MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE THROUGH MOTIVATED EMPLOYEES
Maslow Theory: what is it?
“If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days in your life.”
– Abraham Maslow
To achieve organizational greatness through motivated individuals, a core
framework for understanding human motivation is provided by Maslow's Hierarchy
of Needs theory. This theory, created by psychologist Abraham Maslow in the
middle of the 20th century, contends that for a person to reach
self-actualization, a hierarchy of needs must be met, starting with fundamental
physiological needs and moving up to higher-order psychological needs.
Employee motivation is based on leadership, which directs people toward shared objectives and dreams. A practiced leader can communicate goals, present a compelling vision, and give team members a feeling of direction. Leaders inspire and guide their team members so they can relate their job to a greater purpose, which fuels their enthusiasm and commitment.
Varotsis (2019) suggests that focusing on employee
motivation to maintain and improve the operational efficiency of organizations
has now become a key responsibility of the leadership teams. Supremacy of the
consistent needs, expectations related to the magnitudes of certain actions,
and the specific attainments and risks will determine how motivated the team
members are and where employees’ level of motivation will decide how well the
employees perform which will directly reflect on the performance of the
organization (Uysal, Aydemirl and Genç 2017).
Hence, throughout the last many decades, there have
been many motivation theories that have emerged that are categorized into two
categories (Varotsis 2019). The first category - explores the
motivation factors, i.e. ‘human needs, their hierarchy and means of
satisfaction, focusing on the factor that causes the real motivation of human
resource’ also known as Classical Theories (Varotsis 2019, pg. 1619),
and the second category exploring the how humans get motivated, factors
that affect motivation as well as the relationship between them (Varotsis 2019)
The theory that
explains human motivation and happiness is called Maslow's Pyramid, or Maslow's
Hierarchy. It suggests that although human needs are complex, those lower on
the hierarchy should be satisfied before addressing those higher up. The
highest stages of the pyramid hold happiness.
Abraham Maslow postulated a motivational theory of the ‘Hierarchy
of Needs’ that stated all needs of individuals exist in a hierarchy of 5
levels, named as below, in the order of the lowest to the highest level in the needs
pyramid:
·
Physiological
·
Safety
·
Belongingness and love
·
Esteem
·
Self-Actualization
Needs at one level
must be met before going on to the next higher level since needs are built
upwards on the level below. When a certain amount of need is met, it stops
having the power to influence an individual's conduct.
The workplace uses Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to assess employee behavior in several areas, such as motivation and engagement. The satisfaction of the present level demand is a prerequisite for motivating employees towards a higher-level need.
Employee dissatisfaction normally results in low motivation, performance, depression, or an inability to relate to the goals of the team. In the worst scenario, extended discontent may result in low output and increased staff turnover.
In Maslow’s pyramid
model, self-actualization will become important only after an employee secures
the needs belonging to the bottom layers in bottom-up order (Kenrick et al.,
2010). In other words, the theory divides into five levels of needs of a human
being Armstrong and Taylor 2020, the lowest being physiological needs – ranked
as basic human needs for survival e.g. food, clothes, and shelter, second being
the need for safety needs e.g. financial stability, law, and order followed by
social needs e.g. love, intimacy and friendship and at this stage an average
employee might be satisfied (Lester 2013) where a very ambitious team member
will continue seeking esteem needs and self-actualization needs (Varotsis
2019). The model is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 with further examples.
- Physiological Needs
Natural needs for human survival, e.g., air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, and sleep.
The basic requirements of an employee are physiological and Submission of a job based on an individual's evaluated skill set and capability is the first step, followed by creating a supportive work environment someplace all of their basic needs are met (such as having access to clean drinking water, clean air, comfortable room temperature, meal breaks with the option to bring in food and snacks, and maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in the workplace). Lastly, a necessity at this level is the timely payment of advantage or income to maintain oneself and one's family.
- Safety
People want to experience order,
predictability, and control in their lives.
