Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs

This article consist of an introduction to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where I have chosen to present the five basic levels of his theory with some examples. The focus of the article is the application of Maslow's theory in the workspace regarding management, as well as some limitations and critics of the theory.

Figure 1: Maslow's Hierarch of Needs, https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html, 03.03.2022

Introduction

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the most famous theories of needs, which was developed by the Russian-American psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. His theory search to find fundamental needs to explain our doings and motivation.

Maslow’s theory is often presented with a pyramid consisting of 5 horizontal parts, as shown in figure 1, where the needs must be fulfilled from the bottom and up. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from the bottom and up: Physiological-, safety-, social-needs, esteem and self- actualization. Maslow categorized the first four needs as “deficiency needs” which appear when the person is missing something. These needs are what creates the drive and motivation until they are fulfilled, like for example food and a steady job. The last need is categorized as “growth needs”. In comparison with the first four steps, these cannot be fulfilled but they are rather needs to strive for, like setting your own goals.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a commonly used theory among project managers. In order to optimize a teams efficiency and productivity, the project manager have to be able to lead the team and take difficult decisions, but something that is as important and far less measurable is the teams motivation. A motivated team, and a team striving to reach a goal is a crucial component of a successful project.

Regarding Maslow’s theory of needs, science supports his thoughts regarding the separation between the “deficiency needs” and “growth needs”. However regarding Maslow’s amount of needs and their particular order is something that some sciences disproves. Some sciences proves that humankind is more flexible than these “easy” steps of motivation and needs, where the human mind cannot be explained by laws like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

What is needs?

One of the most critical concepts behind Maslow’s theory is understanding of the meaning of a need. According to Maslow, needs can be subdivided into two groups; the deficiency needs and growth needs. The theory behind deficiency needs is based on that there are certain things that the human body requires in order of the continuation of their lives or for their wellbeing. The lack of certain things; as water, food, love can be characterized as lack of something essential for a person existence. To be more concrete, there is not the thing it self that is the “need” but rather when the thing is lacking it creates a need that the person is feeling. For example, the lack of food which is essential for living, creates the need of food, which again drives the person to obtain something to eat. In that case there is not the food itself that is the need, but instead the urge or the feeling of having to obtain some food that is the need itself. Maslow's theory goes even farther, stating that each category (or level) of need encompasses a number of different items that he grouped together because they are conceptually linked. These concepts, specifically that the thing is not a need and the lack of something defines a need, are crucial to comprehend how the scales for measuring satisfaction of Maslow's five needs were formed . As Maslow described it himself: "Only unsatisfied needs provide the sources of motivation; a satisfied need creates no tension and therefore no motivation".

Physiological needs

Physiological needs are the first of the deficiency needs, and covers the primitive needs or the basic biological requirements for a person to survive. This includes things like food, water, air, warmth, sex etc. Maslow considered these needs as the most important since the physical body cannot function optimally without these “things”.

Some current critics of Maslow's theory may have misunderstood this level, because people who live in rich society may not be properly exposed to this idea. As Maslow explained; “Average citizens are experiencing appetite rather than hunger when they say ‘I am hungry.’ They are apt to experience sheer life and death hunger only by accident”. The agriculture has progressed so much in industrialized countries over the last century that food and water needs have been addressed, making this need appear less urgent than it is.

Safety needs

The safety needs, as the previous, also consists of basic needs for people in order to survive. This level or category in Maslow’s theory include both concrete and abstract form of needs, as for example; protection against danger, threat and depression, job- and financial security.

As Maslow explained, human beings have basic safety needs, which may be seen in newborns who have a sensitive danger reaction, crying, in response to potentially danger, like falling (leaving the support of a parent's arms) or being treated harshly. This behavior may be instinctive in order for survival in response to predators, because without it, the species may have been extinct many years ago.

Safety needs can be defined as a lack of protections such as shelter from environmental dangers and disasters, personal protection from physical harm, financial protection from destitution, legal protection from attacks on one's right to a peaceful existence, or a lack of stability in one's life, as illustrated by these examples by Maslow: A shelter such as a house that provides protection from weather, a guardian or someone who can be relied on for assistance parent or a dependable police force, an legal system, or a trustworthy government. More abstractly; stability and structure in one's life.

Social needs

When the physiological and safety needs is fulfilled, the next level of needs is the social needs, which include the need of interpersonal belonging. The motivational behavior of social needs includes being part of a group like having a family and friendship, giving the feeling of trust and acceptance.

