Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory free essay sample

Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is one of the first theories of motivation and probably the best-known one. It was first presented in 1943. in Dr. Abraham Maslow’s article A Theory of Human Motivation in Psychological Review, and was further expanded in his book â€Å"Toward a Psychology of Being†. Maslow tried to formulate a needs-based framework of human motivation. His research was based upon his clinical experiences with humans, rather than prior psychology theories from authors such as Freud and B. F. Skinner, which were largely theoretical or based upon animal behaviour. The basis of  Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory  is that people are motivated by needs that remain unsatisfied, and that certain lower factors have  to be satisfied in order for higher needs to be recognized as unfulfilled. Maslow presented five sets of human needs that drive human behaviour. These needs have been organized into hierarchy of relative dominance according to their appearance in human life. We will write a custom essay sample on Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Figure 1: Maslow’s pyramid of needs Physiological Needs Also known as Survival needs, are those required to sustain life, such as: * Breathing * Thirst * Hunger * Sleep Sexual desire etc. According to  this theory, if these fundamental needs are not satisfied then one will surely be motivated to satisfy them. Safety Needs Once physiological needs are met, ones attention turns to safety and security in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs might be fulfilled by: * Living in a safe area * Medical insurance * Job security * Financial reserves According to the Maslow hierarchy, if a person feels threatened, needs further up  Maslows  Needs  Pyramid will not receive attention until that need has been resolved. Social Needs Once a person has met the lower level physiological and safety needs, higher level  motivators awaken. The first in level of higher needs are social needs. Social needs are those related to interaction with others and may include: * Friendship * Belonging to a group * Giving and receiving love Esteem Needs After a person feels  that they  belong, the  urge to attain a degree of importance emerges. Esteem needs can be categorized  as external motivators and internal motivators. Internally motivating  esteem needs are those  such as  self-esteem, accomplishment, and self respect. External esteem needs are those such as reputation and recognition. Some examples of esteem needs are: * Recognition (external motivator) * Attention  (external motivator) * Social Status (external motivator) * Accomplishment (internal motivator) * Self-respect (internal motivator) Maslow later improved his model to  add a  layer  in between  self-actualization and  esteem needs: the need for aesthetics and knowledge. Self-Actualization Self-actualization is the summit of Maslows motivation theory. It is about the quest of reaching ones full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied; as one grows psychologically there are always new opportunities to continue to grow. Self-actualized people tend to have  motivators such as: * Truth * Justice * Wisdom * Meaning Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of  peak experiences, which are energized moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to Maslow, only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of self-actualization. Maslow has separated these five needs into higher and lower orders. Lower-order needs are physiological and safety needs, while social, esteem and self-actualization are higher-order needs. Lower order needs are satisfied externally (with salary, union contract etc. , whereas higher-order needs are satisfied internally (within the person). Limitations and Criticism Though Maslows hierarchy makes sense intuitively, little empirical evidence supports his needs hierarchy. Recent research  challenges the order  that the needs are imposed by Maslows pyramid. Most criticism is focused on the fact that Maslow has conducted his research on US employees. So hierarchy of needs is based on their preferences. As an  example, in some cultures, social needs are placed more fundamentally than any others (eg. Nordic countries). Security needs are on the top of the hierarchy in countries where uncertainty-avoidance characteristics are strong (Japan, Greece, Mexico). Additionally,  little evidence suggests that people satisfy exclusively one motivating need at a time,  other than situations where needs conflict. Business Management Implications Maslow’s theory is logical and easy to understand, that is why it is widely used by managers worldwide. There are important considerations for management including insights into the best way to motivate employees, vendors, clients and customers. An important thing to understand is that everyone is not motivated by the same needs. At various points in their lives and careers,  various  employees will be motivated by  completely different needs. It is  imperative that managers recognize each employees needs currently being pursued. In order to motivate their employees,  they must understand the current level of needs at which the employee finds themselves, and leverage needs for workplace motivation. Managers can use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to find and create ways to motivate employees by carefully considering how needs play into their job design, compensation, management style and so forth. For example, managers can harness the power of physiological needs by providing wages that are sufficient for employees to purchase their basic needs. Safety needs can be addressed by providing job security, retirement benefits and a safe working environment. Social needs are addressed by developing a team atmosphere, making sure that employees know that they are a part of something bigger and they can count on their team members just as their team members should be able to count on them. From a product development, sales and marketing perspective, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is just as legitimate. Companies can develop products to help satisfy particular needs and they can also focus on particular needs as a way to market and sell something. For example, a clothing manufacturer can focus on physiological needs such as the need to be protected from the environment and to be warm. And they can also focus on esteem and self actualization needs by producing garments that improve a person’s self esteem or self perception and give them the confidence to pursue their self-actualization needs.