9 Ways of Implementing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the Corporate World

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory. It argues that the five stages of human needs motivate human behavior. Abraham Maslow proposed this theory of needs in his 1943 paper titled “A Theory of Human Motivation” and again in his book, Motivation and Personality. Since then, it has become a trademark of psychological evaluations. After studying exemplary people like Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt, Maslow came to a deduction. According to him, there are five needs that control human existence. These needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love, and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

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Maslow wanted to find out what makes life purposeful for people, himself included, in the modern day. The field of psychology gave him the tools to answer the yearnings and questions people had once taken to religion. Needs, in Maslow’s theory, are what drive people. As people fulfill each requirement, it accelerates and compels the subsequent need to appear. The five needs were divided into two groups by Maslow: Higher-order needs and Lower-order needs. The lower-order conditions consisted of physiological and safety needs. Most of these lower-order needs are external. The love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs are included in the higher-order needs. These higher-order needs are generally met internally, i.e., within an individual.

A pyramidical structure represents Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It places the most fundamental need at the base of the pyramid and the most developed level of hierarchy at the top. According to Maslow, a person can only advance to the next level after satisfying the requirements of the previous level. The most basic requirements are at the base of the pyramid, and the most sophisticated needs are at the top.

The Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the workplace

• Stage 1 – Physiological Needs: According to Maslow, every human being begins with a set of fundamental, non-negotiable requirements, such as the need to breathe, eat, drink, or sleep. It creates the first base of Maslow’s hierarchy. According to Maslow, when we’ve had enough food and feel awake and satisfied, we become motivated to do the next thing. Employees in the workplace require access to essential facilities and opportunities to meet their basic needs.
• Stage 2 – Safety: We seek protection in addition to satisfying our psychological requirements. We strive to make money, accumulate resources, and find refuge that safeguards us from harm. At work, it’s important to feel that physical and emotional safety is valued and prioritized. Employees should feel that their resources and personal property are safe and secure.
• Stage 3 – Love and belongingness: Here, we enter into the spiritual domain of the pyramid. Here, we desire to be close to family, friends, and well-wishers, belong to a society, or join a team to make interpersonal relationships. The need for interpersonal relationships motivates behavior. Therefore, creating a sense of belonging in the workplace is key to building an engaged culture. But the moment we feel we are a part of a group, we already wish to be a little different than the rest. Don’t we?
• Stage 4 – Esteem Needs: We look for self-confidence and respect from our peers in this stage. We must feel that we are growing and achieving our goals at work and getting enough recognition. It generates esteem in us, telling us that we are contributing to a more significant cause. When applied to the workplace, regular appreciation impacts the employee’s esteem. It motivates them to excel.
• Stage 5 – Self-actualization Needs: Lastly, we are driven by what Maslow called – an urge for self-actualization. It maintains as described by Maslow as living according to one’s full potential and becoming who one really is. We can reach this stage if we fulfill our psychological needs, feel safe and part of a group, and feel special. At this stage, people accept the truth for what it is. A self-actualized person feels empowered, which encourages personal growth and development. To meet its employees’ demands for self-actualization, organizations can offer them opportunities for growth to rise to the top.

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Implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory in the workplace

1. Maslow’s paradigm allows humans to think more creatively and strategically. It aids both the employees and clients in comprehending career development strategies, routines, objectives, and experiences.
2. Although subsequent research has not entirely endorsed Maslow’s idea, his work has influenced other psychologists and advanced the area of positive psychology. Using this notion to guide a team as a leader is an everyday use of this theory. This theory makes sure everyone feels like they belong.
3. The theory recommends paying employees a fair wage to buy the necessities of life to meet their physiological demands. Employers should provide them with opportunities for breaks and meals.
4. Regarding safety requirements, organizations should offer job security, a clean and safe working environment, and retirement benefits to the employees.
5. Employers should promote cooperation and host team meetings to meet social requirements.
6. Employers can recognize and reward employees for achieving and exceeding their goals to fulfill their esteem requirements. The management has the authority to offer a deserving employee a higher employment rank or position inside the organization.
7. To meet its employees’ demands for self-actualization, organizations can assign them to complex tasks that make the most of their knowledge and abilities. They can also be offered opportunities for growth to rise to the top.
8. Employers must determine the level of need each employee is experiencing before using those needs to push for motivation.
9. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory also offers a blueprint for motivating learners for future development. Learners cannot move up the hierarchy if they do not achieve the requirements for the lowest levels.

Limitations of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory

1. Identifying that the same objectives do not drive everyone is necessary. At the exact moment, various people may be motivated by different needs. It is typically the most potent unfulfilled desire that causes a person’s motivation.
2. Moreover, the theory has no pragmatic foundation.
3. Having the freedom of speech and freedom of expression or living in a just and fair society is not explicitly mentioned within this theory. Still, Maslow believed that having these things makes it easier for people to achieve their needs.
4. Although Maslow presented his needs in a hierarchy, he acknowledged that meeting each need is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Consequently, people don’t need to completely satisfy one need for the next need in the hierarchy to emerge.
5. Additionally, one action may satisfy two or more criteria. For instance, eating a meal together satisfies the physiological need for sustenance and the urge for belonging. Similarly, earning money from becoming a paid caregiver would enable someone to pay for necessities while giving them a sense of fulfillment and social connection. Maslow does not mention this.
6. The theory does not apply to starving artists since they will continue seeking success and recognition even if their necessities are unmet.

Infographics

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory

Conclusion

Nevertheless, through his hierarchy of needs theory, Maslow placed his finger on a set of solutions to an inclusive group of concerns with exceptional skill and accuracy. Such as, what exactly are we after? What are our desires? How can we set our priorities while considering the various and conflicting demands we have on our attention? Maslow proposed simultaneously that we cannot live by our spiritual calling alone and that it cannot be proper to focus solely on the material. He did this by reminding us of the structure of an ideal well-lived life with aesthetic concision. For Maslow, therefore, to achieve success, organizations must ensure the employees’ personal and spiritual growth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory. It argues that the five stages of the human condition motivate human behavior. Needs, in Maslow’s view, are what drive people. As people fulfill each requirement, it accelerates and compels the subsequent need to appear.

What is Maslow’s five hierarchy of needs?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory. It argues that the five stages of the human condition motivate human behavior. These needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love, and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

How is Maslow’s theory used today?

Maslow’s paradigm allows humans to think more creatively and strategically. It aids both the employees and clients in comprehending career development strategies, routines, objectives, and experiences.

Why is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs important in teaching?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory also offers a blueprint for motivating learners for future development. Learners cannot move up the hierarchy if they do not achieve the requirements for the lowest levels.