UNIT – I Lesson 1 HRM – AN OVERVIEW Lesson Outline Nature of ...

ecoming) and self-fulfillment. Abraham Maslow surmised that until a person’s more
basic needs are fulfilled, he or she will not strive to meet higher order needs. As each
need is substantially satisfied, the next need becomes dominant. The needs when
translated into an organizational context would mean wages, job-security, recognition,
confidence and pride of excellence.
Alderfer’s Existence, Relatedness and Growth Theory
Clayton Alderfer through his ERG theory, reformulated Maslow’s theory by reducing the
five level of needs into three namely Existence, Relatedness and Growth. Physiological
and Security needs were combined under the label Existence, while love needs was
renamed relatedness and self-esteem and self-actualization correspond to the growth
needs. While the ERG theory accepted the usual movement from lower order to higher
order needs, it also emphasizes the possibility of more than one need arising at a given
time. Secondly, it states that if a higher order need is not satisfied, an employee may
regress into the pursuit of lower order need.
Alderfer suggested more of a continuum of needs than hierarchical levels of two
factors of needs. Unlike Maslow and Herzberg, Alderfer did not contend that a lower level
need has to be fulfilled before a higher-level need becomes motivating. According to the
descriptions of the ERG theory, a person’s family background, upbringing or cultural
atmosphere may dictate that the relatedness needs will take primacy over unfulfilled
survival needs. Thus, there could be persons with genius qualities starving. Similarly in
some cases the more the growth needs are satisfied, the more they will increase in
intensity.
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory:
Fredrick Herzberg and his associates’ recommendations are familiar to almost all
managers. They had concluded in their prescriptive two-factor theory, also known as the
motivation-hygiene theory that satisfaction and dissatisfaction with jobs occur because of
different set of factors. While dissatisfaction is caused if the hygiene factors such as pay,
Job security, relationships with superior and peers, status, happiness in personal life,
cordial relationships with peers and subordinates and physical working conditions are not
possible or available in an adequate measure, but their mere presence would not be
sufficient to motivate a person. Motivation at work occurs if another set of factors like
recognition, challenging tasks, opportunity to use one’s talents and skills, demonstrate
achievements, chances to learn and grow, are made possible or available to the employees.
Herzberg’s theory has contributed to much of the enthusiasm towards job enrichment.