MASLOW THEORY

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist who, over a number of years, developed and refined a general
theory of human motivation. According to Maslow, humans have five sets of needs that are arranged
in a hierarchy, beginning with the most basic and compelling needs. These needs include:
1. Physiological needs. These include the needs that must be satisfied for the person to survive,
such as food, water, oxygen, and shelter. Organizational factors that might satisfy these needs include
the minimum pay necessary for survival and working conditions that promote existence.

Maslow posited that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy:

'It is quite true that man lives by bread alone when there is no bread. But what
happens to mans desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is
chronically filled?

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).

2. Safety needs. These include needs for security, stability, freedom from anxiety, and a structured
and ordered environment. Organizational conditions that might meet these needs include safe working
conditions, fair and sensible rules and regulations, job security, a comfortable work environment,
pension and insurance plans, pay above the minimum needed for survival, and freedom to unionize.
3. Belongingness needs. These include needs for social interaction, affection, love, companionship,
and friendship. Organizational factors that might meet these needs include the opportunity to interact
with others on the job, friendly and supportive supervision, opportunity for teamwork, and opportunity
to develop new social relationships.
4. Esteem needs. These include needs for feelings of adequacy, competence, independence,
strength, and confidence, and the appreciation and recognition of these characteristics by others.
Organizational factors that might satisfy these needs include the opportunity to master tasks leading
to feelings of achievement and responsibility. Also, awards, promotions, prestigious job titles,
professional recognition, and the like might satisfy these needs when they are felt to be truly
deserved.
5. Self-actualization needs. These needs are the most difficult to define. They involve the desire to
develop ones true potential as an individual to the fullest extent and to express ones skills, talents,
and emotions in a manner that is most personally fulfilling. Maslow suggests that self-actualizing
people have clear perceptions of reality, accept themselves and others, and are independent, creative,
and appreciative of the world around them. Organizational conditions that might provide self-
actualization include absorbing jobs with the potential for creativity and growth as well as a relaxation
of structure to permit self-development and personal progression.
Given the fact that individuals may harbour these needs, in what sense do they form the basis of a
theory of motivation? That is, what exactly is the motivational premise of Maslows hierarchy of
needs? Put simply, the lowest-level unsatisfied need category has the greatest motivating potential.
Thus, none of the needs is a best motivator; motivation depends on the persons position in the
need hierarchy. According to Maslow, individuals are motivated to satisfy their physiological needs
before they reveal an interest in safety needs, and safety must be satisfied before social needs
become motivational, and so on. When a need is unsatisfied, it exerts a powerful effect on the
individuals thinking and behaviour, and this is the sense in which needs are motivational. However,
when needs at a particular level of the hierarchy are satisfied, the individual turns his or her attention
to the next higher level. Notice the clear implication here that a satisfied need is no longer an
effective. Once one has adequate physiological resources and feels safe and secure, one does not seek
more of the factors that met these needs but looks elsewhere for gratification. According to Maslow,
the single exception to this rule involves self actualization needs. He felt that these were growth
needs that become stronger as they are gratified.