Workplace motivation in the light of Alderfer's ERG model

Ottó Takács; Péter Bertalan; Viktória Szente

doi:10.14513/tge-jres.00644

Authors

Ottó Takács Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Doctoral School of Economics and Regional Sciences, Kaposvár, Hungary, 7400 Kaposvár, 40 Guba Sándor Street Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1162-0865
Péter Bertalan VERITAS Research Institute and Archives, Budapest, Hungary, 1093 Budapest, Zsil Street 2–4. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3736-2334
Viktória Szente Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Kaposvár, Hungary, 7400 Kaposvár, 40 Guba Sándor Street Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5446-8280

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14513/tge-jres.00644

Keywords:

Alderfer ERG model, Motivation, Workplace motivation, Regression analysis, Hierarchy of needs

Abstract

Purpose – Contemporary labor-market changes have sharpened the tension between employees’ expectations for development, recognition, and flexibility and the incentive choices made by employers. This study aims to demonstrate how Alderfer’s ERG (Existence–Relatedness–Growth) model can serve as an analytical tool to identify workplace motivation patterns and relevant points for managerial intervention in a Hungarian sample.

Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative online survey of 145 Hungarian adults with prior work experience assessed 19 motivational factors on a five-point Likert scale, using a non-probability convenience sample. The questionnaire was structured around Alderfer’s ERG model, with items grouped into the three ERG dimensions. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha reliability testing, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.

Findings – The three ERG dimensions jointly explained 12.5% of the variance in motivation (R² = 0.125; F = 6.741; p < 0.001). Growth needs emerged as the only significant predictor (β = 0.765; p = 0.001), whereas Existence and Relatedness needs were not significant. When pay satisfaction was added to the model, the explained variance increased to 41.5%, making it the dominant predictor.

Originality/value – The study contributes to the limited Hungarian empirical literature on workplace motivation that applies Alderfer’s ERG model. Its value lies in using classical need theory as a practical framework to structure current motivational drivers and interpret them for managerial decision- making in a younger, relatively highly educated sample.

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