McClelland’s achievement motivation theory is widely known and has been adopted successfully in many organizations. McClelland contended that his methods were better than traditional tests based on IQ and personality.
Primarily, he advocated competency based assessments and tests while promoting improvements in employee assessment methods. McClelland outlined three types of motivational needs.
These include motivation of achievement, authority/power and affiliation. These were described in his 1961 book, The Achieving Society. He contends that these needs are found in all workers and supervisors and characterizes their techniques in motivating and being motivated.
According to the McClellan theory, most employees possess a combination of these individual characteristics. He contends that they all exhibit positive and negative influences in the workplace.
Some may undermine a manager’s decision making process while others may lead to lack of flexibility and demand too much if they’re too goal oriented even though they could make the best leaders.
Still, McClelland favored the achievement-motivated people to get things done and advance within the company. For these employees, achievement is more important than money and financial reward is merely a measure of success, not the ultimate goal.
The company benefits because achievement based employees are always seeking ways to do better including avenues of improvement and efficiency. So, does this theory hold true today?
For years, the theory has been extensively tested and debated. Almost all employees possess a need for all three: achievement, authority or power, and affiliation. And, whereas all these qualities have status in the work place too much of either can be less than desirable. Most managers today seek a combination of these qualities in an effort to achieve balance in the business.