Job security, a safe and healthy work environment ensured by a sound health and safety management system in place, and employee property safety assured. The mindful security systems and a reduction in the risk of damage or physical/mental exhaustion through suitable office furniture and readily available workspaces are all examples of safety needs.
- Belongingness and Love
Human emotional need for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a group
A fair work environment that encourages cooperation and communication is necessary for a sense of belonging. Workers ought to take pleasure in their jobs and the company they work for, and they ought to receive recognition and appreciation for their achievements.
- Self – Esteem
self-worth, accomplishment, and respect
The critical that workers in the workplace believe they are developing, progressing, and producing outcomes and they are acknowledged for doing so. Understanding one's value and being appreciated by equals and oneself are key components of self-esteem.
- Self-actualization
The highest level in Maslow’s
hierarchy, and refers to the realization of a person’s potential,
self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth, and peak experiences.
At this level, workers believe they can make a significant impact on the
business, feel empowered to imagine and lead change and have a fair amount of
autonomy and independence in their actions. They can use their abilities,
knowledge, and insights to make a good difference for the company and the
organization.
CASE STUDY Google Inc
Strategic Palliative Care through Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s pyramid has gained popularity in business and education, however, a recent study suggests that it also can have impacts on hospice care. A hospice is all about ensuring that the needs of the sick or terminally ill are met; the system could benefit from a prescriptive guide on how to best meet its goals.
Medical professionals Robert Zalenski and Richard Rapsa suggest that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help structure patient care by pointing to the urgency of fulfilling basic needs before moving on to more complex needs.9 The pyramid therefore provides a logic that, although at times needs to be flexible, can be used to standardize hospice care. At the bottom of the pyramid would be ensuring that physical pain is diminished; the second level would be to relieve fears so that patients can feel secure; the third level would be to ensure the patient has support systems; the fourth would be to ensure the patient feels like their life achievements are recognized.9 By addressing all these needs, patients would have the best chance of achieving self-actualization and may feel more at peace with their life coming to an end.
Employees who want to be the best at their jobs need to be
self-represented, which suggests they know their motivators and their own set
of skills and abilities. They should continue to take the proposal to meet
their requirements positively and advance in their existing position.
Positive energy is often assigned to other team members by highly motivated and engaged individuals.
A work environment where employees are treated with safety, respect, encouragement, and value will certainly result in high levels of engagement, higher productivity and better quality of work, lower absence and costs, and an increasing number of self-actualized individuals contributing to the organization's growth.
Finally many years of existence some researchers are questioning the validity of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Kenrick et al. 2010), in a post-corona world where the new normal office is a hybrid model i.e. a mix of working from home and attending to the office physically, Maslow’s theory is a must for both private and state-owned organizations of any size because the leaders of organizations satisfying the employees psychological and safety needs by ensuring job security while keeping close contacts over the phone or virtual means to increase socialization must follow by assigning challenging tasks to upskill the team members that will fulfill their self-actualization needs which will eventually lead the organizations to perform up to standards (Mehta 2021).
- Varotsis, N. (2019). Motivation in Public Autonomous Organizations: The Case of I.A.P.R. Open Journal of Business and Management, 07(04), pp.1617–1636. doi:10.4236/ojbm.2019.74112.
- UYSAL, H.Tezcan., Aydemir, S. and Genç, E. (2017). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in 21st Century: The Examination of Vocational Differences. In: H. Arapgirlioğlu, R.L. Elliott, E. Turgeon and A. Atik, eds., Researches on Science and Art in 21st Century Turkey. [online] Turkey: Gece Kitaplığı, pp.211–227. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321267309_MASLOW%27S_HIERARCHY_OF_NEEDS_IN_21ST_CENTURY_THE_EXAMINATION_OF_VOCATIONAL_DIFFERENCES [Accessed 6 Aug. 2022].
- Kenrick, D.T., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S.L. and Schaller, M. (2010). Renovating the Pyramid of Needs. Perspectives on Psychological Science, [online] 5(3), pp.292–314. doi:10.1177/1745691610369469.
