Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory
Also called Motivation theory
States that there are particular phases which an individual needs to pass, and the progression of each level motivates the individual.
The person passes through certain levels when they receive motivation at all levels.
Before an individual can attain complete self-actualization or self-fulfillment, that individual must initially have achieved all their needs.
The different levels are presented in a pyramid ad for a person to advance up the pyramid; they have first to satisfy lower needs. The pyramid shows basic primary needs, such as water, food, sleep, and sex, at the least level of the pyramid.
At the Physiological level, the motivation of an individual is less. However, with traces of motivation, one gets to the safety phase than to the belonging/love phase, after which the person would get to the self-esteem level.
Motivation is a significant factor that encourages employees to complete their tasks and work efficiently to reach the desired outcome ultimately.
Motivation serves as a stimulant for employees to work with efficacy, ad when they perform their tasks well, their self-esteem increases.
The last level is self-actualization, where employees have an explicit and peculiar image of themselves and their abilities.
The levels are only achievable through encouragement and motivation from a sincere and kind leader who conveys proper track to the subordinates.
The five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
According to Maslow, motivation results in an individual’s effort to fulfill the five basic needs; psychological, safety, social, esteem, ad self-actualization. These needs can develop internal pressures that can affect an individual’s behavior.
Physiological needs are necessary for the survival of humankind. They include water, food, sleep, clothing, and shelter. As an employer, one can account for the employees’ physiological needs through the provision of comfortable workplace conditions, practical and reasonable work hours, and proper breaks for bathroom use, eating, and drinking meals.
Safety needs are the needs that give an individual a sense of well-being and security. Financial security, personal security, proper health, and protection from harm, accidents, and their negative impacts are all encompassed in safety needs. An employer can account for employees’ safety needs by ensuring secure compensation (bonuses and salary), safe working environments, and job security, which are incredibly essential during bad economic periods.
Social needs, also love and belonging involve the need to feel a sense of acceptance and belonging. Social needs are vital to an individual so that they do not feel depressed, alone, and isolated. Family, friendships, and intimacy satisfy social needs. Employers can justify the social needs of their staff by ensuring every employee knows the other, being a kind and accessible supervisor, advocating for cooperation and teamwork, and promoting a proper work-and-life balance for the employees.
Esteem needs to entail the need for respect and self-esteem, where self-respect is relatively more significant than acquiring admiration and respect from others. Employers can account for these needs of their employees by praising and recognizing individuals that perform well, availing promotions to well-performing staff members. Also, through the provision of additional responsibilities to good employees to mirror the employer’s belief that those employees are valued.
Self-actualization needs to define an individual’s need to reach or attain their full potential. These needs are significant to a person as they reflect the need to accomplish or become what an individual is capable of and aspires to achieve. While one might need to become a good teacher, another person might need to start a family and embrace good parenthood. Since these are individualized needs, as an employer, one has to account for these needs through the provision of challenging tasks, inviting the staff to participate in problem-solving, and offering them the autonomy ad flexibility in their jobs.
How to use Maslow’s theory to help in identifying their own needs and set goals to meet them
The motivation to acquire a roof over an individual’s head is triggered by the most primary survival/biological need. The motivation to purchase a big home in a better area of town that has a low or non-existent crime rate is driven by the need for an individual to feel safe. The extra bedrooms and BBQ for entertainment for a family is a social need whose motivation is a bigger and excellent home encouraged by self-esteem needs. One’s self-actualization motivation inform an individual that their bigger and good home does not fundamentally transform their identity. It is critical to learn that the smallest part of the pyramid is self-actualization needs; it is not the least essential but the last motivation level.
The humanistic perspective of personality development
According to Maslow, needs occur in a hierarchical order. The progressive principle proposes that the lower-phase needs must be first satisfied before the higher-level ones. The deficit principle suggests that once a requirement is fulfilled, it is not a motivator anymore since the person takes the responsibility only to fulfill the unsatisfied needs. Also, before the satisfaction of a necessity at any level, the needs below must already be fulfilled. Maslow believed that self-actualizers portray Coherent personality syndrome and embody optimal cognitive functioning and health.
Conclusion
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory proposes that individuals are encouraged to satisfy primary needs before progressing to more advanced ones. While various schools of thought incline to emphasize problematic behaviors, Maslow was more focused on learning on matters that make people happy and tasks they perform to attain those objectives. He believed that individuals have an innate desire to become self-actualized. However, to reach the ultimate aims, various basic needs such as food, love, safety, and self-esteem must be satisfied.