Testing The Achievement Motivation in Case of Recruiting New and Young Employees in The German Public Service

Testing the achievement
motivation in case of recruiting

new and young employees in
the german public service
16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger
Structure of presentation:
 Introduction
 Explaining the term „achievement
motivation“
 Theories of achievement motivation
 Is the motivation of achievement an
important demand to find new employees?
 Methods of testing achievement motivation
 Summary/Resume/Result

 Introduction
motivation“

1.Introduction:
Leasing questions through the presentation:
1.1 What is „achievement motivation“? What does the term

exactly mean?
1.2 How can you visualize achievement motivation with the

help of tests? Is achievement motivation measurable
anyway?
1.3 Which theories are represented in the science of

motivation?

 Introduction
motivation“

2.Explaining the term „achievement
motivation“:
2.1 performance (achievement)
2.2 motivation
2.3 „achievement motivation“

Definition of „Performance“:
 Physically Performance = Work
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Time
Performance consists of different factors:

 Capacity of performance (intelligence, expertise, age, personality,
healthy)
 Achievement motivation
 Factors, which are depending on the person (character)

Definition of „performance“:
 The relationship between these factors is called
„dopełniające się“
 dopełniające się means:
A shortage in of these factors can only removed by

an intensification other another factor
 RESULT: achievement motivation is part of the

human „performance“ in the job

2.Explaining the term:
2.2 motivation

Definition of „motivation“:
2 terms are in the fore:
 Motiv
 Motivation
Def.: „Motiv“
 Something that causes a person to act; „INCENTIVE“
„AIM“ (intrinsic or extrinsic incentive)
 For example: needs (hunger)

Def.: „Motivation“
 latin word: „movere“ english: „moving“
 Activation of a motiv to earn a special aim (goal)
 „Willingness of action esp. Behaviour“  Reason for
doing something
 Motivation only starts with „INCENTIVIES“
(intrinsic/extrinsic)

Definition in the business world:
„Readiness of employees to evidence good

performances (work)“

2.Explaining the term:
2.2 motivation

Definition of the whole term
„achievement motivation“:
„Somebodys will to realize his performance ability“
Human work consists of 3 main parts:

 „Demand of performance by an organisation“
 „Factors, which are not depending on human beings“
 „Offer of performances by employees“
 Achievement motivation is part of the „offer of

performances by an employee“

Definition of the whole term
„achievement motivation“:
Result:
„achievement motivation gives us a
clue how much an employee is willing
to carry out his performance on his
job“

 Introduction
motivation“

3. Theories of achievement
motivation:
3.1 Hierachy of needs by A. Maslow
3.2 Theory of achievement motivation by

David McClelland

John William Atkinson

3. Theories of achievement
motivation:

David McClelland


Hierachy of needs by A.Maslow
 Name: Abraham Harold Maslow
 Birth: 01.04.1908 in Brooklyn, New York
 studied law
 was the founder of the humanistic psychology
 died in 1970 in case of a heart attack

 In the 1950´s: evolved a theory (pyramid) about the human needs
 The human basic needs develop themselve in a stipulated order
 The lowest motiv is so long the most important motiv, as long as it is

not satisfied
 If the motiv will be satisfied, it goes to the next most important motiv
on the hierachy (pyramid)
 He is called the „father of modern management“

Self-
actualization
Esteem needs
Social needs
Safety needs
Physiological needs

Reduction to 3 classes of needs:
 Existence needs (physiolocigal and safety needs)

 Relatedness needs (social needs)
 Growth needs (esteem needs, self-actualization)
 If needs are not satisfied human beings are motivated

and want to satisfy them (INCENTIVIES, MOTIVES)

