Discuss the basic needs identified by McClelland that are the most important for managers to understand.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The most important needs for managers, according to McClelland, are the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power. Different needs predominate for different people. The need for achievement is characterized by a strong orientation toward accomplishment and an obsession with success and goal attainment. The need for affiliation reflects a strong desire to interact with and be liked by other people. Individuals who have high levels of this need are oriented toward getting along with others and may be less concerned with achieving at high levels. The need for power is a desire to influence or control other people. This need can be a negative force-termed personalized power-if it is expressed by aggressively manipulating and exploiting others. People high on the personalized power need want power purely for the pursuit of their own goals. But the need for power also can be a positive motive-called socialized power-because it can be channeled toward constructively helping people, organizations, and societies. Low need for affiliation and moderate to high need for power are associated with managerial success for both higher- and lower-level managers. One reason the need for affiliation is not necessary for leadership success is that people high on this need have difficulty making tough but necessary decisions that will make some people unhappy.