Motivational Perspective

Needs for achievement: People who have a high need for achievement seeks achievement and tries to attain challenging goals. There is a strong need for feedback as to achievement and progress, and a need for a sense of accomplishment. She/he also likes to take personal responsibility

Needs for affiliation: People who have a high need for affiliation need harmonious relationships with people and needs to be accepted by other people. (People-oriented rather than task-oriented).

Needs for power: People who have a need for power want to direct and command other people. (i.e. managers, CEO’s)

Assumption:

1. Individual's specific needs are acquired over time and are shaped by one's life experiences.

2. Achievement-motivated people are generally the ones who make things happen and get results

PERSPECTIVE

Strength: This activates and empowers the mind and the emotions of an individual to do such thing.

Weakness: They tend to demand more on rewards or any reinforcements.

THEORY

Strengths: Shows the strong motivation of an individual for that particular need

• People have different personalities, so they tend to work only in a particular suited role. This simply means that through these motivational needs can define the person’s behavior in a particular situation or setting.

Weakness: There is a strong bias in a particular motivational need which can affect the group.

A.Example in workplace setting

Need for achievement - people in the workplace tend to work hard in order to achieve their set of goals such as promotion, awards in different areas and other form of rewards or acknowledgment. People who are in need for achievement are those who take responsibilities seriously and accomplish challenging tasks. They are also open in feedbacks and recognition.

Need for affiliation - in the workplace people do not live on their own. It is also very important to have a good and smooth relationship with coworkers to avoid conflict within the group.

Need for power - manager, CEO, boss etc. control the environment as well as people in the workplace setting. They sometimes give command and show leadership skills.

Motivation and Motivational Theory

Definition:

Motivational Perspective

"Motivation is defined as an internal drive that activates and gives it direction. The term motivational theory is concerned with the processes that describe why and how human behavior is activated and directed".

Real-life examples

Critique and analysis

Proponent: David McClelland

McClelland's Achievement Need Theory

David Clarence McClelland was an American psychological theorist, noted for human achievement and motivation research; "Need for achievement" motive

B. Other examples (being a student)

We are motivated to study hard because of many reasons such as to have a good grades, set the expectations of our family and to have a good careers.

Need for achievement - Being a student we aim to finish our studies, to have a good careers. And for some they study harder to attain Latin honor or other special awards.

Need for affiliation - We also develop groups in school who accept us and where we conform.

Need for power- Being a student we also tend to control our environment and people around us through decision we are making. Example if we are a student leader we can influence and control our fellow students through the commands or rules we want to implement.

Implications

PERSPECTIVE

Strength: With motivation, this enables an individual to set goals and to improve his/her abilities.

Weakness: There should be limitations in giving such reinforcement or rewards, instead let that individual have his/her own reinforcement.

THEORY

Strength: Depicts how the members of the group/organization will create a greater sense of responsibility and team spirit because of high achievements, affiliation, and power.

o (in work setting) It provides a clear picture for the organization/groups and the managers to know which type of job are suitable for the employees and which types of people that can make the organizations more successful.

Weakness: it is not necessary for motives in general to operate after they are aroused by the presence of the incentives or situational cues that have been associated with the incentive (Campbell and Pritchard, 1976, pp. 112-14). Moreover, there should be feedback in everything that an individual must do.

Organizations should beware of that all motivation and behavioural problems might not be organizational problems. Therefore those can´t be directly solved by management, but this doesn´t mean that they shouldn´t try.

Major Assumptions on Motivational Perspective

1. Motivation is holistic and involves the entire being of a person being motivated.

2. Motivation is a result of several motivating factors.

3. People are continually motivated.

4.All people are motivated by basic needs for survival, safety, and friendship.Each need may be met in different ways and contexts but each is fundamentally present in all humans.

5. Hierarchy of human needs.