Job attitudes in management: I. Perceived deficiencies in need fulfillment as a function of job level

Abstract

This questionnaire study investigated perceived need fulfillment deficiencies in nearly 2000 managerial positions. Respondents represented all levels of management and a wide variety of companies. 5 need categories, chosen to represent a hierarchy of prepotency of needs, were studied. Results showed: (a) Vertical level of position within management had a strong relation to the degree of perceived satisfaction of the 3 highest-order needs—Self-actualization, Autonomy, and Esteem; for these needs, satisfactions increased at each higher level of management. (b) For the 2 lower-order types of needs, Security and Social, there were no systematic changes in satisfaction in relation to management level. (c) Among the 5 need categories, Self-actualization and Autonomy were consistently regarded as the least fulfilled needs at all levels of management. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)