3. Theories:

David McClelland


Theory of achievement motivation
by David McClelland
 Birth: 20.05.1917 in Mt. Vernon, New York
 worked 30 years for the Harvard University
 became famous for his researches in achievement motivation
 developed with Atkinson the „Thematic Apperception Test“ (TAT-

test)
 died in March 1998 in age of 80

by David McClelland
He proceeded from 3 central and dominating
needs:
2. need for achievement (nAch)
3. need for affiliation (nAff)
4. need for power (nPow)
 important thesis for this theory:
Attemption to avoid:
• losing power
• failure in job or exercise

by David McClelland
Need for achievement (nAch):
People with a high nAch want to be challenged by exercises with a
high standard (looking for praise and success)  manager
Need for affiliation (nAff):

People with a high nAff needing harmonious relationships and want to
feel accepted by other people

by David McClelland
Need of power (nPow):
2 types of nPow:
 institutional  people want to direct other people
 personal  people want to organize the efforts of others to further
the goals of the organization (more EFFECTIVENESS)
Result:
 Motivation arise from dominating needs (motives) as well similar
to the theory of Maslow
 everyone has these needs  but they are malleable by culture or
personal experience

3. Theories:

David McClelland

by John William Atkinson
 Birth: 31.12.1923 in Jersey City, New Jersey
 was world war II veteran, teacher, and psychologist
 developed with McClelland the „TAT-test“
 died: 27.10.2003

Very important for this theory are 2 terms:
2. Fear of failure
3. Hope to success
„Setting aims“ depend on 2 facts:

 probability of success
 incentive of success

probability of success:
 The easier an exercise is the higher is the probability to
have success
Incentive of success:
 The Incentive of success increases with the difficulty of
an exercise

 Atkinson put his main emphasis on „the difficulty of an
exercise“ (level of exercise)  What do you want to
reach??  high or low level??
Result:
The motiv of performance (achievement) consist of 2
individual motives:
 searching for success (high level)
 avoiding failure (low level)

Structure of the presentation:
 Introduction
motivation“
 Methods of testing achievement
motivation
Achievement motivation –
Important demand?
 achievement motivation (will to carry out his performance on the
job) = basis of human work  important for the selection of new
employees!
 it doesn‘t matter how intelligent/able someone is
non-motivated employees:
 will not prove their work
 are not able to exhaust 100% of their capacity of capability
 not efficient for an organization!!

Achievement motivation –
important demand?
personnel department must answer 2 questions:
 how hard tries the applicant to have success?
 how hard tries the applicant to avoid failure?
 compare wih theory of John William Atkinson

 Introduction
 Explaining the term „achievement motivation“
 Is the motivation of achievement an important
demand to find new employees?

Methods of testing achievement
motivation:
 5.1. Inventory of achievement motivation by
Schuler (germ.: LMI)
 5.2. BIP = Inventory by the university of Bochum
 5.3. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT-test)

motivation:

Inventory of achievement
motivation (LMI)
sphere of operation:
 developed by Schuler in 2001
 used in fields like personell selection and

management, sportpsychology, science of
motivation and science of personality
 practicable from 16 year old people on

motivation (LMI)
proceeding:
 17-scale test with 170 items measuring

achievement motivation in the job
 each scale has 10 items (questions which must
be answered)
 items are, for the most part, couched in a
context with work
 length: normal test 35 min. small test 10 min.

motivation (LMI)
Example for itmes
 DOMINANCE: tendency to exercise power over other
people  taking initiative and control over activities
 FEARLESSNESS: degree of absence of a fear of failing
at difficult tasks
FLEXIBILITY, SELF-CONTROL, GOAL SETTING,

INTERNALITY…….

motivation (LMI)
representation/analysis:
 analysis by an extern firm
 graphicaly presentation with numbers 

comprehending to oneself and outstanding
people
 get an expert opnion as well

motivation:

Inventory by the university of
Bochum (BIP)
 used in fields personell selection and management
 suitable for coaching-exercises to find the strong and
weak sides of an employee
 shows in which sphere you can get better
 practicable up from 20 year old people and/or for
working people
 developed by students in the 90‘s and continuously
developed into

Bochum (BIP)
proceeding:
 consists of 251 items (stetemnts) and 17 scales (characteristics)
 test persons must value job specific statements (for example „I like
taking full responsibility for decisions“)
test has 4 personality characteristic:

 social competence
 psychic consitution
 professional orientation
 the way of working
 length: 30-60 min.

