Compare need theories of work motivation
Apply Maslow’s five-level needs model and McClelland’s achievement, affiliation and power needs while evaluating what Saeednia’s scale study can and cannot show.
Section Paper 4 · Specialist Options: Application and Research Methods
Original StudyForA teaching mapped to Cambridge 9990 Organisational Psychology section 4.1, 2028–2030 Version 1. Example studies illustrate the syllabus and are not official Cambridge materials or mark schemes.
Before you begin
- This lesson covers Cambridge Psychology 9990 Organisational Psychology section 4.1.1. Need theories describe possible motives; a study’s sample and measures limit how far its findings can be applied.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which set lists McClelland’s three needs?
What you will learn
- Maslow’s five-level hierarchy of needs; Saeednia (2011)
- McClelland’s needs for achievement, affiliation and power
Maslow proposed five broad categories of needs
Maslow’s hierarchy is commonly presented from lower to higher needs: physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation. The model suggests that unmet needs can draw attention and that growth needs may become more salient when basic needs are reasonably met. In a workplace, fair pay and rest may support physiological needs; safe conditions support security; collegial relationships support belonging; respect and responsibility can support esteem; and meaningful opportunities may support development.
The hierarchy is a framework for asking what may matter to a person, not a checklist that every worker must climb in the same order. People can pursue several needs at once, and culture, personal circumstances and the job situation can change what matters. A worker may seek mastery while also needing income or belonging.
Saeednia (2011) developed a Basic-Needs-Satisfaction Scale for young children. The exploratory study interviewed 13 people and then administered a scale to 300 children. It examined how needs could be measured; it did not test a workplace intervention or prove that all five needs must be satisfied in a fixed sequence. The sample and child-focused instrument limit its direct application to employees.
McClelland focused on three learned motives
McClelland’s theory distinguishes need for achievement (nAch), affiliation (nAff) and power (nPow). A person high in achievement may prefer challenging but manageable tasks, personal responsibility and feedback. A person high in affiliation may value warm relationships and acceptance. A person high in power may seek influence; power can be used to coordinate and support a group or to control others.
These are relative motives rather than fixed personality boxes. A person may show more than one motive, and the role, culture and current situation can affect which motive is expressed. A team can need different contributions, so a manager should not label someone from one behaviour or assign a job using an unsupported questionnaire.
Unlike Maslow’s broad categories, McClelland describes differences in the kinds of incentives that may attract people. Neither theory alone explains every work choice: pay, job design, access, fairness, health and social conditions can also matter.
Use the models as questions, not prescriptions
A need-theory application starts with evidence about the person and setting. Ask whether workers can meet basic needs, feel safe and included, receive respect, and develop their abilities. Then consider whether achievement, affiliation or influence is important to a particular task. Voluntary conversations and fair access to options are safer than assuming what a group needs.
Individual explanations emphasise motives or priorities; situational explanations emphasise pay, safety, workload, team norms and opportunity. A holistic explanation considers their interaction. Cultural differences and unequal power can shape which needs can be expressed. A single satisfaction rating is not a complete measure of motivation or job quality.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology 9990 syllabus, 2028–2030
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology 9990 Reference List, 2028–2030
- Saeednia (2011), Generating a scale measuring hierarchy of basic needs
- Maslow (1943), A theory of human motivation
- McClelland (1987), Human Motivation
Pause and explain
What is a key limit of using Saeednia (2011) to make claims about employees?
Worked example
A supervisor offers every employee a competitive individual target, but some workers ask for a stable schedule and others for more team contact. Use Maslow and McClelland to explain why one target may not motivate everyone.
Show the worked solution
- Identify at least two possible needs in the workers’ requests without assuming one fixed order.
- Apply achievement, affiliation or power only where the evidence supports the interpretation.
- Include situational factors such as schedule control, pay and workload.
Answer A stable schedule may matter for safety or security, while team contact may support belonging or affiliation. A challenging target with feedback may appeal to achievement for some workers, but a uniform target does not establish each person’s motive. The supervisor should ask workers about preferences and consider workload, fairness and choice before changing the reward system.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A new worker is worried about unsafe equipment, wants to be accepted by the team and asks for challenging work. Apply Maslow and McClelland without forcing the evidence into one category.
Give me a hint
Separate the five broad categories from the three learned motives, and allow more than one need to matter.
Compare my reasoning
- Unsafe equipment may threaten safety; acceptance may relate to belonging or affiliation.
- Challenging work could appeal to achievement, depending on the worker’s own goals.
- More than one need or motive may be active at the same time.
- Ask the worker and address the objective safety issue rather than treating motivation as a personality label.
The concern about equipment relates to safety in Maslow’s framework, and wanting team acceptance may relate to belonging and McClelland’s affiliation motive. The request for challenging work may be consistent with achievement, but the worker should be asked rather than classified. The employer must fix the safety concern regardless of its motivational interpretation.
Look for these in your work
- Two theories applied
- Multiple motives allowed
- Safety issue treated as real, not a label
Evaluate the claim that Saeednia (2011) proved managers should satisfy lower needs before offering development opportunities.
Give me a hint
Report the study’s population and purpose, then compare the conclusion with the evidence collected.
Compare my reasoning
- The study developed a Basic-Needs-Satisfaction Scale for young children.
- It used interviews with 13 people and administered the resulting measure to 300 children.
- It did not test employees, workplace opportunities or the order in which needs motivate behaviour.
- It cannot prove a universal sequence for managers to apply; the hierarchy remains a theory to evaluate.
The conclusion overstates the study. Saeednia developed and assessed a child needs-satisfaction scale; the work did not manipulate workplace opportunities or test a fixed sequence of employee needs. Managers can consider basic conditions and development together and should use employee feedback and relevant outcome evidence.
Look for these in your work
- Study purpose stated
- Sample described
- Unsupported workplace sequence rejected
A company wants to redesign jobs for a team with varied roles. Propose a fair needs-informed approach and explain how you would evaluate it.
Give me a hint
Offer meaningful choice, include situational conditions and measure outcomes over time rather than assigning assumed motives.
Compare my reasoning
- Ask employees about safety, scheduling, belonging, recognition, development and influence, using accessible ways to respond.
- Offer a range of options where operationally possible instead of labelling staff by presumed need.
- Check fairness, workload, pay and access so that basic workplace conditions are not replaced by motivational extras.
- Compare baseline and follow-up outcomes such as voluntary feedback, attendance or retention, alongside interviews; account for other changes.
A fair redesign would consult employees, protect safe and reasonable working conditions, and offer varied routes for development, team connection and influence where feasible. Evaluate implementation, access and relevant outcomes at baseline and follow-up, and combine quantitative indicators with employee feedback. A change in one measure would not prove that a single need caused the result.
Look for these in your work
- Employee choice included
- Working conditions considered
- Evaluation includes comparison and limits
Common mistakes
- Treating Maslow’s levels as a universal, rigid sequence
- Assuming one employee can have only one McClelland motive
- Using Saeednia’s child scale as proof about workplace motivation
- Treating a need category as a diagnosis or a reliable way to assign jobs
- Ignoring culture, working conditions and unequal access to rewards
What can you explain now?
What did Saeednia (2011) investigate, and what does it not prove about work?
Compare with the explanation
The study developed and tested a basic-needs-satisfaction scale with young children. It did not test employee motivation or prove that needs must be satisfied in one fixed order at work.
Match the population and outcome of a study to the claim you make.
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Make it stick
Compare Maslow’s five need categories with McClelland’s achievement, affiliation and power motives, then use Saeednia’s sample to set a limit on workplace claims.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.