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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Motivating individuals and teams

Alderfer's ERG theory differs from Maslow's hierarchy in which key respect?

ERG theory allows frustration-regression: a person blocked from satisfying a higher need, such as growth, may fall back to emphasising a lower need such as relatedness. Maslow's model instead assumes strict progression upward through the levels, one at a time.

  1. AIt says needs must be satisfied strictly in order, one level at a time
  2. BIt says a person may regress to a lower-level need when frustrated at a higher levelCorrect
  3. CIt says only existence needs can motivate behaviour

Explanation

ERG groups needs into existence, relatedness and growth and allows movement in both directions, including frustration-regression. Maslow's model is a strict ascending hierarchy. The first option describes Maslow, and the third is wrong for ERG.

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