Needs Based Motivation Research

Motivation can generally be defined as the desire to achieve a goal that is combined with the energy and determination to achieve it. Driving factors of motivation can either come from within a person, called intrinsic motivation, or from outside forces not controlled by the person, called extrinsic motivators. Needs-based motivation theories posit that motivation stems from the desire to fulfill or achieve a need. This Wiki will explore the Needs Based theories of Abraham H. Maslow, Clayton P. Alderfer, and David C. McClelland, research on their respective theories, and reveal the theories' strengths and weaknesses, followed by descriptions of how each different theory can be applied in the workplace.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow developed one

For instance, researchers lack the concrete definintion of the needs, the meaning of safety, security, esteem, and other elements that make up Maslow’s theory making it difficult to test. Moreover, just as norms between individuals fluctuate, so do norms between cultures. Elements like esteem and self-actualization may have vastly different meanings across different cultures making it problematic to generalize Maslow’s theory.

Clayton P. Alderfer first published the ERG Theory of Motivation in 1969 in an article called An Empirical Test of a New Theory of Human Need. The three needs are: existence needs: physiological and safety needs, the most concrete of needs (hunger, thirst, shelter), relatedness needs: social relationships and external esteem (involvement with family, friends, co-workers), and growth needs: internal esteem and self-actualization, the most abstract of needs as they do not involve physical aspects (desire to be creative,

As in any science, critics want to see the facts based on research. With only one man's research then tend to be skeptical of the actual worth of the theory. The ERG theory allows individuals to simultaneously satisfy any of the needs, to know this you would have to assess the individual to see what motivated the person to behave a certain way and then determine what need was most important to the person. This information may be very difficult to obtain because much time would need to be spent with the