Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs, Motivation in the workplace

Summary / Abstract

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (MHN) is a broadly accepted model and theory for understanding what motivates people through what needs they have. Maslow arranges the needs in a hierarchy in order of importance. This means that a higher level of need cannot be fulfilled unless all the needs of lower levels are satisfied[1]. In his theory motivation is derived from a lack of fulfillment of one need, and which ever level of need is deprived the most, will become what dominates the motivation of the employee[2]. Furthermore Maslow claims this model to be generally applicable for any type of employee in any type of work or workplace. This article will go through Maslow’s different levels of hierarchical needs, and how it relates to motivation of employees in a project, program, or portfolio (PPP). Here it will be gone through how it can improve output and quality of the work an employee does, and their commitment to the cause (I. E. the purpose of the project, for example the desired socio-economic benefits of an infrastructure project). The application of the model and theory will be gone through followed by it's limitations, and a discussion of it's pros and cons will be carried out based on the knowledge presented in the preceding chapters. This should then give a better understanding of how a manager, whether the manager manages portfolios, programs, or projects, can improve the team's efforts and results by giving the proper motivation and covering the fundamental needs of the employee.

Maslow's Theory and Relevance in Project, Program, and Portfolio Management

Maslow's model consists traditionally of five levels of different types of needs. Late in Maslow's life he added a sixth level to the model, but this will only be mentioned at the end of the article. Mainly the focus of this article will be on the five common levels of needs, as these are still the main focus area of todays literature[2] and practice[5]. Firstly they will be presented from a theoretical point of view, and later it will be argued that the theory is equally important for Project, Program, and Portfolio-management (PPP-management), and for the sake of keeping it simple, it will be gone through in deeper detail from a project management perspective.

Motivational Theory

Maslow meant that any man is fundamentally good, and that we as individuals, has a constant and great potential and drive for growth. The "Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid"-Model(the HNP-model) that Maslow created in 1954, is a broadly accepted model for understanding human motivation. The pyramid consists of 5 levels of needs that are universal arranged in a hierarchy, so that the lower level needs must be fulfilled before higher level needs can be activated.[1]

The physiological needs are the first level. These consists of the need for water, food, sleep and shelter, making it the most fundamental, but also most important needs, as they relate directly to survival. The physiological needs are said to ignite the process of satisfaction [2], but they must be fulfilled, or none of the other needs will seem important. Maslow himself meant that if a person is lacking food, safety, love and recognition, than he or she would probably prioritize food the most.[2]

The safety needs are the second level of the pyramid. i.e. Protection from any dangers or threads. This could be the thread of loosing a new job, or being infected by a dangerous disease. The fear of these things will then motivate our behavior, to take precautions and try to stay safe. for example by working harder [2], or in the case of a pandemic, shutting down a country to keep the hospitals from overflowing with sick patients.

The Social needs are the third level. The need for love, belonging, close relations, and acceptance amongst peers are very fundamental needs for social creatures such as humans, and will motivate human behavior in almost any aspect off life[2].

The Esteem need also called ego needs, is the fourth level. These are split into two categories. A need for independence or autonomy and needs for self-esteem or self-worth. The first category are needs for achievement, adequacy, and freedom, where the second category are needs for Status, recognition, and prestige [1].

The Self-actualization needs are the fifth level and final level in the pyramid. This is the need to live up to ones full potential, and to continue self development. Some might refer to this as fulfilling ones destiny or reaching ones full potential.[2]

From this model two postulates are worth highlighting. The first postulate is: "a satisfied need is not a motivator of behavior." [1] p. 9

And the second is: "To the extent that lower order needs become satisfied, the next higher-order level of needs becomes the most prepotent determinant of behavior" [1] p. 9.

This means that if an organization or a manager within that organization wants to have a high potential for motivating their employees, they must also incorporate high levels of satisfaction (i.e. high level of needs fulfilled). This will now be put into the context of PPP-management.

Maslow's Hierarchy in Project Management

A fundamental competency of any project manager is leadership of people[3], where motivation plays a vital role, and a fundamental responsibility of the project manager is what the team produces[3]. If the members of the team are not motivated to deliver high quality work, than a project failure is almost inevitable, therefore it is highly important for a manager to be able to motivate the team in order to steer it towards success[4]. A project team will consist of people and therefore will be executed by people also. If we are talking program- or portfolio-management, same basic principle applies, it will be managed and carried out by people, who should be highly motivated in order to deliver good quality results. Therefore, and to not over complicate the following section, it will be from a project management point of view, regarding management and motivation of a project team and the individuals the team consists of.

