Alderfer's ERG Theory (Existence-Relatedness-Growth Theory)
Clayton Alderfer (1972), Maslow’un gereksinimler hiyerarşisini başka bir şekilde ifade etmektedir. Maslow’un modeli özellikle çalışma yaşamı için geliştirilmemişken, Alderfer kuramında örgütlerdeki insan gereksinimlerine yönelik bir uyarlama yapmaya çalışmıştır (Porter, vd., 2003: 8). Alderfer kuramında gereksinimleri Varoluş (Existence), İlişki kurma (Relatedness) ve Gelişme (Growth) gereksinimleri olarak üç grupta incelemiştir.
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Existence Requirement: It includes the physiological and safety needs that have material characteristics that enable human beings to survive and maintain their existence (Mullins, 2002: 430). The need for existence corresponds to the physiological and specific safety needs, which are related to human existence and take place in the first two steps in Maslow's theory (Porter et al., 2003; 8).
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İlişki Kurma Gereksinimi: These needs include open communication, satisfaction with the sharing of feelings and thoughts with others. Again, it corresponds to the need for love and belonging in Maslow's theory and the need for respect, which includes feedback from others. However, Alderfer emphasized that the need to establish relationships is satisfied with open, true and honest interaction rather than uncritical intimacy (Johns and Saks, 2001: 139).
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Development Requirement: The need for development includes the need for self-actualization, which is also included in Maslow's theory, and also includes an aspect of the need for esteem, which includes the quality of success and responsibility (Johns and Saks, 2001: 139).
Alderfer's ERG theory, as can be understood from the definitions, is a reconsidered version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory. Accordingly, as the needs for existence and relationship reach satisfaction, the next needs will begin to be demanded more. Only to the extent that "development needs" are met, more will be required. Another aspect of the theory that differs from Maslow is that the requirements are listed here according to their concreteness. Therefore, when it is difficult to meet a higher level requirement, a lower level requirement set will be more desirable. Because, according to this theory, those who cannot achieve more differentiated, less concrete goals tend towards more concrete goals. The real desire is thus not satisfied, but the more concrete one replaces it (Onaran, 1981: 39-40). As will be remembered, according to Maslow, a satisfied need has lost its motivating feature. According to him, if the need for respect is not met, the person will not return to the lower level of need for love and belonging; because this requirement will be deemed to have already been met.
The ERG model appears to be less rigid than the hierarchy of needs theory in that it allows greater flexibility in describing human behavior. He also suggested a useful way of thinking about employee motivation (Porter et al., 2003: 9).