Traditional sales training has concentrated primarily on the sales interview and has given salesmen a series of behavioural guidelines to use in that situation. Sometimes these…
Abstract
Traditional sales training has concentrated primarily on the sales interview and has given salesmen a series of behavioural guidelines to use in that situation. Sometimes these have been in the form of such mnemonics as AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action; sometimes as in the rather better Rank ‘Customer and You’ films they have consisted of a series of relatively simple rules of thumb. Another approach has worked through giving the salesman some idea of the customers' motivation. Our approach to salesmen training has started at a different point — the motivation of the salesman himself. Professor David McClelland of Havard has over the past 30 years or so been researching the relationship between the level of achievement, affiliation and power motivation, on the one hand and the level of success in various occupations on the other. He found that salesmen, like entrepreneurs, they work on their own to a marked degree and have the opportunity to get quick feedback on results of their work — they either make a sale or fail to do so — are successful if they have a high level of achievement motivation. He also managed to isolate the strategies and behavioural characteristics of people with such a high level. Finally he proved that the level of achievement motivation can be developed by training.
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Hamdy Abdullah, Fahru Azwa Md Zain, Sheikh Ahmad Faiz Sheikh Ahmad Tajuddin, Nik Hazimi Mohammed Foziah and Muhammad Shahrul Ifwat Ishak
Many scholars have primarily disregarded employee motivation in the context of Western and Islamic ideas. To better understand employee motivation, this paper aims to explore a…
Abstract
Purpose
Many scholars have primarily disregarded employee motivation in the context of Western and Islamic ideas. To better understand employee motivation, this paper aims to explore a novel approach of fusing McClelland’s needs theory (i.e. achievement, power and affiliation) with Maqasid Shariah.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a theoretical research design. There will be a thorough literature study of McClelland’s theory, Maqasid Shariah, and employee motivation. Qualitative content analysis is used to examine and compile pertinent ideas. To give a thorough framework for comprehending employee motivation from both Western and Islamic ethical viewpoints, McClelland’s theory and Maqasid Shariah are integrated.
Findings
This paper has conceptualized the integration of Maqasid Shariah’s five requirements with McClelland’s need theory. It is suggested that Maqasid Shariah and McClelland’s need theory be combined to understand employee motivation. For employees, the integration of McClelland’s need theory and Maqasid Shariah entails developing a work environment that attends to their many needs, is consistent with Islamic principles, encourages justice and equity, supports both professional and personal development and promotes social responsibility. By combining McClelland’s need theory and Maqasid Shariah, 15 propositions are developed to explain employee motivation. The study offers a measurement index to explain employee motivation based on the two theories.
Research limitations/implications
The integration of McClelland’s theory of need and Maqasid Shariah offers expected positive implications. By considering the cultural and religious context in Islamic societies, researchers can adopt a more sensitive approach to studying motivation. This blend provides a holistic understanding of motivation, incorporating individual needs and broader ethical dimensions. Studies may explore the impact on prosocial behavior, organizational values, leadership practices and employee well-being. Understanding the alignment between personal motives and ethical principles can benefit organizations in diverse workplaces, emphasizing long-term sustainability and fostering employee engagement and commitment.
Practical implications
The integration of McClelland’s theory and Maqasid Shariah shows the potential implications to increase employee motivation. This study contributes significantly to Maqasid Shariah theory in business research by guiding ethical decision-making aligned with Islamic values, fostering inclusive workplaces and offering strategies for boosting employee morale. It emphasizes ethical practices, legal compliance and community engagement, while also encouraging sustainable business models that consider societal well-being and the environment.
Originality/value
This paper provides its unique value by being among the first to integrate McClelland’s theory and Maqasid Shariah and providing an innovative approach in developing a new measurement index in the context of employee motivation.
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Mario J. Hayek, Wallace A. Williams, Amanda C. Brown and Amitava Bose Bapi
The purpose of this paper is to understand the implicit motivations of entrepreneurial philanthropists during different stages of their lives.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the implicit motivations of entrepreneurial philanthropists during different stages of their lives.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors follow a Historical Organization Studies approach by performing a psychobiographical analysis using McClelland’s Thematic Apperception Test on the autobiography of Andrew Carnegie across different stages of his life while considering the historical context.
