04. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow
proposed a theory that outlined five hierarchical needs which could also be applied to an
organization and its employees’ performance (Gordon cited in Jerome, N. 2013).
According
to Maslow’s theory, one does not feel the second need until the demands of the
first have been satisfied or the third until the second has
been satisfied, and so on (Jerome, N. 2013).
According
to Maslow theory, if people grew in an environment in which their needs are not
met, they will be unlikely to function as healthy individuals or well-adjusted
individuals (Kaur, A., 2013).
Figure-1 (illustrates Maslow's
hierarchy of needs)
Factors Explanation:
1.
Physiological
needs:
According to Jerome, N. (2013), these
are biological needs which consist of the need for oxygen, food, water, and a
relatively constant body temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a
person were deprived of all needs, it is these physiological ones that would
come first in the person's search for satisfaction.
2.
Safety
needs:
According to Kaur, A., (2013.), this
occupies the second level of needs. Safety needs are activated after
physiological needs are met. They refer to the need for a secure working
environment free from any threats or harms. The rationale is that employees
working in an environment free of harm do their jobs without fear of harm.
3.
Needs for
love, affection and belongingness:
According to Osemeke, M. and
Adegboyega, S., (2017), after physiological and safety needs are
fulfilled, the third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings
of belongingness. Deficiencies within this level of Maslow's hierarchy can
adversely affect the individual's ability to form and maintain emotionally
significant relationships in general, such as: friendships, intimacy, and family.
According to Maslow cited in Osemeke, M. and Adegboyega, S., (2017), humans need to feel a sense of
belonging and acceptance among their social groups, not considering the size of
the groups.
4.
Needs for
esteem:
According to Jerome, N. (2013), when
the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become
dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person
gets from others. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of
self-respect, and respect from others. When these needs are satisfied, the
person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. When these
needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.
5.
Needs for
self-actualization:
According to Jerome, N. (2013), 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.
“I work for a leading organization in
the airlines industry in middle east, In consideration of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, how it motivates
me? I started my career with this airline in 2010 without having any big
companies’ experience. At that time I looked for basic psychological needs as
well safety and stable of my career. As the airline is well reputed and has
organized management, Psychological and safety needs of mine were provided without
any delay. Than I was feeling loneliness as I came to work from my home country
(Sri Lanka) and missing family so much. In this time the airline was organized
get together and events among all departments, so we can be sharing the love
and affection each other’s and creating healthy friendship, so ultimately I overcome
from my stress and alienation.
Further in
general, the airline is strictly instructed to the managers that they have not
to criticize the employee publicly and discourage his work. My manager is so
friendly, supportive and helpful. His ethic is, if there’s appreciation, gives
to employee and if there’s any problems, he take by himself. At all times he
let us feel that airline and him are with us. So our self-motto level is so
higher and we give our maximum potential to the airline. At the same time our
dignity and reputations are well maintained by the airline. At present the
airline identified and allocated the area where I am fit to do the work
pleasantly and efficiently. According to Maslow theory, all needs are fulfilled
by the airline and I am truly and honestly giving my full potential to the
airlines.
REFERENCES:
1.
Gordon, G.G (1965). The relationship of
satisfiers and dissatisfiers to productivity, turnover and morale, American
Psychologist. 20, 499-502
2. Jerome, N., 2013. Application of the Maslow’s
hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture,
human resource and employee’s performance. International journal of business
and management invention, 2(3), pp.39-45.
3. Kaur, Avneet. "Maslow’s need
hierarchy theory: Applications and criticisms." Global Journal of
Management and Business Studies 3, no. 10 (2013): 1061-1064.
4.
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and
Personality: NY: Harper.
5.
Osemeke,
Monday, and Samuel Adegboyega. "Critical review and comparism between
Maslow, Herzberg and McClelland’s theory of needs." Funai journal of
accounting, business and finance 1, no. 1 (2017): 161-173.
We do inherit needs, but we cannot deny nor ignore the fact that among them needs, according to Neher (1991) there are needs that Maslow failed to acknowledge as necessary for developing as fully functioning humans. These needs involve the necessity for a great deal of cultural input, more than just what is necessary to gratify our lower needs. In particular ,many higher needs require encouragement from the environment for their developement.
ReplyDeleteNeher, A., 1991. Maslow's theory of motivation: A critique. Journal of humanistic psychology, 31(3), pp.89-112.
Wahba, M.A. and Bridwell, L.G., (1976) stated that Maslow's theory provides both a theory of human motives by classifying basic human needs in a hierarchy and a theory of human motivation that relates these needs to general behavior.
DeleteIguisi (2009), emphasis that Maslow’s satisfaction theory demonstrates what motivate employees further, stimulate and reinforce the behavior. Organization need to know where employees are on the Maslow’s need pyramid in order to motivate them (Robbins, 2001). Employee likes to work in an environment which their need are met, they will perform without any support (Kaur, 2013). Employees dissatisfaction is the main problem that decrease their motivation level therefor, management can improve motivation by giving relevant responsibilities to employees idea that, self-actualized employees deliver maximum work efficacy and creativity (Ozguner and Ozguner, 2014).
ReplyDeleteGawel, J.E., (1996) says Maslow theorized that a person could not recognize or pursue the next higher need in the hierarchy
Deleteuntil her or his currently recognized need was substantially or completely satisfied, a concept called prepotency.
Maslow initially stated that an individual must satisfy lower level needs in the pyramid to progress to higher levels, but later he clarified and moderated his earlier position in 1987 and stated that it is not necessary for a person to satisfy 100% to move to the next level (Maslow 1987, cited in McLeod 2018).
ReplyDeleteMaslow cited in Mawere et al. (2016) explains, as people 'progress', their needs become increasingly psychological and social to the extent that the need for love, friendship, and intimacy become more important than any other needs.
DeleteMaslow's point of view is very helpful in understanding the needs of the staff and determining how to meet their needs. His theory suggests that managers to recognize that deprived needs may have a negative impact on attitudes and behaviors, as well as providing opportunities to meet demand. May have a positive incentive effect(McGrath and Bates, 2017).
ReplyDeleteMaslow’s theory of motivation has remained influential, particularly in psychology and business management, as a tool to understand people’s motivation for behavioral change (Dohlman et al. 2019).
Delete