Four Psychological Needs: Work Preference Schedule

THE INSTRUMENT AND ITS ADMINISTRATION

The main purpose of the work preference schedule is to get a profile of a respondent's four
psychological needs as reflected in the choice of occupations.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

People have different psychological needs called motives. These are reflected, among other things, in
the choice of an occupation. This instrument measures four psychological needs: achievement, power,
affiliation and security. Achievement need is shown by concern for challenging tasks, quick results,
independence; power need by concern for independence, prestige and fame; affiliation need by
concern for having close relations with family and friends; and security need by concern for stability
and low risk.

If we directly ask a person what he is looking for in a job, he may give a response that is more
desirable in society than one which really reflects his true feelings. A more "unobtrusive" method
(Webb et al., 1970) may be to score what he least suspects. In this instrument respondents are required
to choose one of the professions in each pair, to indicate their preference of one over the other. They
are also required to indicate three reasons (in order of priority) for choosing a particular profession. In
scoring, we do not look at the choices given but at the reasons for these choices.

SCORING

As already stated, only the reasons are scored. A total of eleven reasons are given (A to K). These
relate to each of the tour psychological needs—one reason being common to both achievement and
power. The following steps are Involved In scoring:
1. Give scores of 3, 2 and 1 for the first three choices respectively.
2. Write down the scores against the reasons from A to K.
3. Add the scores.
4. The following motives are to be scored:
Achievement B, F, G
Power E, F, H
Affiliation C, 1, K
Security A, D, J

Add the scores of B, F and G for the total score for achievement motivation. Likewise, find
the total scores of the other three main motives. The maximum and minimum scores for
each motive are 78 and 0 respectively. The higher the score, the higher Is the motive.

5. Rank order the motives according to the scores.

RELIABILITY

Not available.

VALIDITY

Construct validity is provided by rank order correlations amongst the four motives in a group of
thirteen Malaysian managers: Ach-Power (0.25), Ach-Aff (-. 78), Ach-Security (-.62), AM-Sec (.52).
These are all conceptually predictable.

NORMS
Values of mean, SD, median and mode of the four motive were calculated for a group of sixty-five
executive trainees in a Malaysian agricultural bank Based on these, the following norms are suggested.
Norms for various groups need to be calculated,
Achievement 37
Power 24
Affiliation 8
Security 20

CORRELATES

Some correlations were calculated from the data of sixty five executive trainees of an agricultural bank
in Malaysia. The achievement motive had significant (.001 level) negative correlation with the security
motive and with hygiene factors (Chapter 12); and positive correlation, significant at .001 level, with
attribution of failure to the internal stable factor (Chapter 9), and with attribution to internal factors
(significant at .01 level). The power motive had significant (.01 level) positive correlation with
attribution competence, i.e., ratio between attribution to variable and stable factors (Chapter 9). It also
had negative correlation (significant at 0.001 level) with the security motive. Affiliation had
significant correlation (at .001 level) with hygiene factors. The security motive had negative
correlations with motivators, attribution of failure to stable factors, in addition to the achievement and
power motives, as already stated.

USE FOR HRD

The higher the score, the more dominant is the need in the individual. Such a profile can help a person
to become aware of his psychological needs.
It may be useful to get the profile of needs and then to divide the participants into small groups to
discuss the implications of these for themselves and whether they would like to see a different profile
of themselves. Motivation development programmes can then be planned.
The HRD facilitator can also develop a group profile of all the respondents (presuming them to be
from the same group). The group may discuss if the profile is desirable and, if not, what factors
contribute to it and what can be done to change it. This can help in designing OD interventions.
WORK PREFERENCE SCHEDULE
Name: Role:
Organisation: Date:
Instructions
Below are given several pairs of vocations or work areas. Indicate, by a tick mark, which of the two
you would prefer if you were given a choice. Also give three reasons why you choose that vocation or
work activity by writing the letters corresponding to your reasons (as given below). The three should
be in order of their importance to you.
A. It will provide a more stable income.
B. It will give me quick returns in terms of profits.
C. It will help me to be with my family or friends.
D. It does not involve much risk.
E. it is highly prestigious In society.
F. It will give me independence and freedom to work.
G. It is challenging.
H. It will help me to make larger Impact in the society.
I. It will give me enough leisure to enjoy myself.
J. It provides good prospects for the family after retirement.
K. It provides opportunity to be with colleague of my choice.

Choose one of the items in each pair and Indicate three reasons for your choice by writing the
appropriate letters (A, B, C, etc.), in order of importance, from the list given above.

Reasons
1 a. University teaching 1st
b. Business 2nd

3rd
2 a. Selling 1st
b. Manufacturing 2nd
3rd
3 a. Wholesale trading 1st
b. General supermarket 2nd
3rd
4 a. Operating one business 1st
b. Operating many businesses 2nd
3rd
5 a. Agency of a fast selling product 1st
b. Manufacturing the product 2nd
3rd
6 a. Heading an Institution 1st
Civic administration (Head of a city
b. corporation) 2nd
3rd
7 a. Film making 1st
b. Religious work 2nd
3rd
8 a. Teaching (University professor) 1st
 b. Research 2nd
3rd
9 a. Film making 1st
b. Business 2nd
3rd
10 a. Teaching (University professor) 1st
b. Selling 2nd
3rd
11 a. Manufacturing 1st
Civic administration (Head of a city
b. corporation) 2nd
3rd
12 a. Political career (being a legislator) 1st
Civic administration (Head of a city
b. corporation) 2nd

3rd
13 a. Heading an institution 1st
Civic administration (Head of a city
b. corporation) 2nd
3rd