Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
Father of Modern Management
In 1943, Abraham Maslow's article
A Theory of Human Motivation appeared in Psychological Review,
which were further expanded upon in his book: Toward
a Psychology of Being In this article, Abraham Maslow
(occasionally misspelled "Maslov") attempted to formulate a needs-based
framework of human motivation and based upon his clinical experiences with
humans, rather than prior pyschology theories of his day from authors such as
Freud and B.F. Skinner, which were largely theoretical or based upon animal
behavior. From this theory of motivation, modern leaders and
executive managers find means of motivation for the purposes of
employee and workforce management.
The basis of Maslow's theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied
needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs
can be satisfied. Per the teaching's of Abraham Maslow, there are general needs
(physiological, safety, love, and esteem) which have to be fulfilled before a
person is able to act unselfishly. These needs were dubbed "deficiency needs." While
a person is motivated to fulfill these basal desires, they continue to move toward growth,
and eventually self-actualization. The satisfactions of needs is quite healthy. while preventing
their gratification makes us ill or act evilly.
As a result, for adequate workplace motivation, it is important
that leadship understands which needs are active for individual employee
motivation. In this regard, Abraham Maslow's model indicates that basic,
low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied
before higher-level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued. As depicted in
this hierarchical diagram, sometimes called 'Maslow's Needs Pyramid' or
'Maslow's Needs Triangle', when a need is satisfied it no longer motivates and
the next higher need takes its place.
Self-actualization is the summit of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is the quest
of reaching one's full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this
need is never fully satisfied; as one grows psychologically there are always
new opportunities to continue to grow.
Self-actualized people tend to have needs such as:
-
Truth
-
Justice
-
Wisdom
-
Meaning
Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences,
which are energized moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to
Maslow, only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of
self-actualization.
Once a person feels a sense of "belonging", the need to feel important arises.
Esteem needs may be classified as internal or external. Internal esteem needs
are those related to self-esteem such as self respect and achievement. External
esteem needs are those such as social status and recognition. Some esteem needs
are:
-
Self-respect
-
Achievement
-
Attention
-
Recognition
-
Reputation
Maslow later refined his model to include a level between esteem needs and
self-actualization: the need for knowledge and aesthetics.
Once a person has met the lower level physiological and safety needs, higher
level needs awaken. The first level of higher level needs are social needs.
Social needs are those related to interaction with others and may include:
-
Friendship
-
Belonging to a group
-
Giving and receiving love
Once physiological needs are met, one's attention turns to safety and security
in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs
might be fulfilled by:
-
Living in a safe area
-
Medical insurance
-
Job security
-
Financial reserves
According to the Maslow hierarchy, if a person feels threatened, needs further
up the pyramid will not receive attention until that need has been resolved.
Physiological Needs
Physiological needs are those required to sustain life, such as:
According to Maslow's theory, if these fundamental needs are not satisfied then
one will surely be motivated to satisfy them. Higher needs such as social needs
and esteem are not recognized until one satisfies the needs basic to existence.
Applying Maslow's Needs Hierarchy - Business Management Implications
If Maslow's theory holds, there are some important leadership implications
to enhance workplace motivation. There are staff motivation
opportunities by motivating each employee through management style, job
design, company events, and compensation packages.
-
Physiological Needs: Provide lunch breaks, rest breaks, and wages that are
sufficient to purchase the essentials of life.
-
Safety Needs: Provide a safe working environment, freedom from threats, and
relative job security.
-
Social Needs: Create a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by
reinforcing team dynamics.
-
Esteem Needs: Recognize achievements, assign important projects, and provide
status to make employees feel appreciated and valued.
-
Self-Actualization: Provide challenging and meaningful work which enables
innovation, creativity, and progress according to long-term goals.
However, not all people are driven by the same needs - at any time
different employees may be motivated by entirely different factors. It is
important to understand the needs being pursued by each employee. To motivate
an employee, leadership must be able to recognize the needs level at which
the employee is operating, and use those needs as levers of workplace
motivation.
Limitations of Maslow's Hierarchy - Criticism
While Maslow's hierarchy makes sense intuitively, there is little evidence to
support its strict hiearchy. In fact, research contradicts the order of needs
specified by the model. For example, some cultures appear to place social needs
before any others. Maslow's hierarchy also has difficulty explaining cases such
as the "starving artist" in which a person neglects physical needs in pursuit
of aesthetic needs or spiritual needs. Finally, there is little evidence to
suggest that people are motivated to satisfy exclusively one need at a time,
except in situations where needs conflict.
Even though Maslow's heirarchy lacks scientific support, it is very well-known
and is the first theory of motivation to which many people are exposed. To
address some of the issues of Maslow's theory, Clayton Alderfer developed the
ERG theory, a needs-based model that is more consistent with
empirical findings.
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