MASLOWS HIERARACHY IN NEEDS; APPLICATION

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who developed a hierarchy of needs to explain human motivation. His theory suggested that people have a number of basic needs that must be met before people move up the hierarchy to pursue more social, emotional, and self-actualizing needs. 

 

 

 “MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS & EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN SAFETY”

 

 

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who created the hierarchy of needs, a theory that psychological health depended on meeting needs in order of priority. This theory put forward the idea that humans must have their basic needs met in order to pursue their own personal growth and development. The needs in Maslow's theory are, in order:

1. Survival - These are biological needs such as food, water, shelter, sleep.

2. Security - This need requires stability, security, order, law, and protection from the elements.

3. Belonging - It is a need for friendship, love, affection and intimacy

4. Importance - The need to achieve and be in control, independence and self-respect

5. Self-realization - It is the need that compels people to realize their potential and what they believe they are capable of.

 

 

 THEOROTICAL EXPLANATION

Abraham Maslow's Theory of Motivation

Figure 1  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

The first theory of motivation that serves as the theoretical basis for this study is Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation. Abraham Harold Maslow (1908 - 1970) was an American psychologist well known for his theory of the hierarchy of needs. The theory illustrates five different stages of human needs in a hierarchical order, starting with the most basic to the most complex. In a "Review of General Psychology" survey published in 2002, Maslow was named among the tenth most famous psychologists of the 20th century (Haggbloom, Warnick, Warnick, Jones, Yarbrough, Russell, Borecky, McGahhey 2002)

There are basic needs for human beings, and without their existence, nothing else matters. We the living see need as a motivating factor. We always start with the lowest level of needs (Skemp-Arlt & Toupence2007) and strive for satisfaction; when reached; we then seek to meet higher needs. In other words, "a person cannot go to the next level of needs without reaching the previous level" (Maslow 1954) Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often described as a pyramid with 

 

the most important and basic levels of need at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top (Steere 1988 ).

 

APPLICATION

 

These needs are the basis of human survival and growth. But take a closer look. They play an important role in employee engagement levels and how engaged and motivated your employees are within your company. Let's break it down and see how it works:

• Survival – We know this is a basic need. This includes the need for a job, a salary that pays the bills, and a sense of financial independence.

• Safety – When we have jobs, we need to know that they are safe. With the current state of the labor market, it is difficult for many people to overcome this second most basic need. It also leads individuals to need structure in the workplace, with a chain of command and a process for their tasks so that they are confident that they are doing their job correctly.

• Belonging - People need to feel part of a team, part of something bigger. As employees, humans need to know that their individual contributions are valued by the company. If your organization is set up around team principles, then this sense of belonging and “comradeship” should come almost naturally.

• Importance: This need ties in with the need for “belonging” in that individuals need to feel important to a team, projects, and the organization as a whole. This need is more prevalent in larger companies where the need to engage employees on a personal level becomes increasingly difficult for senior executives.

• Self-actualization - Most employees have some level of ambition and want to accomplish more than their current position. Giving them opportunities for growth, learning, leadership and advancement gives them all the tools they need to start thriving within the walls of your business. When they reach this stage and take full advantage of the tools available to them, they inspire others along the way and create a ripple effect on employee engagement.

 

These needs are crucial for the fulfillment of a fulfilling work life and career, so how can you provide this type of environment for your employees?

The first two needs are pretty simplistic: pay your employees a living wage and don't make them feel like their job is on the line all the time. Have a strong organizational structure that promotes teamwork and inclusion and you can begin to fill the third need. The fourth need, importance, is where things like employee recognition come into play so strongly.

When your employees are doing well, let them know. Recognize them publicly for their accomplishments and reward them for what they have done. Public recognition lets the employee know that their performance matters and matters. Incentive programs also work well here as they provide employees with tangible rewards for their performance. When a person receives a reward or is able to use something like reward points to redeem for the reward item of their choice, they emotionally associate that reward with their work and feel important and accomplished because of that.

 

Self-actualization is achieved because when employees feel important and recognized, they feel they can take more ownership of their role and more of a leadership role within their company. This type of employee is incredibly beneficial to the health of employee engagement because their enthusiasm and attitude actually inspires others to want to perform at their level. It's contagious, and it works with workplace safety too!

 

Summary

 

Maslow believed that each individual has a hierarchy of needs, consisting of physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs. Managers who accept Maslow’s ideas attempt to increase employee motivation by modifying organizational and managerial practices to increase the likelihood that employees will meet all levels of needs. Maslow’s theory has also helped managers understand that it is hard to motivate people by appealing to already-satisfied needs.

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

 

Cross, M. 100 People Who Changed 20th-Century America (1st volume.). Santa Barbara, CA; ABC-CLIO; 2013.

 

Encyclopaedia Britannica. Abraham Maslow. Updated June 4, 2019.

 

Lawson, R, Anderson, ED, & Cepeda-Benito, A. History of Psychology: Globalization, Ideas, and Applications (2nd ed.). New York: Taylor & Francis; 2017.

Public Broadcasting Station. Abraham Maslow: 1908-1970.

 

Haggbloom SJ. The 100 Most Eminent Psychologists of the Twentieth Century. PsycEXTRA Dataset. 2001. doi:10.1037/e413802005-787

 

Maslow, A. Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper; 1954.

Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality. NY: Harper.

Maslow, A. (1962). Toward a Psychology of Being. NY: Van Nostrand.