ABSTRACT
We have come a long way since Moses. The simplicity of his solution matched the simplicity of his problem and of his time. Our problem may be basically the same but is more complex out of all proportion. The need for the organization of the People of Israel could be accepted because it could easily be shown to be of benefit to them all. The dangers from outside the organization accentuated the need to group together and organize in order to survive. For us the need for security and survival is less often such a direct stimulus to action; but when we are forced by pressures from outside to realize that our survival can be threatened, things appear to run more smoothly inside. On the whole organizations seem to perform better in a competitive environment. The moral here is not that we must have competition and external pressure before we can expect organizations to function well, but that a great part of this phenomenon is a result of the acceptance, by the people in an organization, of its ability to help in satisfying their own need for a measure of security. The personal need for security and survival in such circumstances reverts to being an active motivator rather than a mere dormant factor. It is conceivable that, if the people in organizations today could more often see their membership of the organization as a means of satisfying their most strongly felt needs, those organizations would be more effective and successful.
