Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory

Abraham Maslow presented the Hierarchy of Needs, which is one of the most well-known and prominent workplace motivation theories (Maslow, 1943).  According to the theory, humans are motivated to meet five essential needs that are ordered in a hierarchy, as the name suggests. (Hoffman, 1988).

 

The idea outlines five stages of need in a hierarchical order. With the satisfaction of the previous demand, the urge for the next level arises. (Maslow, 1943). The requirements are as follows: Physiological requirements, safety and security requirements, social requirements, self-worth and self-actualization requirements. There are exceptions to the idea, such as when the need does not follow the hierarchy due to the human being's unexpected attitude and behavior. (Kenrick et al., 2010).

 

Another implication was for organizations to implement support programs and focus groups to help employees deal with stress, especially during more challenging times and taking the time to understand the needs of the respective employees (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976).

 

The ramifications for managerial actions become clear when the need hierarchy notion is applied to work organizations. Managers have the responsibility to create a proper climate in which employees can develop to their fullest potential. Failure to provide such a climate would theoretically increase employee frustration and could result in poorer performance, lower job satisfaction, and increased withdrawal from the organization” (Kiev, 1965).

 

Maslow 1943 initially stated that individuals must satisfy lower level deficit needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs (Maslow, 1943).

There are five steps in the hierarchy (Maslow, 1943).

1. Physiological requirements, such as hunger, thirst, and sleep
2. Needs for safety, such as independence, protection, and painlessness
3. Love, friendship, and participation in social activities are examples of social needs.
4. Needs for self-esteem, such as self-assurance, acknowledgment, and appreciation
5. Self-actualization – i.e., being the best version of yourself possible 

 How can this theory be applied to the business? 

If the person's essential lower-tier requirements are not met, he or she will struggle to move to higher levels - and may even regress if the primary needs are jeopardized.

• Physiological requirements

If a person can’t fulfill their basic needs such as hunger, thirst, or sleep they will not be satisfied with their workplace. Also, the workplace should provide them with clean washrooms, work stations, and eating areas (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976).

• Security needs

Secondly, the workplace should provide the employees with job stability, security, and personal safety. For example, some jobs require working with dangerous machinery, or locations. If their safety is not looked into, the employees will be demotivated to continue working (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976).

• Social needs

Social needs such as working with a team, being socialized also helps motivate an employee. Working from home can sometimes have a negative impact on a person, since they might feel lonely. In order to avoid this, the companies should ensure that they come up with social events/ gatherings where the employees can enjoy themselves (Wulff and Maslow, 1965).

Promoting a working atmosphere where friendships can form is critical for your employees' mental health and drive. It's critical that your company's culture values diversity and welcomes all newcomers with open arms (Tay and Diener, 2011).

• Esteem needs

It is vital for the development of good self-esteem to feel appreciated and valued as a person. At the organization the managers should give feedback, appreciate the job weldone as this would motivate them to work better. Appreciating the staff and sharing how much they mean to  the organization can help them get rid of low esteem (Tay and Diener, 2011).

• Self-actualisation needs

Employees should be able to self-actualize what they need as a person. What motivates them to succeed, how to manage stress? 

Giving employees opportunities to achieve is one of the keys to ensuring that this requirement is addressed. Supervisors should concentrate on their employees' skills and abilities, assisting them in finding methods to improve their careers without pressuring them into positions that are not a suitable fit for them. Work should challenge you, but not overwhelm or overburden you, if you want to be self-actualized (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976).

 

If we apply this theory to the Digital Marketing company, we will notice how the staff members would demand for a pay raise to cover the ever increasing costs in the country due to the ongoing crisis. They will be highly demotivated if their basic needs are not addressed timely by the company. Hence the company will have to come up with immediate solutions such as giving a hardship allowance for all the confirmed staff members, pegging the salary to USD, etc.. to ensure the staff are not dissatisfied as this could affect the quality of their work. 

Hence as a conclusion, “need hierarchy is like a ladder with which one reaches the summit, step by step” (Tay and Diener, 2011) stated that the five classes of needs (physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization) are organized hierarchically, and each level is prepotent to the next higher level. Findings in this study support these statements (Wahba and Bridwell, 1976). According to the results, the lower-level needs can predict higher-level needs. Therefore, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs should follow the low-high order to test human needs. 

 

References 

 

Hoffman, 1988. The right to be human: a biography of Abraham Maslow. Choice Reviews Online, 26(03), pp.26-1809-26-1809.

 

 Kenrick, D., Neuberg, S., Griskevicius, V., Becker, D. and Schaller, M., 2010. Goal-Driven Cognition and Functional Behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(1), pp.63-67.

 

 Kiev, A., 1965. Book Reviews : TOWARD A PSYCHOLOGY OF BEING. By Abraham H. Maslow. New York and London: D. Van Nostrand Co. Ltd., 1962. Pp. 214. Price, $1.95, 15 /-. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 11(2), pp.152-153.

 

Maslow, A., 1943. A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), pp.370-396.

 

 Tay, L. and Diener, E., 2011. Needs and subjective well-being around the world. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(2), pp.354-365.

 

Wahba, M. and Bridwell, L., 1976. Maslow reconsidered: A review of research on the need hierarchy theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 15(2), pp.212-240.