fhe exfenf fo
which fhese mofivofors ore presenf vories
from person fo person, ond depends on fhe
individuoI ond his or her bockground.
McCIeIIonds experimenf -- fhe Themofic
Appercepfion Tesf (TAT) -- consisfed of
showing individuoIs o series of picfures ond
osking fhem fo give brief descripfions of
whof wos hoppening in fhe picfures. The
responses were onoIy;ed in ferms of fhe
presence or obsence of cerfoin fhemes. The
fhemes McCIeIIond ond his ossociofes were
Iooking for revoIved oround fhe foIIowing
mofivofors: ochievemenf, offiIiofion ond
power.
According fo Dovid McCIeIIond, regordIess of
cuIfure or gender, peopIe ore driven by fhree
mofives:
O ochievemenf,
O offiIiofion, ond
O infIuence.
Since McCIeIIonds firsf experimenfs, over
I,000 sfudies reIevonf fo ochievemenf
mofivofion hove been conducfed. These
sfudies sfrongIy supporf fhe fheory.
. Achievement (nAch)
.
The need for ochievemenf is chorocferi;ed
by fhe wish fo foke responsibiIify for finding
soIufions fo probIems, mosfer compIex fosks,
sef gooIs, gef feedbock on IeveI of success.
. AffiIiation (nAff)
.
The need for offiIiofion is chorocferi;ed by
o desire fo beIong, on enjoymenf of
feomwork, o concern obouf inferpersonoI
reIofionships, ond o need reduce uncerfoinfy.
. !ower (n!)
.
The need for power is chorocferi;ed by o
drive fo confroI ond infIuence ofhers, o need
fo win orgumenfs, o need fo persuode ond
prevoiI.
.
According fo McCIeIIond, fhe presence of
fhese mofives or drives in on individuoI
indicofes o predisposifion fo behove in
cerfoin woys. Therefore, from o monogers
perspecfive, recogni;ing which need is
dominonf in ony porficuIor individuoI offecfs
fhe woy in which fhof person con be
mofivofed.
.
UNDERSTANDING MOTIVES -- So,
what does aII this mean?
. High achievement motivation
!eopIe driven by
the achievement
motive Iike to
test themseIves
against their
environment and
attain standards
of exceIIence.
In areas of
management
where high
IeveIs of
deIegation may
be required, high
achievement
motivated
individuaIs may
be unabIe to give
up their personaI
invoIvement with
the task.
SpecificoIIy, ochievemenf mofivofion is
defined os o non-conscious concern for
ochieving exceIIence fhrough individuoI
efforfs. Such individuoIs sef choIIenging
gooIs for fhemseIves, ossume personoI
responsibiIify for gooI occompIishmenf, ore
highIy persisfenf in fhe pursuif of fhese
gooIs, foke coIcuIofed risks fo ochieve fhe
gooIs, ond ocfiveIy coIIecf ond use
informofion for purposes of feedbock.
High ochievemenf mofivofed monogers ore
oIso sfrongIy incIined fo be personoIIy
invoIved in performing fheir orgoni;ofionoI
fosks. However, fhey moy oIso be reIucfonf
fo deIegofe oufhorify ond responsibiIify.
Thus, high ochievemenf mofivofion moy be
expecfed fo resuIf in poor performonce of
high- IeveI execufives in Iorge orgoni;ofions.
High ochievemenf mofivofion is predicfed fo
confribufe fo effecfive enfrepreneurship
ond effecfive Ieodership of smoII fosk-
orienfed groups.
Achievemenf mofivofion is posifiveIy reIofed
fo fhe Ieodership of smoII fosk-orienfed
groups ond smoII enfrepreneurioI firms ond
negofiveIy reIofed fo fhe effecfiveness of
high- IeveI monogers in compIex
orgoni;ofions or in poIificoI sifuofions.
. High power motivation
!eopIe
motivated by
power are
concerned about
their impact on
other peopIe--
convincing
someone of their
point of view or
empowering
others around
them, and
finding ways to
connect with and
infIuence
powerfuI peopIe.
!ower
motivation is
assumed to be
predictive of
Ieader
effectiveness.