The need of interpersonal belonging is something fundamental for people. This need is also something that through evolution have might have kept the humankind alive. The need of forming groups and social attachments with other individuals in order to increase the chances of survival.

Social needs are fundamental, since they exist in every individual. The forming of relationships is relatively easy to form for most people, and the lack of these needs can create psychological implications for the person. Lack of it is accompanied by feelings of social rejection, isolation, loneliness, and depression.

Maslow's theory states that fulfilment of a need at any of the levels releases the person to begin focusing on fulfilling the need at the next level up in the hierarchy. As a result, once a person’s physiological and safety needs have been met, one will be able to focus more on satisfying one's need to develop positive interactions with others.

Esteem needs

Maslow classified the esteem needs into two categories: Esteem for self and esteem from others. Esteem from self includes needs like independence, mastery, dignity, and achievements, while the need of esteem from others includes status and respect. As a result, esteem needs are characterized as a person's lack of respect for himself or herself, as well as the lack of respect he or she receives from others.

Because both social needs and needs of seeking esteem include social interactions, there is a logical progression from satisfying social needs to seeking esteem. For a person to feel good within a social network, a human being requires social interaction with others. This may satisfy the desire for self- esteem. However, simply being a member of a group is not sufficient for this level. To fulfill the needs of esteem, one must also have the respect of others.

Self-Actualization needs

Self-Actualization needs is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and consists of more abstract needs then the previous categories. The need of self-actualization involves realizing one’s potential and seeking personal growth, wanting to become the best possible version of oneself.

The definition of self-actualization, the inclusion of being unselfish is ineffective. Other-oriented behavior could be motivated by a desire to be liked by others which is a part of the social needs in the hierarchy. Alternatively, a lack of respect from others could lead to a desire to help others in order to gain respect, the esteem needs. A more fundamental approach to generating a working definition should be taken in order to get a concrete definition that will better allow understanding of the idea. Examining the aspects of the term self-actualization accomplishes this. The first part, self, is made up of a person's conscious and unconscious ideas and feelings that come together to form one’s identity. The second element of the term can also help completing the definition. Actualization is the process of transforming anything into what it truly and fundamentally is. As a result, the level self-actualization may be better described when all elements of the word are used together: The need of a person to become who one truly and uniquely is, individually. This distinguishes the genuine self from the person society expects us to be.

In terms of the self-actualization needs location in Maslow’s hierarchy. When a person's esteem needs have been sufficiently met, he or she should be confidence enough in him or herself in order to turn to the effort of self-actualization attempting to become what the person truly wants to be.

Maslow’s theory in the workspace

Every company's success is dependent on the effective management of resources committed to executing projects on time and on budget. A project manager's ability to ensure timely delivery, stick to budget limits, and manage scope and quality specifications, is critical to the project's success. Although a project manager may possess the required skills to lead a project team through multiple project stages and life cycles, team motivation, which is something far less measurable, is a crucial component of a successful project.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is highly applicable to organizational orientation and employee motivation. The theory can advise managers how to help their employees or subordinates to achieve self-actualization. This is due to the fact that self-actualized employees are more likely to work to their full creative potential. The concept implies that the theory serves both organizations and employees, on the basis that both the organization and the employees must decide on the organization's performance. When employees give their all in the service of the organization, the culture and human resource of the organization should ensure that the employees' level of needs are reflected in the values that the organization holds in high regard.

The organization should reflect the fact that employees' physiological and security demands are important. As a result, when such needs become culturally recognized, the organization's performance will enhance. Employees crave social interaction, and it is the role of the organization to create values and norms that the human resources department will focus on when planning the smooth operation of the organization. With employees’ relationships being one of the key areas, their esteem and self-actualization requirements should be met through culture and human resource management practices. Employees will provide their best services for the company if they learn that their organization really cares for them.

Employee satisfaction and performance can also be influenced by company benefits. Some companies reward employees who make an extra effort to enhance their performance with incentives or additional advantages. Examples of these kind of rewards is tuition performance or grants to attend specialist conferences. These kinds of additional advantages can encourage an individual to seek out new possibilities and to develop himself or herself. As a result, increase his or her performance at work, in addition to be a boost for future growth and promotions.