- Lester, D. (2013). Measuring Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Psychological Reports, [online] 113(1), pp.15–17. doi:10.2466/02.20.pr0.113x16z1.
- McLeod, S. (2024). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. [online] Simply Psychology. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html.
- The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Maslow’s Pyramid. [online] Available at: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/maslows-pyramid.
- Kenrick, D.T., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S.L. and Schaller, M. (2010). Renovating the Pyramid of Needs. Perspectives on Psychological Science, [online] 5(3), pp.292–314. doi:10.1177/1745691610369469.
- Mehta, D (2021). Motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 4 (3) IJLMH Page 913 - 919, DOI: https://doij.org/10.10000/IJLMH.11544
- Sprouts (2017). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-4ithG_07Q.
According to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization is the final step where everyone try to reach.
ReplyDeleteThe article suggests that few people reach self-actualization. What factors hinder or facilitate this level of personal growth and fulfillment?
Many different things can impact personal development and fulfillment, and these things can also help or hinder the process. Mindset, Supportive Environment, Self-awareness, Goal Setting, Self-discipline these are some important parts.(At once other (and “higher”) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency” (Maslow, 1943, p. 375) .)
DeleteThank you for providing a comprehensive overview of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and its implications for organizational excellence through motivated employees.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the inclusion of the case study on Google Inc. and the application of Maslow's pyramid in hospice care adds depth to the discussion.
Agreed
DeleteAn informative and clear article about the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Nilakashi. Motivated employees always enhance the productivity of an organization. Maslow's Theory helps to understand human motivation is an essential in order to perform well. A hierarchy of needs must be first met, starting from the basic physiological needs and moving up to higher expectations of psychological needs for an employee to be motivated.
ReplyDeleteThe article on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is informative and clear. Understanding human motivation is crucial for optimizing employee productivity and performance. Addressing physiological needs first creates a foundation for higher-level psychological needs, increasing motivation and engagement.
DeleteAccording to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs hypothesis, human needs vary from fundamental necessities like food and shelter to more advanced demands like self-actualization. Meeting these demands at work is essential to employee motivation. From basic safety to recognition and personal growth, meeting these needs leads to a happy and productive workforce. Despite some questioning its relevance today, Maslow's theory still offers valuable insights for organizations striving for excellence through motivated employees.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAbsolutely! Maslow's theory continues to provide valuable insights for organizations seeking to cultivate motivated employees and strive for excellence. By understanding and addressing employees' fundamental needs for safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, organizations can create a supportive environment that fosters engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
DeleteThank you Nilakshi for the insightful exploration of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and its application in understanding human motivation within organizational contexts.
ReplyDeleteWhile Maslow's hierarchy provides a valuable roadmap for understanding the progression of human needs, Herzberg's theory offers additional insights into the factors that influence employee satisfaction and motivation. By examining both theories in tandem, organizations can gain a more holistic understanding of what drives employee behavior and engagement.
Herzberg's theory distinguishes between hygiene factors, which are essential for preventing dissatisfaction, and motivators, which contribute to higher levels of job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. By incorporating Herzberg's perspective alongside Maslow's hierarchy, organizations can address not only the basic needs of employees but also the factors that contribute to their sense of fulfillment and engagement in their work.
This article provides a great structure for appreciating employee motivation using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. While Maslow's theory assumes a universal hierarchy of needs, it is worth considering if cultural variations might impact the importance of certain desires. For example, societies with collectivism may prioritize a sense of belonging above individual success, such as self-esteem.
ReplyDeleteIn cultures characterized by collectivism, such as many East Asian societies, there's often a stronger emphasis on group harmony and interconnectedness over individual achievement. Consequently, the need for belongingness and social acceptance may hold greater significance compared to the pursuit of self-esteem or personal accomplishments.
DeleteMaslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the context of organizational excellence through motivated employees is very well explained here. It effectively illustrates how fulfilling various levels of needs, from physiological to self-actualization, contributes to employee satisfaction, motivation, and ultimately, organizational success.
ReplyDelete