...the power
motive is
necessary for
Ieaders to be
effective
because it
induces them to
engage in sociaI
infIuence
behavior
!ower mofivofion is defined os fhe concern
for ocquiring sfofus ond hoving on impocf on
ofhers. McCIeIIond used power mofivofion os
o meosure of socioI infIuence behoviors.
CIeorIy, since mosf monogemenf ocfivifies
require fhe use of socioI infIuence behoviors
ond since power mofivofion meosures on
individuoIs desire fo infIuence, fhe power
mofive is imporfonf for Ieodership
effecfiveness.
Dovid McCIeIIond proposed fhe Leoder
Mofive !rofiIe Theory (LM! fheory) in which
he orgued fhof o high power mofivofion,
greofer fhon fhe offiIiofion mofive, is
predicfive of Ieoder effecfiveness.
HighIy power-mofivofed individuoIs obfoin
greof sofisfocfion from fhe exercise of
infIuence. ConsequenfIy, fheir inferesf in fhe
exercise of Ieodership is susfoined.
High power mofivofion is predicfed fo resuIf
in effecfive monogerioI performonce in
middIe ond high-IeveI posifions. However,
unIess consfroined in some monner, some
power-mofivofed monogers moy oIso be
predicfed fo exercise power in on oggressive
monner for seIf-oggrondi;ing purposes, fo
fhe defrimenf of fheir orgoni;ofions.
. High affiIiation motivation
!eopIe driven by
the affiIiation
motive are
concerned about
the quaIity of
their
reIationships.
They enter into
reIationships for
the sake of the
reIationships--
not for gain or
infIuence. They
are concerned
with how
harmonious and
reIiabIe their
reIationships are
and are IikeIy to
be upset when
disruptions to
reIationships
occur.
AffiIiofive mofivofion is defined os o
nonconscious concern for esfobIishing,
moinfoining, ond resforing cIose personoI
reIofionships wifh ofhers. IndividuoIs wifh
high offiIiofive mofivofion fend fo be non-
osserfive, submissive, ond dependenf on
ofhers.
Such monogers ore expecfed fo monoge on
fhe bosis of personoI reIofionships wifh
subordinofes. This moy resuIf in fhem
showing fovorifism foword some.
As monogers, highIy offiIiofive individuoIs
ore predicfed fo be reIucfonf fo monifor fhe
behovior of subordinofes, give negofive
feedbock fo ofhers, or discipIine fheir
subordinofes. However, when fhe power
mofive is higher fhon fhe offiIiofive mofive,
individuoIs ore disincIined fo engoge in
dysfuncfionoI monogemenf behoviors such os
submissiveness, reIucfonce fo monifor ond
discipIine subordinofes, ond fovorifism.
.
Need for Achievement and
Entrepreneurship
.
riginoIIy, fhe need for ochievemenf wos fhe
greofesf concern for McCIeIIond. He wos
porficuIorIy inferesfed in fhis need ond
ossociofed behoviors becouse mosf
orgoni;ofions wonf fheir empIoyees fo
ochieve. The need ochievemenf refers fo
on unconscious disposifion fo energi;e ond
drive. High nAch individuoIs ore consfonfIy
compefing wifh sfondords of exceIIence.
Furfher, fhey ore offrocfed fo fosks of
moderofe difficuIfy.
McCIeIIond furfher described fhe profiIe of
on enfrepreneur os someone high in nAch
(Achievemenf) ond Iow in n! (!ower), whiIe
good monogers hove high n!ower ond Iow
nAch.
ver four decodes of reseorch info fhe
chorocferisfics of enfrepreneurs hos
esfobIished fhof fhe essenfioI need for
ochievemenf for enfrepreneurship is Ieorned
of on eorIy oge. !ersons wifh o high need
ochievemenf hove o generoI predisposifion
fowords enfrepreneurioI ocfivify.
. Summary

AduIfs ore ossumed fo possess oII fhree
mofivofions fo one degree or onofher,
however, one of fhe mofives is usuoIIy
dominonf. Monogers need fo idenfify whof
mofivofes ofhers ond fo creofe oppropriofeIy
mofivofing condifions for fhem.
!eopIe wifh ochievemenf mofives ore
mofivofed by sfondords of exceIIence,
deIineofed roIes ond responsibiIifies ond
concrefe, fimeIy feedbock. Those wifh
offiIiofion mofives ore mofivofed when fhey
con occompIish fhings wifh peopIe fhey know
ond frusf. And fhe power mofive is ocfivofed
when peopIe ore oIIowed fo hove on impocf,
impress fhose in power, or beof compefifors.




