- 2071 Shrawan · 3+5 marks
Maslow's hierarchy vs Alderfer's ERG
Short answer
Motivation is the inner force that drives people to satisfy needs. Maslow has five needs in a strict upward order, with satisfied needs stopping motivation. Alderfer has three needs: Existence, Relatedness and Growth, allows several needs at once, and includes frustration-regression where a blocked higher need strengthens lower needs.
What is motivation? Explain the difference between Maslow's hierarchical need theory and Alderfer's ERG theory.
Motivation
Motivation is the inner force that makes people act to satisfy their needs and achieve goals. Managers motivate employees by offering rewards that satisfy their needs.
Maslow's need hierarchy
Abraham Maslow proposed five needs in order: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. A lower need must be satisfied before a higher need is activated; a satisfied need no longer motivates.
Alderfer's ERG theory
Clayton Alderfer (1969) reduced the needs to three:
- Existence (E): physiological and safety needs (pay, working conditions).
- Relatedness (R): social needs and esteem from others.
- Growth (G): esteem (self) and self-actualization.
Differences
| Basis | Maslow | Alderfer ERG |
|---|---|---|
| Number of needs | Five | Three |
| Order | Strict, step by step upward | Flexible, more than one need can operate at once |
| Movement | Only upward (satisfaction-progression) | Upward and downward (frustration-regression) |
| Satisfied need | Stops motivating | May continue to motivate, especially growth |
| Frustration | Not explained | If a higher need is frustrated, the lower need becomes stronger |
| Individual and cultural differences | Little room | Recognises that order varies |
| Testing | Little research support | More support |
Example: if a Nepali employee cannot get a promotion (growth need frustrated), he may focus on more pay or friendly relations (existence or relatedness), which is explained by ERG but not by Maslow.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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