Explain the Three "Learned" Needs of the Learned Needs Theory

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The Answer is McClelland examined three "learned" needs: achievement, power, and affiliation.Need for achievement.People with a strong need for achievement (nAch) want to accomplish reasonably challenging goals through their own effort.They prefer working alone rather than in teams, and they choose tasks with a moderate degree of risk.High-nAch people also desire unambiguous feedback and recognition for their success.Money is a weak motivator, except when it provides feedback and recognition.In contrast, employees with a low nAch perform their work better when money is used as an incentive.Need for affiliation.It refers to a desire to seek approval from others, conform to their wishes and expectations, and avoid conflict and confrontation.People with a strong nAff try to project a favorable image of themselves.They tend to actively support others and try to smooth out workplace conflicts.However, they tend to be less effective at allocating scarce resources and making other decisions that potentially generate conflict.People in decision-making positions must have a relatively low need for affiliation so that their choices and actions are not biased by a personal need for approval.Need for power.People with a high need for power (nPow) want to exercise control over others and are concerned about maintaining their leadership position.They frequently rely on persuasive communication, make more suggestions in meetings, and tend to publicly evaluate situations more frequently.McClelland pointed out that there are two types of nPow.Individuals, who enjoy their power for its own sake, use it to advance personal interests, and wear their power as a status symbol have personalized power.Others mainly have a high need for socialized power because they desire power as a means to help others.

Explain the Three "Learned" Needs of the Learned Needs Theory

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