Bochum (BIP)
 analysis by an extern firm
 graphicaly presentation with numbers 

comprehending to oneself and outstanding
people
 get an expert opnion as well

motivation:

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT-
test)
 developed in 1935 and used first time by Henry A. Murry,
american psychologist
 years later McClelland worked on the test to measure

motives of achievement motivation for the first time
 can be used in every section of life, especially used in

personel management
 has no limitation for a kind of people or age

test)
proceeding:
 test persons get black-white pictures (allowed to look at
15-30 sec.)
 situations in the jobs  must tell a story
 What goes on? What thoughts or feelings has the person

in the picture?........
 length: depending on how many pictures the person

shall see and tell a story (1 story 4 min.)

test)
 only a psychologist can interpret the answers

 psychological expert opinion is needed
or/and
 graphicaly presentation with numbers as well
 PROBLEM: Definition of criterions (motives)

and intuitive test!!!

 Introduction
 Explaining the term „achievement motivation“
 Is the motivation of achievement an important
demand to find new employees?

1.1 What is „achievement motivation“? What does
the term exactly mean?
1.2 How can you visualize achievement motivation

with the help of tests? Is achievement motivation
measurable anyway?
1.3 Which theories are represented in the science

of motivation?

Summary/Resume/Result
 tests to measure achievement motivation must be used
in recruiting new employees
 achievement motivation is 1 condition for for working in

the job
Problem in the public sector:

 payment in the private sector depends on performance;
jobs are better paid  public sector needs high
motivated employees

Summary/Resume/Result
 achievement motivation is measurable visuable!
 tests are practicable and shall be used
with practical orientation:

In organizations of the public sector are no tests to
measure achievement motivation of apllicants!!!
REASON: question of costs!!!!!! and/or the importance of

achievement motivation is underestimated

Thanks for listening and your
attention!!

Testing The Achievement Motivation in Case of Recruiting New and Young Employees in The German Public Service

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Testing The Achievement Motivation in Case of Recruiting New and Young Employees in The German Public Service

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Testing the achievement

motivation in case of recruiting

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

Leasing questions through the presentation:

1.1 What is „achievement motivation“? What does the term

1.2 How can you visualize achievement motivation with the

1.3 Which theories are represented in the science of

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

2.1 performance (achievement)

2.3 „achievement motivation“

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

Performance consists of different factors:

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

A shortage in of these factors can only removed by

 RESULT: achievement motivation is part of the

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

2.1 performance (achievement)

2.3 „achievement motivation“

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

„Readiness of employees to evidence good

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

2.1 performance (achievement)

2.3 „achievement motivation“

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

„Somebodys will to realize his performance ability“

Human work consists of 3 main parts:

 Achievement motivation is part of the „offer of

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

3.2 Theory of achievement motivation by

3.3 Theory of achievement motivation by

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

3.2 Theory of achievement motivation by

3.3 Theory of achievement motivation by

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

 Birth: 01.04.1908 in Brooklyn, New York

 was the founder of the humanistic psychology

 died in 1970 in case of a heart attack

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

 The human basic needs develop themselve in a stipulated order

 The lowest motiv is so long the most important motiv, as long as it is

 He is called the „father of modern management“

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

 Existence needs (physiolocigal and safety needs)

 If needs are not satisfied human beings are motivated

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

3.2 Theory of achievement motivation by

3.3 Theory of achievement motivation by

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

 worked 30 years for the Harvard University

 became famous for his researches in achievement motivation

 developed with Atkinson the „Thematic Apperception Test“ (TAT-

 died in March 1998 in age of 80

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger

 important thesis for this theory:

16. Juni 2009 Patrick Lenger