Need for Achievement

In the last byte, we began understanding McClelland's Need Theory and the definitions of the various theories. In today's byte we look at the need of achievement in greater detail.

Need for Achievement:
As mentioned in the last byte, the need for achievement concerns with issues like excellence, competition, challenging goals, persistence, and overcoming difficulties. People with high need of achievement could be seen seeking excellence in performance, and enjoy working towards challenges and difficult goals and is perceiving and competitive at work. Such people have been found to perform better than those with this at a moderate or low need for achievement.

People with such high need of achievement are having 3 distinct characteristics:

1. They set goals that are moderately difficult, yet achievable.
2. They like to receive feedback on their progress towards these goals.
3. They do not like having external events or other people interfere with their progress

These people often hope to succeed and plan for it. They do not mind working single handedly or in teams, as long as they get the appropriate model for their task. These people find it easy to develop expertise and they are very good at what they do. They are found to develop competency and expertise in the field they choose to endeavor, pretty quickly.

Research has shown that achievement tendencies are highest for the United States, an individualistic culture, and lowest for Japan and Hungary, which are collective societies.