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Introduction
The concept of growth denotes either physical or mental change in size. Growth, as discussed in this paper, will concern both manifested physical growth and external growth associated with progress in careers, personal relationships, and existing networks with friends and colleagues. Motivation plays a tremendously pivotal role in growth; in essence, many employees and workers that engage in their various endeavors that result in growth in their careers usually require a dose of motivation to achieve growth.
Alderfer’s ERG Theory of Growth
The ERG theory of growth states that a person’s most salient aspects have to do with the person’s existence, relatedness and growth. The existence needs concern the person’s concerns for bare survival. These include the need for food, the need for clothing and shelter. As concerns relatedness, the theory states that a person needs to have satisfying relationships with others in his or her social circle in order to have a sense of self and be ready to embrace growth.
Finally, the element of growth in this theory relates to an individual’s need for personal development. The need for personal development occurs in a person’s private and professional setting. Personal development, thus, involves a sense of increased maturity as well as development in a given career that an individual may choose.
Growth and development in employees, as stated earlier, requires motivation that may be co-opted from different sources. According to Peterson et al, characteristics such as hope, optimism and resilience are powerful motivating factors for employees.
In their study, Peterson et al found that when employees and workers gain these characteristics and attitudes (hopefulness, optimism and resilience) towards their work, they become highly motivated and attain higher levels of career growth (2010, p.428). The onus is thus on employers and managers of various organizations to ensure that such characteristics are imparted in their employees.
This impartation can happen through various means to ensure that employees develop a proper and positive attitude towards work and achieve a level of growth in their respective posts and careers. Alderfer’s ERG theory of growth thus aligns with the findings of the study, since to develop the positive characteristics mentioned here requires that these employees’ needs concerning the existence and relatedness are met.
Before an individual becomes hopeful, optimistic and resilient, his or her basic need for food, clothing and security has to be fulfilled first. Additionally, the individual has to feel that he or she has positive relations with members of family, coworkers and friends. After these two needs are met, then, through training and positive reinforcement, the individual can easily become hopeful, optimistic, and resilient. These are the characteristics necessary for individual and professional growth.
Professional Goal setting And Alderfer’s ERG theory of growth
An individual’s own characteristics also play a crucial part in one’s professional growth. According to Alderfer’s ERG theory of growth and development, an individual’s need for personal development features prominently in his or her growth needs. The most successful professionals in their various fields usually have a high rate and level of personal development.
Baum and Barbara state that, highly successful entrepreneurs usually exhibit a high level of their sense of self and belief in achieving what an ordinary person would deem impossible (2010, p.398). According to their study, successful entrepreneurs are highly goal driven. These entrepreneurs set goals and then take the necessary steps to achieve the set goals.
Similarly, personal and professional development is achieved through setting goals and striving to achieve them at various points in an individual’s life. Personal development goals range from an effort by one individual to lose weight or the set target of another individual to start a business. The common element in personal development goals is that they are set to improve or change the current socioeconomic, bodily, financial or other status of the individual.
Informal Personal behavior and Alderfer’s ERG theory of Growth and Development
An individual’s personal behavior draws entirely from the characteristics that the individual acquires and develops over a period. The environment in which a person grows, as well as the nature of parenting undertaken play a significant role in the development of an individual. For instance, children that are raised with single parents are more likely to engage in crime and other social vices compared to children raised by two parents (the father and mother) (Ricciuti, 2004, p. 196).
Therefore, an individual’s personal informal behavior is a function of both nature and nurture. According to Alderfer’s Theory of growth, when an individual’s needs for existence and relatedness are not met – for instance by neglectful parenting, the individual will lag behind in his or her rate of personal development. The personal behavior of such an individual will also exhibit signs of neglect, and the person may be socially withdrawn, aggressive or acquire other such extreme characteristics.
However, although the nature and nurture are strong factors in an individual’s personal development – and thus his subsequent behaviors, persons who undergo severe trauma, regardless of their upbringing, exhibit signs of unfulfilled existence and relatedness needs.
Such persons require training and goal setting lessons in order to achieve personal growth – and thus exhibit appropriate personal behavior. According to Lerner and Blow, soldiers who engage in battle usually exhibit signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
These signs resemble the signs of individuals whose relatedness needs have not been met. Lerner and Blow state that through positive training on the need for setting goals that bring personal development – for instance re-joining a previous career, or engaging in volunteer work – these veterans eventually eliminate PTSD signs (2011, p.40).