The approach used for performance reviews and assessments by a company can have a significant impact on employee performance. Employees may become unsatisfied if their employers fail to review their performance or appreciate a job well done. Furthermore, firms that strictly monitor employee work without allowing employees to provide feedback may result in unmotivated workers. Periodic, regular, honest, and objective feedback to the individual employee should be included in performance reviews to keep staff motivated and performing well. However, the company should have certain processes in place that allow employees to provide feedback on how the company could grow and become a better workplace. Open communication will create better performance reviews and keep the employees more satisfied with their salary level related to their work.

Criticism

Some critics have argued that physiological needs may not be as important as social needs. In order to argue that physiological needs (food) may not be as important as social needs (relationships), a commonly used anecdote is people at a banquet in China delaying eating until the guest of honor arrives. Maslow, on the other hand, was referring about "chronic intense hunger," which he believed was uncommon in typically functioning society. As a result, the hierarchy is determined not by valuing what is "essential," but by whether one is physiologically deprived of something, causing the desire. Ignoring these concepts leads to a misunderstanding of basic requirements.

People who grew up in an environment where their needs were not met, according to Maslow, are less likely to be healthy, well-adjusted adults. Research into Maslow's theory has confirmed the distinction between deficiency and growth needs, but it has also revealed that not everyone can meet their higher-order needs at work. According to the findings of the study, higher-level managers are able to meet both their growth and deficiency needs on the job, whereas lower-level managers are only able to meet their deficiency needs. Maslow's theory has received little support in terms of the precise concepts it presents. According to some, this model is particularly helpful in characterizing the behavior of high-growth persons who require strength, because employees who are unfamiliar with the concept of enhancing their growth will have no physiological reaction to their jobs.

The motivational applicability of the self-actualization need appears to be a source of debate and criticism. The first concern comes from a fear that the concept is vague and based on wishful thinking about what an employee should be like. Part of this skepticism roots in a statement from Maslow himself where he explains that most people in our society is partially satisfied and partially unsatisfied in each needs-category. A realistic percentage of satisfaction decreases as you go up the hierarchy, where only a few people is likely to reach 10% of self-actualization. It has been challenged, in particular, how and who Maslow chose as "self-actualizers". Maslow chose people who were unusually fulfilled, accomplished and creative. The list includes names like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Spinoza. This was a deliberate selection that was also limited to a specific segment of the American population based on their respected traits. This, according to critics, has affected the idea and reduced its validity in terms of prejudice. The concept of self-actualization was criticized as a result of this confusion and doubt. Maslow's approach to selecting self-actualizers, even the small 10% of actualization, was anything from typical. Maslow's statement can be interpreted to mean that self-actualization is a privileged idea that only applies to those who are thought to be capable of self-actualization theoretically.

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Annotated bibliography

Taormina, R.J. and Gao, J.H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American Journal of Psychology, 126(2), pp.155–177.

This article is written by Robert J. Taormina from the University of Macau and Jennifer H. Gao from the Macao Polytechnic Institute. The article was published in the American Journal of Psychology, Volume 126, issue 2. The article goes in depth in each of the parts of Maslow's hierarchy and presents some good examples in each category.

Fallatah, R. H. M., & Syed, J. (2017). Employee motivation in Saudi Arabia: An investigation into the higher education sector. Springer.

This book is written by Rodwan Hashim Mohammed Fallatah from the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK and Jawad Syed from Lahore University of Management Sciences Lahore, Pakistan. In chapter 2, "A Critical Review of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs", they present counter-evidence to Maslow's theory that paved the way for criticisms. The chapter helps to shed light on some of the limitations of the theory.

Kaur, A. (2013). Maslow’s need hierarchy theory: Applications and criticisms. Global Journal of Management and Business Studies, 3(10), 1061-1064.

This article is written by Avneet Kaur, from the Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi. It is published through the Global Journal of Management and Business Studies, volume 3, by Research India Publications. This paper attempts to define the motivational theory propounded by Maslow known as need hierarchy theory. In this the theory is well defined with literature reviews. It also explains the managerial applications of this theory in organizations and the criticism faced by it.

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), 39-45

This article was written by Dr. Nyameh Jerome from the Department of Economics Taraba State University Jaling, and published in the International Journal of Business and Management Invention. The article explores the relevance of Maslow's theory on organizational culture, human resource management and employee’s performance and its application towards achieving results in the attainment of organizational goals and objectives.