Content Theories of Work Motivation: Needs, Herzberg, ERG, and SDT

All flashcards

Need for achievement (nAch)

The learned desire to excel, especially at difficult tasks.

Need for affiliation (nAff)

The learned desire to establish and maintain warm, friendly relationships.

Personal power

Seeking influence primarily to dominate others or advance a personal agenda.

Hygiene factor

A job-context factor, such as pay or working conditions, that helps prevent dissatisfaction.

Autonomy in self-determination theory

Experiencing choice and a sense of self-direction.

Quiz questions

1. What does prepotency mean in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?Answer: A more basic unmet need tends to take priority over a higher-level need.
2. Which tasks do people with a high need for achievement tend to prefer?Answer: Tasks with a moderate probability of success that effort can influence.
3. In Herzberg’s theory, what is the main role of adequate hygiene factors?Answer: They reduce or prevent dissatisfaction but do not necessarily create satisfaction.
4. What does frustration regression mean in ERG theory?Answer: Repeated frustration of a higher-level need can refocus someone on a lower-level need.
5. What may happen when an external reward shifts attention away from an enjoyable activity?Answer: Intrinsic motivation may decrease, although this effect is not inevitable.