Findings
The configuration of the implicit motivations of entrepreneurial philanthropists change with achievement motivation decreasing and power motivation increasing over time explaining the shift of focus from self to others.
Originality/value
While researchers have been theorizing and using interviews to uncover shifts in entrepreneurial motivations, this is the first paper to longitudinally uncover implicit motivations to explain why successful entrepreneurs give back later in life.
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David C. McClelland attributed India's slow economic development to the lack of people with the need for achievement (n‐ach). His argument is simple: if a nation develops a large…
Abstract
Purpose
David C. McClelland attributed India's slow economic development to the lack of people with the need for achievement (n‐ach). His argument is simple: if a nation develops a large number of people – especially managers, leaders and entrepreneurs – who are driven by motives to achieve, to build and develop things, then that resource (achievement‐oriented people) will generate economic development. India today is on a growth trajectory. It has a vast repertory of engineering, technical and managerial talents. But does the country have the so‐called achievement‐oriented managers to lead its enterprises to excel and compete in the emerging world order? This study is an inquiry into this phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws a national sample of managers working in the banking sector and attempts to measure the distribution of achievement among them. The linkage between the achievement orientation of managers and their performance effectiveness is also explored.
Findings
Though limited by the size of the sample, the study findings reveal that Indian managers possess achievement orientation in considerable degrees and that the highest performers among them are the ones possessing the highest levels of achievement orientation. Furthermore, the study provides insights into how the attribute of achievement orientation operates in the Indian managerial work environment.
Originality/value
The findings make it possible to prognosticate that a transformation has occurred in the social fabric of India, equipping the country to be psychologically and entrepreneurially resourceful with achievement‐oriented managers. Evidence on the distribution of an achievement orientation among Indian managers could be a vital input for strategic managers and top management planning for business expansion and diversification in India.
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Xuan Van Tran and Arch G. Woodside
People have unconscious motives which affects their decision-making and associated behavior. The paper describes a study using thematic apperception test (TAT) to measure how…
Abstract
People have unconscious motives which affects their decision-making and associated behavior. The paper describes a study using thematic apperception test (TAT) to measure how unconscious motives influence travelers' interpretations and preferences toward alternative tours and hotels. Using the TAT, the present study explores the relationships between three unconscious needs: (1) achievement, (2) affiliation, and (3) power and preferences for four package tours (adventure, culture, business, and escape tours) and for seven hotel identities (quality, familiarity, location, price, friendliness, food and beverage, and cleanliness and aesthetics). The present study conducts canonical correlation analyses to examine the relationships between unconscious needs and preferences for package tours and hotel identities using data from 467 university students. The study scores 2,438 stories according to the TAT manual to identify unconscious needs. The findings indicate that (1) people with a high need for affiliation prefer an experience based on cultural values and hotels that are conveniently located, (2) individuals with a high need for power indicate a preference for high prices and good value for their money, and (3) people with a high need for achievement prefer a travel experience with adventure as a motivation. The study findings are consistent with previous research of McClelland (1990), Wilson (2002), and Woodside et al. (2008) in exploring impacts of the unconscious levels of human need.
This chapter proposes moving beyond relying on the dominant logic of multiple regression analysis (MRA) toward thinking and using algorithms in advancing and testing theory in…
Abstract
This chapter proposes moving beyond relying on the dominant logic of multiple regression analysis (MRA) toward thinking and using algorithms in advancing and testing theory in accounting, consumer research, finance, management, and marketing. The chapter includes an example of testing an MRA model for fit and predictive validity. The same data used for the MRA is used to conduct a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The chapter reviews a number of insights by prominent scholars including Gerd Gigerenzer’s treatise that “Scientists’ tools are not neutral.” Tools impact thinking and theory crafting as well theory testing. The discussion may be helpful for early career scholars unfamiliar with David C. McClelland’s brilliance in data analysis and in introducing business research scholars to fsQCA as an alternative tool for theory development and data analysis.