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human needs can be accessed and satisfied simultaneously, rather than from the bottom up. Either
way, as needs are satisfied, employees are motivated to strive to satisfy a new need.
Out of work for some time now, Jesse was offered a position as a copy assistant at a local
website, The Pressing News Online (PNO). Jesse had been the senior editor for The Pelican, a
major publication, for many years when it went under.
Desperate for work, Jesse took the PNOposition with the hope of being quickly promoted to editor.
When Jesse accepted the position of copy assistant, what she was really doing was fulfilling
Alderfer's existence need. The paycheck satisfied her physiologically - it paid for basic necessities
like food, water and shelter.
Alderfer's ERG theory contends there are three basic needs an employee seeks to fulfill. As each
need is fulfilled, it serves as motivation to fulfill a different need.
ERG stands for existence, relatedness and growth, and these are defined as:
Existence - the need for basic material existence, like physiological health and safety
Relatedness - the need for interpersonal connections, social status and recognition
Growth - the need for personal development, including creative and meaningful work
As each need is met, another need could be satisfied. In fact, at any point, several could be satisfied.
Similarly, Maslow believed that there are five basic human needs:
Physiological needs
Safety needs
Belongingness needs
Status needs
The difference is that Maslow believed that only one need could be satisfied at any given time. As a
lower-order need is met, like getting a new job, work begins on satisfying a higher-order need, like
getting a promotion.
If a lower-order need such as health is no longer satisfied, like being diagnosed with a long-term
illness, the status of having a promotion is no longer important. A swift move down the hierarchy is
necessary to work on satisfying the physiological need to heal.
She regularly combs the job boards for freelance work in top magazines and newspapers. Jesse is
working on a growth need: the need to work on meaningful and creative projects.
Although Jesse is working very hard to satisfy multiple needs at once, sometimes it ends in defeat.
Alderfer calls this frustration-regression. Frustration-regression is the tendency to seek to satisfy
lower-order needs when higher orders are not met.
Sending writing samples didn't amount to as much as a phone call or an email. Frustrated with
everything, Jesse began looking for satisfaction elsewhere. Her growth need was not being met.
Clayton Alderfer reworked Maslow's Need Hierarchy to align it more closely with empirical research.
Alderfer's theory is called the ERG theory -- Existence, Relatedness, and Growth.
To bring Maslows need hierarchy theory of motivation in synchronization with empirical research, Clayton Alderfer
redefined it in his own terms. His rework is called as ERG theory of motivation. He recategorized Maslows hierarchy
of needs into three simpler and broader classes of needs:
Existence needs- These include need for basic material necessities. In short, it includes an individuals
physiological and physical safety needs.
Relatedness needs- These include the aspiration individuals have for maintaining significant interpersonal
relationships (be it with family, peers or superiors), getting public fame and recognition. Maslows social
needs and external component of esteem needs fall under this class of need.
Growth needs- These include need for self-development and personal growth and advancement. Maslows
self-actualization needs and intrinsic component of esteem needs fall under this category of need.
The significance of the three classes of needs may vary for each individual.
ERG Theory also shows that if the fulfillment of a higher-level need is subdued, there is an increase in
desire for satisfying a lower-level need.
According to Maslow, an individual remains at a particular need level until that need is satisfied. While
according to ERG theory, if a higher- level need aggravates, an individual may revert to increase the
satisfaction of a lower- level need. This is called frustration- regression aspect of ERG theory. For instancewhen growth need aggravates, then an individual might be motivated to accomplish the relatedness need
and if there are issues in accomplishing relatedness needs, then he might be motivated by the existence
needs. Thus, frustration/aggravation can result in regression to a lower-level need.
While Maslows need hierarchy theory is rigid as it assumes that the needs follow a specific and orderly
hierarchy and unless a lower-level need is satisfied, an individual cannot proceed to the higher-level need;
ERG Theory of motivation is very flexible as he perceived the needs as a range/variety rather than
perceiving them as a hierarchy. According to Alderfer, an individual can work on growth needs even if his
existence or relatedness needs remain unsatisfied. Thus, he gives explanation to the issue of starving
artist who can struggle for growth even if he is hungry.