The theories of human needs and organizational commitment: a literature review

This study reviews four of the human needs theories as they relate to the commitment of employees in institutions of higher learning. Many factors account for why employees leave their jobs.This study tries to look at how factors such as stress and organizational climate influence organizational commitment. It begins by discussing the various components of the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as they affect the commitment of employees. It continues to discuss ERG theory, Herzberg’s Two-factor Theory, and finally, McClelland’s Acquired-needs Theory. It is seen in that a factor such as stress has both positive and negative relationships with employee commitment. Stress could serve as a catalyst for growth; however, it could also lead to lack of commitment depending on the type of stress and nature of work. On organizational commitment, it is concluded that positive environment or climate increases employee commitment and vice versa.