Academic and Professional Writing

: Writing Skills
(i) List four planning strategies which help you in writing a good plan for your end of

term academic essay. (4 marks)

(ii) The topic (Higher Education) is too broad. Write an improved narrow topic that you

would use to write your end of term academic essay. (2 marks)

(iii) Write three points that you would like to discuss in your academic essay- based on

the improved topic in 2 (ii) above. (3 marks)

(iv) In a paragraph of not more than 200 words, write an introduction of your essay -

based on your topic 2 (ii) above. (6 marks)

1. The place of theory in human endeavour and especially in the work place for explaining complex subject matter remains undisputed. Even so, the shear existence of theory is not always in the interest of helping us come to terms with different reality that we face daily. In trying to understand what lies behind human actions and behavior, many psychologists and professionals from related fields often seek the support of motivational theories. Many of the previous theories are well known but even so, they have not held up well under close examination. However, all is not lost. There are a number of contemporary theories that have one thing in common---each has a reasonable degree of valid supporting documentation. This does not in any sense imply that the newer ones are unquestionably right. They are termed contemporary not as a result of having been developed recently but because they form a vital source of support in explaining employee motivation.
2. Maslow's needs hierarchy theory has been reworked by Cayton Alderfer of Yale University following what he explains as the need to look at new empirical research. His new ERG theory argues that there are not five human needs that propel human action and behavior but rather that all human behavior and action ought to be clustered under three groups of core needs which are existence, relatedness and growth. The existence group is concerned with the provision of basic material existence requirements. They include what Maslow had classified as physiological and safety needs. The second category relates to the human need for establishing and maintaining important interpersonal relationships. The social and status desires require interaction with others if they are to be satisfied and they align with Maslow's social need. The ERG theory isolates growth need which is an intrinsic desire for personal development. According to Maslow, here in lies the need for esteem and self-actualization.

3. In addition to the substitution of three needs for five, and in contrast to the former theory, Alderfer wants to demonstrate that more than one need may be operative at the same time and that if the gratification of a higher need is stifled, the desire to satisfy a lower need increases. Maslow's need hierarchy is not only rigid but also assumes a step-like progression. ERG does not assume that there exists a rigid hierarchy in which a lower need must be substantially gratified before one can move on. A person can, for instance, be working on growth even though existence and relatedness needs are unsatisfied or all three need categories could be operating simultaneously.

4. Alderfer's extrapolation is viewed as frustrating in that if a higher level need is not met, unlike in Maslow's case where one gets stuck and makes more effort to meet that need, in ERG, the individual instead, compensates for the lack of attainment of a higher need with more effort in meeting lower level needs. This contemporary theory is more consistent with what we now know about individual differences between people in that variables such as family background, education and cultural environment alter the importance or the driving force that a group of needs hold for a particular individual.

a) Suggest a suitable title for this passage. (3 marks)

b) In not more than two lines, identify the problem and the solution presented in paragraph one. (3 marks)

c) Explain what the author means by "professionals form related fields" (3 marks)

d) According to ERG theory, what is the highest human need? (3 marks)

e) In not more than three lines state 2 differences between Maslow and ERG theory. (4 marks)

f) Who is referred to as "we" in paragraph 4? (3 marks)

g) In paragraph four, what other word can you use of your own to replace the word contemporary? (3 marks)

h) Using your own words, explain how individual differences count in human motivation. (3 marks)