Personality applied to the organization
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Survey Complete
1. I do my best work when my job assignments are fairly di�cult.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
2. I try very hard to improve on my past performance at work.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
The Acquired Needs Theory holds that people are motivated by three needs developed over our lives:
● Achievement ● Affiliation ● Power
The following survey was designed to assess your acquired needs within your current organization. Source: Adapted from R. S. Blackburn, “An Evaluation of the Reliability, Stability and Factor Structure of the Manifest Needs Questionnaire,” Journal of Management, Fall 1981, pp. 55–62.
Read each statement in the survey and select the rating that reflects the extent to which you agree or disagree with the scenario in the statement. There are no right or wrong answers. After completing the self-assessment, read the feedback that explains how to understand your score and interpret your results. You must respond to all statements in order to receive full credit for this self-assessment activity.
Achievement
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3. I take moderate risks and stick my neck out to get ahead at work.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
4. I do not avoid any added responsibilities on my job.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
5. I try to perform better than my co-workers.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
6. When I have a choice I try to work in a group instead of by myself.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
7. I pay a good deal of attention to the feelings of others at work.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
8. I prefer to work with others rather than alone.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
Affiliation
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9. I do not express my disagreements with others openly.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
10. I �nd myself talking to those around me about non-business related matters.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
11. I seek an active role in the leadership of a group.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
12. I try to in�uence those around me to see things my way.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
13. I �nd myself organizing and directing the activities of others.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
14. I strive to gain more control over the events around me at work.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
Power
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15. I strive to be “in command” when I am working in a group.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Agree
Achievement
Achievement 0 25
17 17/25
Range 12 to
18
You may have moderate need for achievement.
A�liation
A�liation 0 25
15 15/25
Range 12 to
18
You may have moderate need for a�liation.
Power
Power 0 25
19 19/25
Range 19 to
25 You may have high need for power.
The Acquired Needs Theory holds that people are motivated by the following three needs, which we develop over the course of our lives:
● Achievement – If your score is low, this indicates you may not feel the need to strive for high performance in your work or schooling. In contrast, if your score is high, you might have that need. Persons who have high need for achievement tend to like jobs where pay and performance are linked and where advancement is possible. In addition to the results of this self-
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assessment, you can judge your level of need for achievement by the need you feel to earn consistently high grades in your coursework.
● Affiliation – If your score is low, this indicates you are not very concerned by what others think about you, and you do not spend a lot of time developing close relationships with other people. If your score is high, you may have a strong desire for warm and deep relationships with other people. Persons high in need for affiliation tend to prefer work requiring social relationships such as sales. Persons high in need for affiliation may struggle with making hard decisions about subordinates that managers are expected to make. In addition to the results of this self-assessment, you can judge your level of need for affiliation by the extent to which you are likely to prefer getting to know other people as opposed to being sure the task assigned to you is completed on time.
● Power – If your score is low, you may not have a need to be in a position to influence other people. If your score is high, you may find that you strongly desire to be in managerial and leadership positions in which you can exert influence over how things are done and decisions that are made. Persons high in need for power tend to gravitate towards supervisory and managerial positions. In addition to the results of this self- assessment, you can judge your level of need for power by reflecting on your desire to take control in group situations.
In addition to looking at the scores for each of the three needs, you can also profit from looking at the pattern of results. If the three scores are similar to each other, you might be described as a balanced person. If one score is significantly higher than the others, this might indicate you are particularly motivated by that particular need.
The primary value of reflecting on your needs is to help you have a fuller understanding of yourself and the kind of jobs for which you are best suited. For example, persons high in need for achievement tend to fit in jobs which require creativity and reliance on individual skills. Persons high in affiliation tend to fit in jobs which require collaboration with other people and the building of personal relationships. People high in need for power fit in jobs which are visible and have considerable responsibility. In addition, these needs will also influence the goals that you have in life. Understanding yourself will help you to understand why you have certain goals and motivations, and it will
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help you to understand why other people have different goals and motivations. In addition to this self-reflection, your school may well have a career office where you can find people skilled in helping you to assess your needs and aspirations, along with other factors such as skill and abilities. This information can be very helpful in suggesting types of work in which you would excel and from which you would draw deep satisfaction. In addition to the career office, faculty members, coaches, parents and other acquaintances are good sources of advice and guidance on these matters.
Remember your score on this self-assessment, while useful for self- understanding, should not be over-interpreted. First, every person is complex and it is impossible to fully capture your uniqueness in a short self-assessment. Second, you may well find your motivations and needs may change over time, or you may come to understand what your perspective actually is only later in life. Third, while the advice given above is research based and helpful, these results only describe tendencies. There are many people who might score low on need for achievement who will, in time, prove themselves to be high achievers. So, this self-assessment is useful to the extent it helps you to understand both yourself and others, but you should let it limit your dreams and aspirations.