What you’ll learn to do: explain need-based theories of worker motivation

One of the approaches to understanding motivation is by studying human needs. Specifically, studying how the satisfaction of fundamental human needs drives behavior. In this section, we will introduce the four dominant theories—psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, psychologist Clayton Alderfer’s ERG theory, a modification of Maslow’s theory, psychologist Frederick Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene or two-factor theory and psychologist David McClelland’s Acquired Needs theory—and their relevance to management.