McClelland’s Motivational Preferences

An examination of the effects of motivational preferences in IT management

Situational Leadership

Most managerial tasks require management of both task and interpersonal relationships

Task specification refers to defining the job to be done

Relationship management refers to taking care of the motivational needs of employees

Situational Principles

The appropriate motivational technique depends on the development level of the maturity level of individual employees on the specific task being managed

Hierarchy of Needs(Maslow)

Lower needs dominate behavior until they are satisfied.

Self actualizationEsteem (recognition)Social (affiliation)Safety (security)Physiological (food, shelter, clothing)

Maslow

Physiological

Security

Social

Esteem

SelfActualization

Hygiene

Hersey-Blanchard

Task Orientation: Degree of specification required for structuring or defining a task for a worker

Relationship: Support required for an employees attitudes and personal feelings

Hersey BlanchardTask-Relationship Grid

Task

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IISell

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Situational Growth

As people mature, their managerial needs change from complete task definitions with little concern for relationship to a mature employees need merely for goals and feedback

The most difficult managerial stage is stage II (Sell) which requires maximum time in both task and relationship

Management Styles

Most managers have one or two styles that they are most comfortable with.

The art of effective management is matching a managerial tactic to the current needs of the employee

The most effective managers employ the widest range of styles

Sub Optimal StrategiesAbandonment

Task

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IISell

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Sub-Optimal StrategiesTechnical

Task

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IISell

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Sub-Optimal StrategiesAmerican

Task

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Motivational Needs(McClelland)

Need for AchievementNeed for AffiliationNeed for Power

McClelland

The Achieving SocietyTAT and other evaluation tools

The value of power

Need for Achievement

Represents a need to accomplish.Evaluators, not risk takersConcerned more with

accomplishment than rewardNeed feedback on workHigh task, low relationship

Need for Affiliation

Represents a need for establishing, maintaining or restoring a positive friendship relationship from peers and colleagues.

Peer acceptance more important than managerial rewards

Good as support staffHigh relationship

Need for Power

Need for accomplishment through others

Socialized vs unsocialized powerRespond to competitionDesire recognition Risk takers

nAch and nPow

Both lead to outstanding activityPower people understand and are active

in politicsPower people seek to control channels of

communicationAchievement seek to improve daily

performanceAchievement people are uncomfortable

with politics or control

Motivational Profiles: It takes all kinds

Typical ProfileSales

Ach Aff Pow

Typical ProfileEntrepreneur

Ach Aff Pow

Typical ProfileCorporate Manager

Ach Aff Pow

Typical ProfilePolitician

Ach Aff Pow

Typical ProfileSupport Staff

Ach Aff Pow

Typical ProfileTeacher

Ach Aff Pow

Research

Instruct

Typical ProfileIT

Ach Aff Pow

IS Motivation

The computer field attracts people with the highest growth need of all 500 occupations measured, they have the lowest need for social interaction”

Couger, Computerworld, 1990

The Basic Profiles

The High Achievement Profile

Evaluators who take calculated risk. Prefer moderately difficult challenges, and work harder on these tasks.Objectives and challenges work. Accurate feedback on task difficulty appreciated.

The High Achievement Profile

Tend to perceive their probability of success as high, but become more accurate with information or practice. Rely on facts with a generalized optimism.Feel they are better than average. May overcommit unless they are experienced.

The High Achievement Profile

Work hardest for personal achievement or when their efforts will make a difference in the outcome. Not particularly motivated by routine, unchallenging tasks.Value a reward system that rewards individual contribution. Assign challenging work.

The High Achievement Profile

Derive satisfaction from having initiated an action that is successful.Prize freedom and independence. Do not take well to suggestions or directions about what they should think or do. Set collaborative goals.

The High Achievement Profile

Need accurate feedback on performance.Want feedback and evaluation based on results rather than procedures or feelings and relationships.

The High Achievement Profile

Believe that pay for difficult tasks should increase more rapidly than do non nAch profiles.Pay recognition for skills and performance is important as a measure of success.

The High Achievement Profile

Value experts over friends.Expert power and expertise are necessary in establishing managerial authority.

The High Achievement Profile

Tend to avoid conflict.May need to recast conflict or

consciously manage conflict situations to avoid withdrawal or caving in.

The High Affiliation Profile

Tend to avoid leadershipVery uncomfortable making hard

decisions that will lead to alienation. Will go along to gain approval rather than set the pattern

The High Affiliation Profile

Value friends over expertsMay choose poor advisors. Peer

pressure may be paramount. Necessary to sway the whole group.

The High Affiliation Profile

Tend to lack discipline and organization

May need outside structure and organization.

The High Power Profile

Comfortable with magager and leadership roles.

Enjoy motivating and leading others. Tend to collect trappings of power and authority. Important to distinguish socialized from unsocialized (selfish) power.

The High Power Profile

Wish to control the means of influencing subordinates

Likely to be status and position conscious. Very concerned with process and authority.

The High Power Profile

Enjoy conflict and disputesMay appear pushy and

confrontational. May get their way at the expense of organizational growth.

Consequences

Motivational Consequences

Hard to change fundamental character

Can reframe statements from one Need structure to another

Useful to speak in the language of the person being managed

Defined in terms of language

Evaluation of Profiles

Thematic Apperception TestAnalysis of stories and examples

related in free form by subjects.

Practical Evaluation Approaches

Verbal cues from stories and conversations

HeroSubject or person that the individual

discussesPressEnvironment around the hero that exerts

influence on the heroFocusUniqueness, Intensity, Frequency

Evidence of nPow

Identifies self as heroInfluence or defeatr others in storiesSurroundings (office walls, car, etc.)

Evidence of nAff

Hero has one or more social tiesHero is a member of a congenial

groupHero often seen at social eventsSurroundings (pictures, activities,

etc.)

Evidence of nAch

Others as hero, or may not have oneTend to be reluctant in telling storiesFocus on success or professional

activitiesSurroundings (activities, etc.)

Sources of Power(French & Raven)

Reward (ability to grant rewards)Coercive (punishment)Legitimate (leader has a right)Referent (identification with what or

who the leader represents)Expert (knowledge or expertise)

Motivation

Salary and extrinsic motivationIntrinsic and social motivationLeadership and headship

Motivational Opportunity

All motivational profiles are valuableDetermine the primary motivational

profile of colleagues and associatesOffer appropriate social rewards for

performance in kind other than money or promotion.

People

IT Motivational ProfileRecruiting and RetentionTeams and Projects

Rational Retention Strategies

Train & RetainTrain & ReplaceEntrepreneurialLayered SkillsRestrict & LimitOutsource