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

Esteem Needs

Social Needs

Safety Needs

Physiological Needs
Self-Actualization
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.

Esteem Needs
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.

Social Needs
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

Safety Needs
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:

• Air

• Water

• Food

• Sleep

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.