Handbook of Organization Measurement

Need for Achievement

construct.need_for_achievement

a stable disposition to strive for success, master tasks, and attain a high standard of excellence

§1The Principia rendering

A copyright-clean measure of this construct, authored by Principia and free to use — the one we can show in full.

Principia CC — Need for AchievementCC0-1.0Owned · shown in full

I enjoy setting challenging goals for myself.

I often feel satisfied with just getting by.reverse-keyed

I strive to do my best in everything I undertake.

I avoid tasks that seem too difficult for me.reverse-keyed

I find it hard to care about my achievements.reverse-keyed

I take pride in overcoming obstacles to reach my goals.

I often feel like I could have done better.reverse-keyed

I am motivated to reach high standards in my work.

I prefer to stay within my comfort zone.reverse-keyed

I look for ways to improve my performance regularly.

I often feel indifferent about my level of success.reverse-keyed

Response: 1 Strongly disagree · … · 5 Strongly agree

Predicted psychometrics. These 11 items carry a design grade of A (avg design score 96/100) from the item-design model — an estimate pending calibration, not a measured reliability. Real responses (via deployment) sharpen it toward measured, which is what the licensing model collects.

§2The established instruments

What the field already uses — named and cited, not reproduced (item wording is copyrighted and withheld pending clearance).

Manifest Needs Questionnaire — Steers and Braunstein, 1976
Work Preference Questionnaire (WPQ) — Fineman, 1975a

§3The math on what we know

Synthesized priors from the live registry: pooled r, studies (k), total N, top study grade, and heterogeneity. Rows flagged for heterogeneity or single-study evidence are directional, not settled — read them as a central tendency.