Abraham Maslows Hierarchy pf Needs Theory

This theory has its central feature the concept of human needs as being generally ordered in terms
of their relative potency as human motivators.
According to Maslow, human needs are arranged in an hierarchy of five levels. The lower level
needs include the physiological and security needs; the higher level needs are the social, esteem and selfactualization.
The physiological needs include the basic needs for food, water, oxygen, moderate temperature
and sex.
Security needs reflect the desire of the worker for safety, certainty or assurance of stability in life
and work. Employees satisfy their security needs through benefit programs, insurance, hospitalization.
The need to love and be loved by friends and camaraderie with co-workers is a social need. Man
tries to satisfy this through marriage, parties, office groups and clubs.
At the fourth level are the ego and esteem needs-the needs for self-esteem and the esteem or
respect of others. The worker may satisfy this need through reputation and expertise gained through
knowledge and accomplishments.
Self-actualization or self-fulfillment is the highest of needs. It is the need to realize ones highest
potential.
Salient features of Maslows hierarchy:
1. The lower level needs (physiological, security) have to be satisfied before the next or higher level can
operate.
2. The higher the need, the less imperative it is for survival; the longer gratification can be postponed, and
the easier it is for the need to disappear permanently.
3. Self-actualization is never completely satisfied. Even if a person reaches self-actualization, he is still
strongly motivated to do more or to do better.
4. Higher needs require better outside conditions (economic, education, etc.) to make them possible. For
instance, if an employees esteem needs are satisfied through a promotion in his job, he will perhaps need
to pursue an MBA or PhD to get the aspired promotion.
5. It is possible to slide back in the hierarchy. A broken marriage or a loss of a job can make one lose the
higher need of self-esteem. The lower level security need replaces self-esteem as the greatest motive force
again.
6. While it is possible for mans behavior to be motivated by several needs, there is always one need
which represents the greatest motive force for that behavior.
Herzbergs Hygiene-Motivation Theory
Herzberg describes two categories of needs that are necessary for superior effort and performance;
hygiene needs (peripheral to the job itself) and motivation needs (associated with the job itself).
Hygiene needs are also called job context factors or extrinsic factors. Examples of these are
company policy, administration, supervisors, work conditions. Salary, interpersonal relations, job status
and security.
According to Herzberg, the ultimate objective of worker motivation is to produce superior effort
and performance (the worker exerts his best effort in his work). Hygiene needs are merely to prevent
dissatisfaction but do not activate performance. Non-satisfaction of hygiene needs is a dissatisfier because
it makes employees work slowly, be absent, form a union or express dissatisfaction.
What is needed to produce superior effort and performance is to primarily prevent dissatisfaction
through the hygiene needs and then work at the satisfaction of motivation needs.
Motivation needs are also known as content factors. These needs are directly associated with the
work or job itself, professional growth, recognition, advancement, responsibility and achievement.
McGregors Theory X and Theory Y

An approach to the study of management behavior has been expounded by Douglas McGregor in Theory
X and Theory Y. His views have become influential in the world of works as he points out the divergent
images of workers and the way in which they can be managed.
According to Theory X, people will not work at all their job without a dictating and demanding leader.
The assumption of the Theory X according to McGregor are:
1. People inherently dislike work and when possible, will avoid it.
2. They have little ambition. They tend to shun responsibility and prefer to be directed.
3. In order to get them to attain organizational objectives, it is necessary to use coercion, control and
threats or punishment.
Many managers have trouble activating their workers because of these erroneous assumptions about
human behavior.
In contrast to Theory X, Theory Y presents a dynamic view of man. He is seen as having growth and
development capacities. Management must decide how to tap such potentials present in their employees
so that workers may attain their upper level need.
Theory Y assumptions of McGregor are:
1. Work is a natural phenomenon and if the conditions are favorable, people will not only accept
responsibility, they will seek it.
2. People are committed to organizational objectives, they will exercise self-direction and self-control.
3. Commitment is a function of the rewards associated with goal attainment.
4. The capacity for creativity in solving organizational problems is widely distributed in the population
and intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partly utilized.