Abraham Maslow as a researcher
in the study of human needs and motivation came up with his famous hierarchy of
needs theory. These needs are Physiological needs, Safety needs, Love and
belonging needs, Esteem and prestige needs, Self-actualization Needs (Aruma and
Hanachor, 2017). This theory puts forward the concept that peoples move through
a fundamental number of hierarchical motivations, in a unique order, based on
both physiological and psychological needs (Sophie, 2015).
Figure 1.0: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need
(Source: Aruma and Hanachor, 2017)
Maslow’s theory relating to an organizational work environment.
Motivational factors play a very important role in increasing employee job satisfaction. This may result in improving organizational performance (Kaur,2013). Further, the theory argues that can suggest how managers can lead the employees to become self-actualized (Greenberg and Baron, 2003).
The physiological needs: Include the need for air, water, food, and anything a human need to continue living (Logan and Everall, 2019). According to Maslow, organizations should provide workers with a salary that enable them to afford adequate living conditions (Kaur, 2013).
Safety Needs: When all physiological needs are met, then security needs can arise. While adults have little awareness of the security needs except in times of emergency or periods of disorganization in the social structure (Jerome, 2013).
Social Needs: In a work environment, social needs are concerned with friendly associates, identification with a good company, and participation in organized activities (Ozguner and Ozguner, 2014).
Self-esteem Needs: Stoner et al., (2001) suggests promotions, recognition of performance, respect and giving credit are some ways that satisfying self-esteem needs.
Self-actualization Needs: Training allows the individual to move toward self-actualization; to develop employee's potential, to learn new things, willing to accept challenges, and to feel even more confident in what employees doing (Benson and Dundis, 2013).
The following video explains what is Maslow’s theory, and how it applies in a work place.
Video 1.0: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the Work Place.
(Source: Powtoon, 2019).
List of Reference
Aruma, E. O. and Hanachor, M. E. (2017) ABRAHAM
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. International
Journal of Development and Economic Sustainability,5(7), pp. 15-27
[Online]. Available at: https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Abraham-Maslow%E2%80%99s-Hierarchy-of-Needs-and-Assessment-of-Needs-in-Community-Development.pdf.
[Accessed on 07 April 2021].
Benson,
S. G. and Dundis, S. P. (2003) Understanding and motivating health care
employees: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, training and technology. Journal of
nursing management, 11, pp. 315-320.
Greenberg,
J. and Baron, R. A. (2003) Behaviour in
Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice.
Jerome, N. (2013) Application of the Maslow;s
hierarchy of needs theory;impacts and implications on organizational culture,
human resource and employee’s performance. International
journal of business and management, 2(3), pp. 39-45.
Kaur,
A. (2013) Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory: Applications and Criticisms. Global
Journal of Management and Business Studies, 3(10), pp. 1061-1064.
Logan, J. and Everall, K. (2019) First things first:
exploring Maslow;s hierarchy as a service prioritization frame work. Journal
of library experience, 2(2).
Ozguner,
Z. and Ozguner, M. (2014) A Managerial Pont of View of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs and Herzberg’s Dual factor Theory. International journal of business
and social science, 5(7).
Powtoon,
(2019) Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs in the Work Place. [Online video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFyw3eKH0e4. [Accessed on 12 April 2021].
Sophie, (2015) Critical analysis of Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Need. The STeP Journal, 2(4), pp. 54-57.
Stonner,
J. A. F., Freeman, R. E. and Gilbert, D. R. (2001) Management: Prentice hall
London.
I do agree with you Nivethini. The Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is an extremely useful theory for an organization to identify the areas needed to be developed in order to elevate job satisfaction levels of the employees. As an addition to what you have explained; it was discovered that family support, traditional values such as close family ties, personal integrity, respect for others, and living according to one’s culture, and life satisfaction had significant positive correlations with the satisfaction of all 5 needs and one’s anxiety/worry had significant negative correlations with the satisfaction of all the needs (Taormina and Gao, 2013).
ReplyDeleteAgreed Oshadee, Adding more to your comments. Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been used as the motivation paradigm to fulfill every stage of needs from physiological needs to the highest form of self-actualization needs (Hing Po Lam, 2020). This theory has been influential and has had a significant impact on management approaches to motivation and the design of an organization to meet employee needs (Aina, 2014).
DeleteAgreed with your views and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory is able to suggest how managers can guide their employees or subordinates to become self-actualized. Employees on the base of the organization and the employees have to determine the performance of the organization, and that when employees located in their best in the service of the organization, the culture and human resource practice must also ensure that the employees’ level of needs are reflected in the values the organization holds with high esteem (Greenberg & Baron, 2003).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the value addition Pernalla, The theory classified human needs into five levels. It brought a clear point to the managers in analyzing employees and noticeably affected organizational behaviour when solving employee problems (Mullins, 2002).
DeleteAgree with your views and would like to elaborate more on self actualization needs. When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for self-actualization activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to be and do that which the person was "born to do." "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write." These needs make themselves felt in signs of restlessness. The person feels on edge, tense, lacking something, in short, restless. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or lacking self-esteem, it is very easy to know what the person is restless about. However, it is not always clear what a person wants when there is a need for self-actualization (Ozguner & Ozguner, 2014)
ReplyDeleteYes, Employee motivation is what energizes, directs, and sustains behavior (Porter et al., 2003). Obtaining from the hierarchy of needs by Maslow, job satisfaction revolves around employee's needs and the factors that bring them a reasonable stage of satisfaction (Saif et al., 2012).
DeleteI agree with your point. Application of maslow's need theory helps organization to create better atmosphere and good working environment that improves the performance of workforce. As theory explained below layer of need should be satisfied to move to next level of need (Jerome, 2013).
ReplyDeleteAgreed Chanaka, Maslow developed a theory of how all proportions of motivation are interrelated, based on the idea that human behavior is determined by a limited number of developing fundamental needs which emerge and operate (Sengupta, 2011).
DeleteThank you for sharing this informative article Nivethini, though, almost 70 years have passed since Abraham Maslow’s classic 1943 Psychological Review paper proposing a hierarchical approach to human motivation, Maslow’s model had an immense influence on the field of psychology, including the subfields of personality, social psychology, psychopathology, developmental psychology, and organizational behavior, and it continues to be cited widely in textbooks (Kenrick, Griskevicius, Neuberg and Schaller, 2010).
ReplyDeleteYes Vindya, Employees whose lowest level needs have not been met will make job-related decisions based on compensation, safety, or stability concerns. Also, employees will revert to satisfying the lowest level needs when these needs are no longer met (Tanner, 2020).
DeleteExactly Nivethini.Maslow described the individual as an integrated and organic whole motivated by needs that are hierarchical - unfulfilled lower needs dominate thinking and behavior until they are satisfied. When this completed, the next level dominates or is expressed in everyday life. Only when the deficiency needs are satisfied, are individuals free to pursue the higher needs (Zalenski & Raspa, 2006).
ReplyDeleteAgreed Iddika, The Maslow's theory can be applied to individuals, teams and organizations seeking to improve leadership and engagement in any company. Measure employee's sense of belonging and how they interact with other team members is imperative to know where they belong on the scale (Dolan, 2020).
DeleteAgree with your views Nivethini, in addition to these needs, Maslow also believed that we have a need to learn new information and to better understand the world around us. This is partially because learning more about our environment helps us meet our other needs (Hopper et al., 2020).
ReplyDeleteYes Sathaharan, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory where the lower level needs may be linked to organizational culture. Every new organization proceeds through this lower-level stage in which they struggle with their basic survival needs (Jerome, 2013).
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