Therefore, personal development training is also a decisive factor in creating positive characteristics in individuals. Interestingly, research on biological processes of growth reveals an almost similar pattern. Bhagia et al, in their study of persons suffering from brain injury, discovered that, when the individual was injected with a growth hormone, recovery was quicker and more holistic (2010, p.565).
Therefore, just like personal and professional growth and development, biological growth also benefits from induced, targeted growth stimulation.
Social Policy and Alderfer’s ERG theory of Growth and Development
With the understanding of Alderfer’s ERG theory of growth, social development policies enacted in society should ensure all polices aim to fulfill the existence, relational and growth needs of all the members of society. A lack in any of the above needs creates a sense of loss in an individual, and such an individual is likely to engage in behavior that causes harm to the rest of the members of society.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory of Growth
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs growth theory states that, an individual has needs that need to be fulfilled at various levels for the individual to achieve personal and professional development. These needs are physiological needs (food, shelter, security), social needs (friendship and intimacy), self-esteem needs (belonging) and self-actualization.
According to Maslow, when an individual’s physiological needs are not met, the person will not be able to apply himself or herself fully to any task at hand, and the pattern holds as the different needs at different levels are explored. Therefore, an individual can be motivated with the promise of fulfillment of higher needs. For instance, an employee whose pay enables him or her to meet only physiological needs can be motivated with the promise of a higher pay that will enable him or her fulfill his or her social needs.
Maslow’s Theory of Growth and Informal Personal Behavior
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, whenever a given level of needs is not met in an individual, the individual will exhibit this lack in certain antisocial behavior. For instance, a child who is neglected by the parents- thus the safety needs are unmet, will most likely develop a sense of inferiority towards his or her peers. Similarly, an adult whose self-esteem needs are unmet is likely to resort to self-destructive and harmful behavior such as drug abuse in an attempt to fulfill the need of being respected by peers.
Maslow’s Theory of Growth and Professional Goal Setting
In a professional setting, especially in organizations with employees at various stages of their career growth, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs growth theory is useful in ensuring that employees remain motivated to perform their tasks and achieve personal and professional growth.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs growth theory enables individual employees examine areas of his or her personal life that do not align with the theory, and adjust accordingly.
That quarrelsome manager may be suffering from a simple lack of professional appreciation, and may feel that he or she is simply not getting the respect that he/she deserves, and thus their tendency to pick a fight over unnecessary issues may be a manifestation of the need for professional appreciation.
Similarly, the guard who is always unmotivated may be exhibiting signs of a person whose pay does not fulfill both physiological and social needs. Thus, the management of an organization can use the theory to ensure that the workplace becomes a place of wholesome and appropriate rewards for all workers and managers involved (Benson, & Dundis, 2003, p.315). The management can also set individual goals for various employees based on the hierarchical needs outlined in the theory.
Maslow’s Theory of Growth and Development of Social policy
Maslow’s hierarchical needs growth theory is especially vital in assisting in the formulation and development of social policies. As postulated by this theory, when the needs in various levels are unfulfilled, then the individual is likely to resort to behavior that alienates him or her from the rest of society.
Conclusion
With the provision of these theories in mind, schools, colleges, prisons, day care centers, families and even foster care homes should endeavor to satisfy at least the two bottom level needs for individuals in their care.
Parents should especially be concerned with fulfilling the need for belonging in their children. Social service programs and social workers should also strive to ensure that the people they are sent to monitor have their most basic level of needs fulfilled; a lack of which can be a pointer to the person’s antisocial behavior and actions.
References
Baum, J. R., & Bird, B. J. (2010). The successful intelligence of high-growth entrepreneurs: Links to new venture growth. Organization Science, 21(2), 397-412
Benson, S. G., & Dundis, S. P. (2003). Understanding and motivating health care employees: integrating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, training and technology. Journal of Nursing Management, 11(5), 315. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2834.2003.00409.x
Bhagia V., Gilkison, C, Fitts, R., Zgaljardic, D., High, W., Masel, B., Urban, R., & Mossberg, K. (2010). Of recombinant growth hormone replacement in a growth hormone deficient subject recovering from mild traumatic brain injury: A case report. Brain Injury, 24(3), 560-567.
Lerner, B., & Blow, A. (2011). A model of meaning-making coping and growth in combat veterans. Review of General Psychology, 4(3), 38-45
Peterson, S. J., Luthans, F., Avolio, B., Walumbwa, O., Zhang, Z., (2010). Psychological capital and employee performance: A latent growth modeling approach. Personnel Psychology, 64(2), 427-450.
Ricciuti, H. N. (2004). Single Parenthood, Achievement, and Problem Behavior in White, Black, and Hispanic Children. Journal of Educational Research, 97(4), 196-206.
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