Project teams will consist of different individuals, in different stages of their personal and professional lives, and possibly from different regions of the world[4]. These are factors that often put people on different levels of the pyramid, as needs for esteem and self actualization becomes more important as people mature[1], where for a newly educated engineer high salaries might be more motivating. Therefore it is important to be familiar with all levels of the pyramid. Below a figure shows how an engagement company (i.e. a company specialized in engaging and motivating employees deeply) in 2021 called "Engagement Multiplier" uses Maslow's HNP-model in the context of a workplace, which is arguably analogous to project management:

[5]

The physiological needs are in the modern society merely a question of wages. High enough wages will allow team members to be able to afford food, shelter, and water. So to motivate people who are struggling with fulfilling their physiological needs, the most effective way would probably be to increase their wages, but money alone will not be a sufficient motivator[2]. To achieve truly motivated employees higher levels must be satisfied.

A different solution is needed to motivate people who are concerned about their safety. For instance if a project manager is worried that the projects he or she is responsible for in a program might be determined because of to much uncertainty, than a way to motivate him or her, could be for the program manager to make risk management a priority for those projects. Given that the further risk management does not reveal critical risks for the projects, than the project manager would have obtained less uncertainty, and a stronger believe that the projects can be carried out, and through that satisfy his or her need for safety in the workplace. A more common example might be that a team member is worried about weather or not he or she is capable of delivering on a task. Here a simple solutions could merely be for the manager to provide constructive feedback, and clearly communicate what is expected of the employee, and where help and knowledge can be obtained if needed.

The third level is the need for love. If the over all team performance is poor, than it might be because the team development has not been optimal. It is important to strengthen team work in the team through building trust amongst members, communicate openly and effectively, and create opportunities for team building[4]. This will help to develop the team better, and will improve the people skills, technical competencies, and overall team environment and project performance of the team[4]. To conclude; A PPP-manager is able to create stronger teams, better motivation, and higher project performance, by being aware of the need for love.

A skilled project manager might have had the feeling of being overlooked, or unrecognized for the hard work he does for his organization. In other words, the project manager has a need for esteem and recognition, and often this will bring the thought to mind: "Is any one noticing, what I am doing, and is it even worth doing it, if no one sees me?". If a project manager truly feels this way, then he might be much less inclined to actually use his skills and create good quality projects. It is therefore stressed how important acknowledgement and rewards are for motivation[4]. If the project manager is rewarded for his hard work, than he is much more inclined to continue working hard. Here rewards would not necessarily be of mainly monetary value or promotions, also honorary titles (for example "project manager of the month", although cliché) might do the trick, to show the employees that they are appreciated.

Any project team will consist of individuals working together adding their individual expertise to the process to achieve a higher goal (the purpose of the project). Since the individuals of a team have different expertises, it makes sense to also assign them different roles and responsibilities within the project. A project, where the goal is to design a high-tech 3D printer for private persons to use in their homes, the roles could be, but are not limited to an R&D specialist, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, and a software specialist. Now it would not make much sense to make the electrical engineer responsible for making a beautiful design feature, nor have the software specialist analyze the flow of material through the nozzle of the printer head. Obviously assigning people to do tasks they are not qualified for makes for lousy project work, but also (and possibly because of) it makes for lousy motivation. Self actualization is the need for self fulfilment. The need to become everything a person strives for. There fore if a person is a software specialist, it will make sense to motivate him or her through challenging and exciting software tasks, to make him or her feel self actualized.

How to Apply The Theory

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is said to be applicable for all people, as the needs it concerns should be so fundamental to the human psyche that all people will experience them through a life time (maybe with the exeptance of sel. So if it applies to all, then how should one apply it, and where? The needs hierarchy has been applied within many fields and with many purposes. The hierarchy of needs have informed and inspired literature concerning development, dispute resolutions, terrorism, even corporate reputation and business management[2]. So how does it apply to project management?

For instance are lower level needs, something to consider already when hiring choosing people for a project. Level of salary, pension, and insurances are ways to cover an employees lower levels. Also supportive and constructive communication through out the project period will make the employees feel that their job position is more secure and that they are appreciated by the workplace[4]. The middle layer is the social needs. To create employee job satisfaction it is important to apply tools as team building. It will create trust amongst the members of the team, and help them get through the stages of team development[4]. Achieving the sense of belonging to the team will contribute to an employees commitment to the team members and their common mission to execute a successful project. The higher level needs for Esteem are greatly contributed through positive and open communication with the team members. Rewarding the team when milestones are reached are an important tool, and a good occasion to gather the team for social and more fun experiences together, that does not necessarily revolve around work. This level of need is also important to consider when hiring new people. If a person expresses ambitions towards promotions and titles in a job interview, then this person wont be satisfied stuck in the same position for years on end. To optimally motivate this employee, than he or she should work on tasks that will bring him or her on the path to the sought after promotions and titles. Others might be very satisfied staying in a specific region of responsibility, as this region might be where they feel self actualized. So how can a manager offer the possibility of self actualization? When trying to achieve the highest level of job satisfaction and motivation for the employees of the project team, your team members must feel like their work matters and has purpose. It must be fulfilling, and give them a sense of pride in their work. This may be maintained by asking the members what they want to learn from the project, why they want to to work on it, and how they hope to grow from it. These individual goals can then be supported through their area of responsibility and the tasks they are to solve through out the project period. According to Maslow people are in constant development and strive to grow and mature. This personal development is crucial if the team members are to feel optimally motivated to work on a project, and according to Maslow it is these people, who have satisfied their need for self actualization, from whom you can expect the fullest and healthiest creativity[2]. Maslow calls these people basically satisfied people, and it can be claimed that these people also can inspire others in the project, and in that sense let their motivation rub of on those they work with[5].