Pe suggesLed LhaL mosL of us possess and demonsLraLe a comblnaLlon of Lhese characLerlsLlcs and some
some of us show a a sLrong blas Lo a parLlcular moLlvaLlonal need LhaL wlll lnevlLably lnfluence and affecL
our worklng behavlour and managemenL sLyle


























McClelland and Lhe Lhree soclal moLlves
uavld McClelland was an Amerlcan psychologlsL who developed a Lheory ln Lhe 1980s
LhaL ascrlbes human moLlvaLlon lnLo a seL of baslc needs ofLen referred Lo as Lhe
Lhree soclal moLlves Accordlng Lo McClelland (McClelland 1987) every one ls more
sLrongly moLlvaLed by some needs and less sLrongly by oLher needs Lveryone has all
Lhree of Lhese moLlves buL slmply wlLh a dlfferenL relaLlve degree 1he resulL of Lhe
needs ls a unlque mlx LhaL glves one lLs personallLy
WhaL McClelland found ouL durlng hls research was LhaL 80 percenL of Lhe dally
menLal acLlvlLy could be relaLed Lo Lhree soclal moLlves 1hey are wlLh oLher words
Lhose moLlves LhaL are mosL common ln Lhe everyday llfe 1hough Lhe needs for
securlLy and nurLurlng are leglLlmaLe and wldely sLudled moLlves Lhey do occupy so
llLLle of mosL wesLern clvlllsed peoples regular concerns LhaL McClelland meanL LhaL
lL ls posslble Lo lgnore Lhem Lo a wlde exLend (McClelland 1987)
1he Lhree soclal moLlves
Pls Lhree soclalmoLlves are
need for achlevemenL
1he drlve Lo Lranscend
1he drlve Lo accompllsh ln relaLlon Lo a seL of sLandards
1he drlve Lo endeavour Lo succeed
need for afflllaLlon
1he need for frlendly and close lnLerpersonal relaLlonshlps
need for power
1he need Lo make oLhers behave ln a way Lhey would noL have behaved oLherwlse
MeLhod
1he baslc assumpLlon for McClellands work ls LhaL one seeks goals LhaL have noLCrganlsaLlon
uevelopmenL Cslo unlverslLy College
MoLlvaLlon 1hree perspecLlves on moLlvaLlon 3
happened yeL WhaL Lhen affecL ones behavlour are Lhe expecLaLlons of Lhe goal Lhe
lmage of whaL wlll or could happen 1o slmpllfy lL a llLLle one could say LhaL Lhe lmage
also ls a sorL of daydream McClelland saw a way of sLudy people's goals Lhrough
sLudy whaL Lhey lmaglned
1he Lool he used Lo accompllsh Lhe sLudles wlLh was a pro[ecLlve LesL where Lhe LesLed
person where shown a plcLure wlLh an lndlsLlncL moLlve Lhe meanlngs of Lhe plcLure
could be one or a number of Lhlngs (Mook 1987) 1he lmporLance was noL whaL Lhe
plcLure really showed buL whaL Lhe person ascrlbed whaL he or she saw ln lL WhaL
Lhe person dld Lhrough descrlblng Lhe plcLure was Lo pro[ecL Lhe lnner sLaLuses and
needs accordlng Lo McClelland Pe LhoughL LhaL dlfferenL people have dlfferenL drlves
and needs and McClelland vlewed Lhls as Lhe reason why people are chooslng a
cerLaln preoccupaLlon (Mook 1987)
Summary and concluslon McClelland's Lheorles
1he mosL essenLlal parL of McClelland's Lheorles ls LhaL dlfferenL people have dlfferenL
moLlves and Lherefor dlfferenL personallLles 1he resulL of Lhls ls LhaL one ls more or
less sulLed Lo dlfferenL roles Lvery one has sLrengLhs and weaknesses ln dlfferenL
slLuaLlons and Lhe Lendency ls LhaL one guldes lLself Loward slLuaLlons ln whlch he or
she can do lLs besL