Critiques and Limitations of the Model

The following section will go through three major critiques of Maslow's theory. This is based on the information found in the Book "Employee Motivation In Saudi Arabia; An investigation Into the Higher Education Sector" by R.H.M. Fallatah and J. Syed, chapter 2: "A Critical Review of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs".

One of the critic points of Maslow's theory is about how a deprivation of a need makes it a dominant need, and that a need left unsatisfied will remain dominant (i.e. the longer you starve the more dominant the need for food becomes till it dominates your behavior). This is also called the deprivation/domination proposition. However, several studies have failed to find empirical evidence for this aspect of the theory. However some studies has found support or partial support for the claim. On study showed that the greater a satisfaction of a need, the greater a decline in the strength of that need, which gives partial support to the proposition. An other study that found support for the deprivation/domination proposition, was one conducted on students by measuring prior attainment of a need, the intention of satisfying the need, and the importance of the need.

An other critique of Maslow's theory, is that of the "Self-actualization Need Complex". Especially how and who Maslow picked as being "Self-actualizers" has been criticized. The individuals Maslow chose were unusually fulfilled, achieved, and creative. The selection consists of individuals like Abraham Lincoln, Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Spinoza. So clearly this selection was predetermined and also limited to a special part of the American population on the basis of their respected characteristics. According to critiques, this has had an influence on the concept and has weakened its validity, in regards to bias. How ever the methodology used to examine the self-actualizers has also been criticized. When examining these individuals, with the purpose to formulate the concept of self-actualization, it was done merely by talking to them or reading the biographies of these highly educated achievers. Also the sample size has been criticized for being to small. Though critiques might be quick to reject the theory, others call the theory a derived one.

The Final point of critique is regarding the structure of the hierarchy with self-actualization at the top as the ultimate need. This is argued to only apply for individuals brought up in an individualistic society (USA, UK, and other western societies), and can only be embraced by people who embrace individualistic perspectives. Thus the hierarchy of needs has been criticized for only representing cultural values of the west, and not cultural values of the East, which undermines the theory greatly since Maslow claims it to be universal for all people.

In answer to these critiques (i.e. the individualism of self-actualization) Maslow added a sixth level to the model late in his life. This level has been described as being intrinsic values. Values like justice, truth, ethics, excellence and perfection, are said to transcend individualism and self interest, in terms off wider holistic matters concerning a greater good[6]. By putting the intrinsic values as the ultimate need to satisfy, Maslow mitigates a hard critique of his original model.

Annotated Bibliography

[1] Pardee, L. (1990) Motivation Theories of Maslow, Herzberger, McGregor & McClelland. A literature Review of Selected Theories dealing with job satisfaction and motivation. 1-24 - "A literature review of some of the most relevant theories dealing with job satisfaction and motivation, including Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberger's Motivation Hygiene Theory, McGregor's X. Y. Theories, and McClelland's Need for Achievement Theory.

[2] Fallatah, R., & Syed, J. (2017). Employee Motivation in Saudi Arabia. An Investigation Into the Higher Education Sector., 19-59.

"A critical review of Maslow's theory and model, containing a literary review of different theories and how Maslow has contributed and affected other theorists and the field in general."

[3] Project Management Institute, Inc. (2017) Project Management: A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide), 51-69.

"A guide of the competencies, skills, and tasks of a project manager."

[4] Project Management Institute, Inc. (2017) Project Management: A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide), 307-359.

"A guide to resource management in PPP, including team development, and motivation of team members"

[5] https://www.engagementmultiplier.com/resources/applying-maslows-hierarchy-needs-engagement-growth/ (18/02/2021)

"An article on how an engagement company applies of Maslow's model and theory within an organization, and how it contributes to employee motivation and productivity in 2021"

[6] https://challengingcoaching.co.uk/maslows-6th-level/

"A short description of a sixth level of the Needs Hierarchy. A contribution to the theory made late in Maslow's life, that describes what may motivate self-actualized individuals. This level consists of intrinsic values."